Think back to just after we won the Pizza Bowl....

[BJ]

And we are not a Cinderella program like the national media wants you to believe. We are becoming a football power, but the media just cant aknowledge that because they are still too high on UF, MIAMI, AND FSU as the only state powers. When will they learn??? I say in time as USF will continue to make noise on the national level. It took Gonzaga a few years of success to shake that Cinderella label, so I believe it will take USF a few years to shake that label also. Should be a fun ride though.

I agree. We are becomming a big time program. And with that, comes higher expectations.  For example, you wouldn't ever hear a UF or FSU fan say 8-3 was a great year. Miami might consider that great right about now  ;D

[namuh-bull]

I agree that we will learn from losing three straight, but that doesn't make losing three straight "great".

When the goal of the season is to win the Big East, and we don't even contend for the Big East, I just find it a little hard to say it was a great season.

It is a dissapointing season in some ways because we had a very good shot at being in the national championship game and didn't take advantage of it.  It is also a great season because we were always considered a lesser team by those around the country, and now that is not the case.

Previousloy, if we had played a top half SEC, Big 10, Big 12, or ACC team, we would have been expected to lose and not even play close.  Now, things would be different, and we could even be favored to win the game.  That is a major turning point in this program.  Do you know that none of the current Big East teams other than us have ever been ranked as high as number 2 in the nation during the history of the conference?  That's right. We were ranked higher than Louisville, Rutgers, or West Virginia have ever been since there's been a Big East.

The seniors who are playing their last season for USF came to this program to build something, and they have produced probably far more than they ever imagined.  They have taken us from a dot on the map of college football and made us a major destination.  We are now a legitimate power in the country, can play any team and expect to win, and hopefully will be respected enough to start in the top 25 and compete for the BCS title game each year for a long, long, time.  Well done, seniors (and the rest of the Bulls)

It is true that we didn't win the Big East, but this was a monumental season in the history of the program.

Go Bulls!

[RandyGator]

I actually thought we would have a chance for the BE title.

And we did, (for a short while)

What disappoints me is our affinity to self destruct in important games against team we definitely should beat (UConn, Cinn), there just seems to be some preparation point our coaching staff is still missing.  Even Rutgers (Paper tiger, see my posts from before the season!!) is not as talented as us and we let them get away also, though not as bad performance as the other 2 games.

Now, Beat Pitt and maybe go to the Sun (would need some help, which is not unheard of this season) and that would put us basically where I thought we had a good chance of being.