Is USF football top 25 material?

[BDYZR]

I agree with 96. I think we grew into a top 25 team at the end of the season last year. With the experience and IF our running game is as improved as most of us think it will be this year, I think we are.

Unfortunately, if we don't start the season there, we MUST beat Auburn to get ranked before mid-season, if then.

GO BULLS!

[crambone]

We aren't top 20+ material, but definitely 20-30 range.

[Guest BasketBull.]

I agree with most of the assessments; we are somewhere around the top 25. Here's how I look at it. Rutgers was a ranked team and they certainly overachieved last year (due to great coaching). When we played them, we were very close, and at that juncture the team hadn't really jelled at all. That tells me that the core of this team is talented enough to be on the top 25. As far as the extremes of the ranges, FIU and West Virginia are those bookends.

Add in Mike Ford, some of the talents waiting in the wings, the maturity of a 9-4 season, and improved coaching all around, and we have a legit top 25 contender.

Of course, there's special teams... That is the only reason I can't put us in the top 25 until I see some improvements.

[goodknightfl]

I hate to admit this.. but as a UCF fan.. U are borderline top 25.. definatly top 40 right now.. wont really know till u get past the first 5 games next year.

[BullyPulpit]

Are we top 25 material....of course we are. Look at the teams that finished in the 20-30 range this season, we definitely belong in there with those teams. But being "Top 25" material is just one half of the equation.

Teams that win regularly have an air about them, a swagger if you will. The last two games of the season I saw that swagger in our beloved Bulls. I saw players playing consistently with a confidence that I had only seen glimpses of in the past. I have been saying it since last season, the Auburn game will define this PROGRAM. While a loss would not destroy our season, a bad loss would definitely cost us that swagger. We need to continue to build on the successes of last season.

The players we are putting out on that field next year are good enough to play with any team in the nation. The key is making sure the players believe that they are that good.....Keep The Swagger Up!!!!!!

[Joe]

Listen I was just as excited about those last two games, the win over West Virginia changed everything.

However, you cannot ignore the inconsistencies this team has had the last 2 years and claim that they are a definitive top 25 team.

Are we in the conversation? Of Course. And we do return a good team. However the schedule isn't as soft and the bye week is really early, it's going to be iron man for the last 10 games.

[BullyPulpit]

Listen I was just as excited about those last two games, the win over West Virginia changed everything.

However, you cannot ignore the inconsistencies this team has had the last 2 years and claim that they are a definitive top 25 team.

Are we in the conversation? Of Course. And we do return a good team. However the schedule isn't as soft and the bye week is really early, it's going to be iron man for the last 10 games.

The question posed was not whether we WILL be Top 25 after the first 3 weeks of the season, but rather if we are Top 25 material. I do not see how this team, with all it returns and the progress we made last season is not Top 25 MATERIAL heading into next season. Obviously we still must perform on the field.

As far as the inconsistencies go, there is definitely reason for optimism for improvement.

The running game is obviously the bigest question mark we have heading into next year. We will soon see if Mike Ford is the answer, but I am relatively confident that a 20 year old freshman 4 or 5 star recruit could very well be the answer.

Penalties. We need to cut them down, no doubt. But looking at the end of last season there was definite improvement. against UofL, 6 penalties for 47 yards, WVU 8-60, and ECU 6-60. While I would love to see these numbers decrease, there was a definite improvement in discipline over the last quarter of the season.

Turnovers. Again, we saw improvement in the last quarter of the season. UofL-1, WVU-2, ECU-1.

There is a lot to be said about continuity, especially on the offensive side of the ball. With the exception of the UofL game where we clearly got out played, things are definitely trending in the right direction for this program.  

[Rizman]

Ok, we have two awesome new coaches.  Defensive line will be strong, we need a better secondary.  Our offiense is upgrading, if we can have some players maybe Ford or others have a great running year then we have a shot at getting into the top 25.  We need to go out and be conviencing.  No bad outtings.  When we go to Auburn, if we lose then it is a close one and the Auburn fans sweet.  I am so excited about next year.

Now, everyone who reads this get two extra friends to attend one or two games this year.  If all season ticket holders get one extra seat, we are looking at 15,000 in those seats.  Lets fill the upper section.  Go Bulls

[Joe]

I know Bully, I was responding to those who shrugged off include years results in assess this team.

You can look at UL, Cincy, Kansas, UCF, and FIU and see the inconsistencies. Luckily in the last two games were wins, based on the factc that we had better talent on the field.

We are top 25 material, however, I need to see more before I can say this is a top 25 team.

[VeryBullish]

Of course we are top 25 team. I hate to go with the woulda shoulda coulda spin, but where was the running game  when we lost to Rutgers by 2 and Kansas by 1? It was non-exsistent....I still don't understand how we lost to Cincy, but let's assume with a running game we would of won those the KU and RU game. We would be 11-2! USF would've been ranked in the top 20 at season's end. We are definitely top 25 material.