Lessons learned and a BOLD prediction

[I_Bleed_Green&Gold]

Last season showed me 2 things.  We are more than capable of winning the BEAST and playing in a BCS game.  After all, we were just one play away from doing that in the UCONN game.  However, we also showed in the bowl game that we aren't much of a match for the best teams in the country so we can't dream of winning the National Championship... NOT YET. 

Based on what i'm seeing in our recruiting, this year and beyond... I think we will get dramatically better over the next few years, even without MG. 

My BOLD prediction is...(drum roll please lol)  We will WIN the NC within 5 years.

Most of you don't remember how everyone thought Miami couldn't win their first NC.  But even Nebraska didn't think so since they went for the win instead of the tie with a 2 pt conversion.  That game ended Nebraskas' 22 GAME WINNING STREAK!

Here is a nice capsule on Miami winning its first NC.  Read it, then tell me that we can't do it within 5 years.

1983 (11-1-0): The Miracle In Miami

Miami's First National Championship Team

Less than a decade removed from a period of uncertainty in which there was open talk of dropping the football program, the University of Miami Hurricanes stunned the college football world by defeating the top-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers, 31-30, in the 1984 Orange Bowl Classic on January 1, 1984.

The victory was monumental - for UM football and for college football in general. Monumental not only because the Cornhuskers were widely considered to be among the most powerful teams in college football history, but also it heralded the dawn of a new dynasty in the sport from a program that had been all but dead just a few short years earlier. That victory - combined with losses by second-ranked Texas in the Cotton Bowl and Illinois in the Rose Bowl - vaulted the Hurricanes into the top spot in the final national rankings.

"It's unlikely that any team in the history of college football ever got higher for a game than Miami did for Nebraska," wrote John Underwood of Sports Illustrated. "And if you missed Monday night's game, you missed an emergence ... Down went Nebraska's 22-game winning streak, and up went the burgee of a team that may well be the next great name in the game."

This was the first national title team without a single player making an All-America first team voted by AP, UPI, the Football Writers Association or the College Football Coaches Association.

One of the keys was a melting pot offensive line - a Canadian (center Ian Sinclair), a Cuban-American (guard Juan Comendeiro), an African-American (guard Alvin Ward), an Italian-American (tackle Paul Bertucelli) and an Irish-American (tackle Dave Heffernan).

Miami was only the second national title team to gain more passing yards than rushing yards.

"It's a tribute to a lot of gutty players and a real team effort," said head coach Howard Schnellenberger. "We've got a lot of overachievers on our team - or else there has been a poor job of selection done by the All-American selectors."

[JoeB]

Thats a pretty bold prediction, I'll give you that.

[Jihme]

extremely bold, but hey if it happens then i would probably go into a coma from excitement.

[Guest pascobull]

We need the rest of the league to rise with us for this to be possible. I don't think it would surprise many to see a 1 loss SEC team get it over an undefeated Big East team.

I blame Rutgers and other teams who play nobody OOC for this. I think its safe to say we are the only team who actually go out and play anybody.

[mikebeau]

We need the rest of the league to rise with us for this to be possible.

why not?

The Big ten blows and they get in(and lose) every year.

[Guest pascobull]

We need the rest of the league to rise with us for this to be possible.

why not?

The Big ten blows and they get in(and lose) every year.

Big 10 is better top to bottom and they have huge fanbases. The Big East has a much lesser reputation. I was referring to reputation with the poor OOC by a lot of other teams. The Buffalo's of the world won't get you any respect.

[Brad]

Well, we're dropping UCiF after this year, so that should help.

[I_Bleed_Green&Gold]

I envision a day in which USF owns its recruiting grounds...Pinellas to Polk and Hernando to Manatee counties.  Much like UM owns South Florida now.

The only thing I see holding USF back is a possible loss of the BEAST champ automatic BCS selection after 2009. 

Lets all pray to the football god that it doesn't happen.

[Bulls 8_va]

I envision a day in which USF owns its recruiting grounds...Pinellas to Polk and Hernando to Manatee counties.  Much like UM owns South Florida now.

The only thing I see holding USF back is a possible loss of the BEAST champ automatic BCS selection after 2009. 

Lets all pray to the football god that it doesn't happen.

It won't...

GO BULLS!!!

[mikebeau]

We need the rest of the league to rise with us for this to be possible.

why not?

The Big ten blows and they get in(and lose) every year.

Big 10 is better top to bottom and they have huge fanbases. The Big East has a much lesser reputation. I was referring to reputation with the poor OOC by a lot of other teams. The Buffalo's of the world won't get you any respect.

Ohio State Schedule 07 OOC Schedule

Youngstown State

Akron

Washington

Kent

terrible

and their conference is the most overrated of all the BCS