Start making holiday plans around USF -- NOW

[Jim Johnson]

Okay folks... a lot of people last year complained about how the bowl game was too close to Christmas...

USF has two wins out of six necessary to make a bowl game.  It looks like UNC, FAU, UCF, U Conn, and Syracuse are all very easily winnable games - which would be 7 wins for the season.

That means a third straight bowl game.

So while you are making your plans for the holidays, keep these dates in mind...

Dec. 22 / 1 p.m. -- PapaJohn’s.com Bowl -- Birmingham, Ala.  (not too likely, see above)

Dec. 29 / 1 p.m. -- Meineke Car Care Bowl -- Charlotte, N.C.

Dec. 31 / 2 p.m. -- El Paso, Texas -- Sun Bowl    (only if Gator Bowl takes a Big 12 team)

Jan. 1 / 1 p.m. -- Jacksonville, Fla. -- Gator Bowl    (not likely, might take a Big 12 team over USF)

Jan. 5 / 12 p.m. -- Toronto, Canada  -- International Bowl      (not very likely, just a remote possibility)

If things go really well...

Jan. 1 / 8:30 p.m. -- New Orleans, La. -- Allstate Sugar Bowl

Jan. 2 / 8 p.m. -- Phoenix, Ariz. -- Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

Jan. 3 / 8 p.m. -- Miami, Fla -- FedEx Orange Bowl

[outrunner]

Jim, you forgot one

Jan. 7 / 8 p.m. -- New Orleans, La. -- BCS Title Game

[Jihme]

let's not jinx ourselves now 

however, you're right... at least put them in your clanedars and allow for vacation audibles

GO BULLS!

[Guest]

Jim, you forgot one

Jan. 7 / 8 p.m. -- New Orleans, La. -- BCS Title Game

That one is not really in USF's control... Sure a 12-0 season would put us close... but LSU, Oklahoma, USC, and Florida could all stay ahead of USF even with one loss.

[Apis Bull]

Jim, you forgot one

Jan. 7 / 8 p.m. -- New Orleans, La. -- BCS Title Game

That one is not really in USF's control... Sure a 12-0 season would put us close... but LSU, Oklahoma, USC, and Florida could all stay ahead of USF even with one loss.

Jim's right.  We are too far out to make it to #1 or #2.  The lowest one could realistically be and get to the 1 or 2 spot is probably around 15 in the preseason polls.  The NC is at least a two year process.

[Who'sYourData?]

I don't think we're too far out.  I think any BCS team that goes undefeated has a good chance to be in the title game.  However, I agree that if we lose even one game we're out of the title game, whereas several others can make it with a single loss.

[Jamie]

I think the Gator Bowl is a real possibility, even with politics factored in. Figure the Bulls would have to go 10-2 to get there, losing two of three to Rutgers, WVU, and Louisville. If USF could get 5,000 people to a crappy bowl in Birmingham two days before Christmas, you have to think they could figure out a way to get 10,000 people to a good bowl in Jacksonville on New Year's. Also if FSU is in the mix for that game, it would be almost irresistable to get them matched up.

Jim, what about the bowl in Houston? Rutgers played in it last year - has that flipped back over to the Big 12?

[Jihme]

hopefully ND will continue to suck huge bigness, and it will allow more opportunities for us by changing around who goes to what bowl for at least a couple different conferences.

[Guest]

I think the Gator Bowl is a real possibility, even with politics factored in. Figure the Bulls would have to go 10-2 to get there, losing two of three to Rutgers, WVU, and Louisville. If USF could get 5,000 people to a crappy bowl in Birmingham two days before Christmas, you have to think they could figure out a way to get 10,000 people to a good bowl in Jacksonville on New Year's. Also if FSU is in the mix for that game, it would be almost irresistable to get them matched up.

Jim, what about the bowl in Houston? Rutgers played in it last year - has that flipped back over to the Big 12?

1. The allocation for the Gator Bowl is more than 10,000... in 2005, the allotment as 12,750 per team.

2. The Gator Bowl cares about TV eyeballs and hotel rooms... two Florida teams would bring neither.  Although I think USF has a better chance than FSU of making the Gator Bowl this year.  I don't expect any USF vs a Florida Team in any bowl... pretty much for the next 20 years.  Except, maybe, for a BCS game.

The Texas Bowl has a contract that rotates between the Big East and C-USA, this year is C-USA's turn.

[E.T.]

Go BULLS !!!