CFN Prediction: 7-5... USF = BE's Biggest Dissappointment

[bullcocky101]

I say 9-3...we rarely lose at home, and Uconn/Pitt games will be in the bag. (unless it is below 32 degrees of course)

[On_the_Chip]

USF's talent level is on par with BE elite.

Everyone was predicting 5-7 or 6-6 last year, and I said 8-4, and I was dead on.  Go back and check last year's prediction threads.

I say 10-2 this year.  Mark it down.  No way this team loses 5 games unless it implodes or is hit by serious injuries.

USF will not lose to both wVU and UL.  They haven't the last 2 years with worse teams, why would they this year with both games at home and a better team.  CFN didn't do their homework, we are good for at least one if not 2 wins against top 20 teams.  Gauranteed.

One loss to either WVU/UL.

One loss to another team (Pitt/RU)

I see us pulling the shocker at AU, but even if we lose, I see 9-3 at worse.

Pull this thread out at the end of the year for all the naysayers.    

Amen.........CFN has nothing to back up their claim of a 7-5 record.  All these preseason polls are joke anyways.

[Joe]

They're high on our defense, their problem seems to be the offense.

Which objectively has a lot of potential, but it's ALL potential outside Grothe. Whiel Ford may end up being the real deal, he hasn't played a down of real football in 2 years. Our backup RBs are coming off a severe knee injury, a walkon, and a back who didn't see the field much last year. Our WRs have been tremenous downfiield blockers, and well tremenous downfield blockers. Still not sure about the oline either.

[Joe]

Amen.........CFN has nothing to back up their claim of a 7-5 record.  All these preseason polls are joke anyways.

except for a whole article...http://cfn.scout.com/2/652457.html

and a conference breakdown....http://cfn.scout.com/2/661600.html

[On_the_Chip]

Amen.........CFN has nothing to back up their claim of a 7-5 record.  All these preseason polls are joke anyways.

except for a whole article...http://cfn.scout.com/2/652457.html

and a conference breakdown....http://cfn.scout.com/2/661600.html

Again, it's preseason hog wash........not sure why we will suffer road losses to UCONN and Pitt.......Pitt is in a rebuilding year, unproven players, and we loss to them on road?  Now I know we have had struggles on the road last year (i.e. Cincy) but I truely believe our team is much improved on Offense and I expect a consistant level of play form the bulls on the road this year.  And they have us lossing to UCONN on the road but beating Rutgers.  Go figure on that one.  I say if we lose one of those games it will be to Rutgers and not UCONN.  Again, I just see this as a bunch of preseason hog wash.......but hey, I'm speculating just liike CFN......so I'm guilty of the same hog wash.  Oh well. 

[ctbrown24]

I'm not a huge fan of these predictions. Wouldn't our date with Auburn be one of the top 5 OOC that the Big East should worry about? I'd think so. The BE is trying to get national respect, and a win over one of the top SEC teams would help out the whole conference.

Also...

"3. South Florida will be one of just a handful of defenses to allow fewer than 10 touchdown passes all year.  With a strong push up front and one of the country’s tightest secondaries, passing downfield on the Bulls is going to be a weekly nightmare."

How can they predict we'll go 7-5, yet only allow less than 10 passing TD's? Do they expect other teams to run all over our defense, or for Grothe to throw interceptions returned for touchdowns? Picking UConn over us is a bold prediction, in my opinion.

[dabull80]

Amen.........CFN has nothing to back up their claim of a 7-5 record.  All these preseason polls are joke anyways.

except for a whole article...http://cfn.scout.com/2/652457.html

and a conference breakdown....http://cfn.scout.com/2/661600.html

I know Joes posts don't really add much to the disscusion but shouldn't he at least get credit of posting ?  Last two I just saw kept the same number ?  Just wondering.

[Jihme]

i can see how we could be 10-2 and i acn see how we can be 7-5...  if we stay focused and the running game is there (Please, God!) then i can see some emotion and excitement getting us some upsets.

however, i can still see the team that loses to UConn two years ago, loses to cincy last year come in and ruin some games and get morale down... so, i dont know.  I just hope it's more like a 9-3 season with my expected loses to Auburn, UNC (or) WVU and Pitt

[___ Eats It]

We're not sneaking up on ANYBODY this year.

[usfgrad84]

i can see how we could be 10-2 and i acn see how we can be 7-5...  if we stay focused and the running game is there (Please, God!) then i can see some emotion and excitement getting us some upsets.

however, i can still see the team that loses to UConn two years ago, loses to cincy last year come in and ruin some games and get morale down... so, i dont know.  I just hope it's more like a 9-3 season with my expected loses to Auburn, UNC (or) WVU and Pitt

There is no way this team is anywhere close to the team that lost against UCONN 2 years ago.  Not even close.The biggest factor in that game was the injuries we had going in to that game.  The entire offense was patchworked together.  Andre Hall was hurt and wasn't even supposed to play yet still toughed it out.  8 of the guys on the regular kickoff team were out injured.  Despite what everyone remembers  we lost on idiotic coaching decisions..  Not the voodoo 5 play, not kicking a field goal on that series with 3 minutes to go.  We got the ball back around midfield and good old Rod kept trying to throw the ball in the endzone instead of working the ball down the field. 2 field goals would have won the game for us.  Between that and 2 long plays (a fullback running 60 yards for a TD and a KO return) we dominated that game despite being a walking MASH unit.  The point is that we a re a better, more experienced, deeper team.  I don't see any comparison to that 2005 team. 

One thing I really don't understand is why no one really gives much credit to Cincinnati last year.  They lost 5 games (Pitt, Ohio State, VA Tech, UL and WVU) plus they beat Rutgers.  Don't forget, that was pretty much a winnable game until the fourth quarter and I think it was only 2-0 until close to the end of the 4th.  Don't forget Grothe got hurt in that game and wasn't there a stupid fake punt deep in our own territory when the game was still close?

I see this team as much different than even the team that began last year.  I would say if the team that gelled and played in the last 2 games (which I think they will) shows up, we have a much better chance of 10-2 than 7-5.  My two biggest concerns are coaching decisions and the kicking game.  Both of those factors cost us the Kansas game and Cincinnati.  Kicking also almost cost us UCF.