New article by the punk that rode our bull last year.

[KingBull]

No Bull -- UCF just out of USF's league

David Whitley | SPORTS COMMENTARY

September 1, 2008

This is the last Monday of the last week of the greatest football rivalry these parts might have ever seen.

I wish I could join the chorus bemoaning the death of UCF vs. USF. I'd love to call for legislative action to save the series. Few things are more pleasurable than making fun of Jim Leavitt's excuses not to.

Unfortunately, the man has a point.

The mighty Bulls have nothing to gain by playing our little old commuter college. Leavitt won't say that this week, but everybody knows it's true. And by now I do mean everybody.

"You can see where they're coming from," UCF receiver Rocky Ross. "But we really don't care."

Now that's the kind of honest reaction you wish Leavitt would provide. The four-year series has been marked by three things.

The team from Tampa winning. Pleas for the series to continue. USF's coach dancing around why it won't.

Leavitt has said USF wants to play schools from BCS conferences. He's said it doesn't want to play too many Florida schools. He's said his dog ate his scheduling book.

The bottom line is a natural rival like UCF is being replaced by teams like Western Kentucky and Ball State. It's so preposterous that you could call the Bulls a bunch of lily-livered, thong-wearing girlie men.

You could if they hadn't outscored UCF by approximately 589 points the past three years.

So why doesn't Leavitt just say UCF isn't worthy?

I know, I know. Leavitt believes in bulletin board material.

Boy, do I know. Like last year, when an Orlando sports columnist put on a UCF shirt, hat, flags and was photographed riding USF's hallowed bull statue.

That exercise in quality investigative journalism was intended to show that the Bull Nation doesn't consider UCF just another game. Based on the loving reaction from USF fans, it worked.

It also gave Leavitt some red meat to throw to his team before the game. The players were also reportedly steamed that a UCF fan Web site called linebacker Ben Moffitt's wife a porker, or something like that.

Months later things went south in the Moffitt household and we found out she was doing most of his schoolwork. The wife even said Moffitt didn't know how to spell.

Normally this would be a jumping-off point to explain USF's football rise, how Leavitt recruits mainly escaped inmates and how none of the Bulls could spell USF if you spotted them the U and the S.

After last year, I want to avoid having any real or perceived effect on the game. You'll get nothing from me, Jimbo. But here's what we'd like to get from you:

The truth.

Enough verbal dodgeball. When you're asked this week why USF refuses to continue the series, simply tell us what we already know:

"We don't need an in-state rival? We signed a five-year deal with Miami."

"You say we need the gate? We had almost 50,000 for Tennessee-Martin last week."

"If this were showbiz, we'd be Sinatra and they'd be Steve Lawrence."

"Does Lee Corso even know where UCF is?"

"We don't gain anything by beating Central Florida, and they'd gain a lot by beating us."

To which UCF could say, "Oh yeah?"

Any chance of USF being shamed into continuing the series disappeared about 398 points ago. At least all is not lost yet for the Knights.

A win wouldn't give them bragging rights for perpetuity. But it would show just how much fun the rivalry might have been.

Even if Leavitt would never say it.

David Whitley can be reached at dwhitley@orlandosentinel.com

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-whitley0108sep01,0,5470534.column

[KingBull]

Dumbass UCF comments....

David, the fact you think UCF is a commuter school and the fact that you implied USF is not shows how clueless you are.

2 years ago UCF lost this game by a TD, and was a bad QB away from a game winning drive.

This is the dumbest thing I've ever read. I hope you get your layoff papers next.

Being a die-hard knights fan, I hate to say it, but David Whitley hit the nail on the head with this article. Football wise USF is superior to UCF, but we are catching up. Academics/School wise UCF is ten times better than USF.

Yeah, I have to agree, this was a pretty dumb article. UCF is in a tough place with all the offensive changes this year.

It will take several weeks for them to get everything up 100% given all the young new faces. It is a shame that the schedule did not load some of the weaker competition up front for them.

Looking forward to watching this one on TV. Too many hurricanes floating around to plan a trip for the weekend.

Nice bonding with you Jay

I just had a momnet with Jay, don't go down the "school wise" path! You will get there "school wise" it just takes time. There is much more than SAT scores etc etc etc etc etc and by the way students will flow to wherever the State provides seats given the Bright Futures scholarships.

"USF is one of only three Florida public universities classified by the Carnegie Foundation in the top tier of research universities."

Now sit back and enjoy the game.

David,

Ya, ya, we know they are better than UCF at football. Tell us something you haven't known for 3 years now.

But jeeze man, a commuter school? 50,000+ students strong? Currently th 6th largest Public University in the United States?

Go jump of a bridge you stupid ignorant fool.

UCF has graduated many of the people that make up not only Orlando, but a good part of this state too.

Do you realize that you (and this rag) probably have insulted a good number of people that even work at your own place of employment? Or your neighbors or friends?

I am personally tired of this newspaper always belittling, mocking, and insulting my school, my alma mater.

Trust me Sentinel, you will get what comes to you. Perhaps it already has, now that our SGA has removed all Sentinel newspapers and newspaper boxes from our campus because you not only want to slam us every chance you get, but want to raise the price on us by 14 cents a paper to read the insults? So I am sure that hurt, because that was what? 80,000-90,000 newspapers a day the Sentinel won't sell now?

Yes, Mr. Whitley, you hit the nail on the head - USF is better than UCF in football. But you proved an even bigger point - you and this newspaper are an idiots.

I am a UCF grad and proud. USF was always considered a "lesser" school, especially with regard to engineering. They have had some football success but we CAN play with them. In college it is 50% talent, 20% coaching, and 30% confidence- the team has to bring that 70% but we can help with the remaining 30%. Support our team- We belong here and I have faith we can pull this upset

[Ruger7mmmag]

What I want to know is why the hell are they buying more than one paper per person?

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

What I want to know is why the hell are they buying more than one paper per person?

if you threw as much bullcrap around as they did, you would need it to paper the floor to help clean it up daily.

LOL.

they line their cages with it.