This was supposed to be OUR year

[bullsbucsboltsrays]

i think we can all look back at last year and say that it was a little too premature.. but THIS YEAR (2008) was our year to take the big east.  experts predicted it.. we felt it.. hell, we KNEW IT.  every game we've played this year, we've been the most talented team to take the field.

i write this because i'm tired of people not able to acknowledge the disappointment of this year.. and how this is becoming an epidemic trend.

THE BIG EAST IS NOT STRONG THIS YEAR.  if there was ever a year to take it, it would be this one.. and we've blown our chances.  and what hurts the most is that the way we've been losing.. its the way we've always been losing-- on defense, teams run up the gut.. on offense, teams blitz grothe.  this has to be addressed or else we're just going around in circles.

am i saying fire jim leavitt?  that may be a little extreme, but dammit we need to start reinventing ourselves on defense and on offense.  WE NEED to take the next step, or else we'll be the perennial team that finishes ranked in the late teens-to low 20's (at best)

[windbane]

You speak the truth, although we still have a chance to win the Big East like WVU last year with just a 5-2 record.  You are right, though, that many favored us to win, but many also picked WVU and Pitt so I'm not sure that means a lot.  I did think we had the best talent this year.  Maybe we do.

let's hope we get better quickly because it looks like Rutgers and Louisville have.  WVU might have improved as well.

[BleacherBull]

Yes, it's been a tough season to swallow.  But, some of our weaknesses have been exposed, as we have seen in many of our games this year.  We probably don't have the best talent in the league, but we've done pretty well with the players and coaches we have.  Winning a championship is not a birthright or a result of rankings and predictions; it must be earned on the field.  So far, we've earned a 6-2 record.  Nothing more, nothing less.

Depth is an issue, certainly, as we tend to look worst after suffering a few injuries.  Defensively, I expected us to falter at times, with our graduation losses.  But, I thought we could overcome that offensively.  We cannot.  Not scoring a TD in the first half against Pitt and UL is unacceptable.  We can't wait until halftime to make adjustments, either tactically or mentally.  We need to get out of the mindset that our defense has make a stop in the fourth quarter in order to win.  If the offense plays a complete game, it shouldn't be an issue.

CJL said the team is very down right now and it will be interesting to see how they respond at Cincy.  If anything is different about this year's team, it seems to be intagible . . . no "fire in the belly" or intestinal fortitude.  It's about time we win one when we least expect it.

GO BULLS!

[BullMedic]

Weak coaching. And little motivation by our players thinking they can play a C game and still win against lesser opponents. WE AREN"T THAT GOOD

Yeah, this was supposed to be our year. No doubt about that. Some big changes really need to happen in the offseason otherwise we are just going to be heading to yet another 9-4 season.

[BleacherBull]

I'll take 9-4 now.

[Compute-a-bull]

Hoping for 10-3..

Win the home games remaining and whatever bowl we get into. Leaves open a loss against Cincy or WVU on the road. Another year at 4-3 in conference play would be disappointing, but at least 10 wins would be progression.

[Rizman]

I think we tried things on the offense that did not work over and over again and did not stick with a running game.  Poor offensive execution. 

[South_Florida_Flip]

I don't recall too many "experts" who had us pegged to win the Big East this year. Most publications had WVU as the team to beat.

I thought 2009 would be the year we broke through with the Big East championship, but now I am not so sure. We haven't turned the corner.

[Compute-a-bull]

How many people are waiting on one of our resident beat writers, Brett McMurphy to mention "I told you so" about USF finishing 3rd (maybe worse) in the conference? I have a feeling he's enjoying our lack of success...

[bullman3]

Actually, most within the usf ad had 2009 as our year, and that was said back in 2006.  With UL, WVU, Cinci in tampa, and our stock of players being seniors, it is still believed that 2009 is our year.