hype and unreachable goals

[EduBull]

Don't confuse anger over Saturday's performance with disappointment due to unrealistic expectations.  It's not "hype" or an "unreachable goal" to expect the team to show up and play with heart.  That's all I'm looking for.  I didn't see it Saturday.

[Frishmanflz]

USF fans are so unrealistic it is crazy.  You all have no clue how lucky we are to have a team that is competative, has risen so fast in such a short peroid of time.  IF you were unaware FSU, UM, and UF (the big three if you will) all started off as nothing as well.  Lets take a look at their progression shall we???  FSU started in 1947 and took them until 1992 to join the ACC, UM started in 1927 and took them untill 1991 to join the BE (mind you they were quite good as an independant for a few years before that) and the national darling UF started in 1906 joined the SEC in 1933 and didnt win their first conference title till 1991.

Now lets look at USF shall we.  Started football in 1997 in Division 1 AA, joined D1A in 2001 and CUSA in 2003 then made the jump to BE in 2005.  Does anyone else see a difference in our ascension into big time football versus those other teams???

It takes time to build a program.  Sometimes I wish we would have come into the BE and fell on our faces for 10 years while building a solid program instead of how we overacheived.  Now its like being 5-2 is a bad thing and if we are not undefeated we suck and all the coaches should be fired, the players benched, and the university should shut down the athletics program.  

Our program is now basically an awkward teenager in the grand scheme of things and is going through its growing phase.  IF you think we can go from nothing to NC contenders overnight then you are sadly mistaken.  I am proud to be a USF Alumni, proud to be a USF Football fan, and proud to see my program growing each and every year.  

the BCS system did not exist back then.

What does the BSCS have to do with how we  began?  Our goals and expectations have nothing to do when the BCS began, our goals and expectaions should be more realistic with our program and the stage of where USF football is.  Our team should be focused on recruting D1 BE players, getting more consistant, depth, fundamentals, and the like.  National champions are not made over night they are built with hard work time and dedication.  Look at the teams that are comepeting for the NC, they are not one hit wonders, young programs, they are teams that have built thier programs over years.  Those programs have 2-3 deep at every position that are basically just as good as the starters or maybe a slight step below.  We are not to that level yet but we are striving towards it, and at a greater pace then any before us.  We need time and patience and support from our fans and alumni to continue to grow and mature.

what it means is that the teams you mentioned had no need to join a good conference.

Hatter your comments make no sense once so ever.  First the BCS has no relevance on the fact that although we have have had some moderate success early in the past 3 seasons, we are a young football program still tryng to get recruts to buld a team and program.  Secondly What does UF FSU and UM not needed aconference have anythng to do wth the fact that those teams took decades to buld a respectable program, and thnkng that USF wll somehow overnght be a National contender and championship team after just 13 seasons is ludicris.  You expectation are not only rediculous but youa re just setting yourself up for disappointment.  The program needs time to build, to develop, and to grow into what we eventaually will become.  As a good point of view may to be kto look at USF football like we look at BJ daniels.  Like USF BJ is young and extremelty talented, however he as USF is undeveloped and raw.  Bj will need years of expereince, coaching, mentoring, growing, and just plain time to develop all of his talents and skills into the QB we all know he can be, like USF.  USf needs the same time to build, grow develop.  

Just my 2 cents though

[cmhatter]

USF fans are so unrealistic it is crazy.  You all have no clue how lucky we are to have a team that is competative, has risen so fast in such a short peroid of time.  IF you were unaware FSU, UM, and UF (the big three if you will) all started off as nothing as well.  Lets take a look at their progression shall we???  FSU started in 1947 and took them until 1992 to join the ACC, UM started in 1927 and took them untill 1991 to join the BE (mind you they were quite good as an independant for a few years before that) and the national darling UF started in 1906 joined the SEC in 1933 and didnt win their first conference title till 1991.

Now lets look at USF shall we.  Started football in 1997 in Division 1 AA, joined D1A in 2001 and CUSA in 2003 then made the jump to BE in 2005.  Does anyone else see a difference in our ascension into big time football versus those other teams???

It takes time to build a program.  Sometimes I wish we would have come into the BE and fell on our faces for 10 years while building a solid program instead of how we overacheived.  Now its like being 5-2 is a bad thing and if we are not undefeated we suck and all the coaches should be fired, the players benched, and the university should shut down the athletics program.  

Our program is now basically an awkward teenager in the grand scheme of things and is going through its growing phase.  IF you think we can go from nothing to NC contenders overnight then you are sadly mistaken.  I am proud to be a USF Alumni, proud to be a USF Football fan, and proud to see my program growing each and every year.  

the BCS system did not exist back then.

What does the BSCS have to do with how we  began?  Our goals and expectations have nothing to do when the BCS began, our goals and expectaions should be more realistic with our program and the stage of where USF football is.  Our team should be focused on recruting D1 BE players, getting more consistant, depth, fundamentals, and the like.  National champions are not made over night they are built with hard work time and dedication.  Look at the teams that are comepeting for the NC, they are not one hit wonders, young programs, they are teams that have built thier programs over years.  Those programs have 2-3 deep at every position that are basically just as good as the starters or maybe a slight step below.  We are not to that level yet but we are striving towards it, and at a greater pace then any before us.  We need time and patience and support from our fans and alumni to continue to grow and mature.

what it means is that the teams you mentioned had no need to join a good conference.

Hatter your comments make no sense once so ever.  First the BCS has no relevance on the fact that although we have have had some moderate success early in the past 3 seasons, we are a young football program still tryng to get recruts to buld a team and program.  Secondly What does UF FSU and UM not needed aconference have anythng to do wth the fact that those teams took decades to buld a respectable program, and thnkng that USF wll somehow overnght be a National contender and championship team after just 13 seasons is ludicris.  You expectation are not only rediculous but youa re just setting yourself up for disappointment.  The program needs time to build, to develop, and to grow into what we eventaually will become.  As a good point of view may to be kto look at USF football like we look at BJ daniels.  Like USF BJ is young and extremelty talented, however he as USF is undeveloped and raw.  Bj will need years of expereince, coaching, mentoring, growing, and just plain time to develop all of his talents and skills into the QB we all know he can be, like USF.  USf needs the same time to build, grow develop.  

Just my 2 cents though

Who said my expectations were to win Natl titles right now... My expectations are to compete for the BE title. If we are still trying to get recruits, performances like Saturday's turn off the guys who are on the fence... What if we lose Brion Carnes?

U speak of development... That seems to be another huge problem with our program... we can't develop the guys we have.

I understand we can't be an instant champion but there isn't a reason why we can't compete for the championship. UL, UCONN, Cinci, Rutgers... these teams have been in the BE for the same amount of time and they have all been in the running. We have never threatened to win the title.

[Frishmanflz]

Hatter- you do realize that all of those programs you have mentioned (except for Uconn) have all had football programs for alot longer then USF (including rutgers who played int he 1st ever football game).  They have gone through the growing pains that USF is going through right now.  Uconn won a share of the Beast title 2 years back with a 5-2 BE season (we were 4-3) and what have they done other then that (finished 1-6 in the BE the year before, and 3-4 last year)?  They have never beaten a team to finish in the top 25 and never finished in the top 25 themselves.  They have really no signature wins to speak of OOC.  They like us are growing as a program, developing, and building.  You cant compare USF to any of those teams, we may have started in our conference at the same time but our road to the conference was paved much much differently. 

   

[Guest hm101]

showing up everyday is a reachable goal, and i expect our team to do it.

anything else OP????

[cmhatter]

Hatter- you do realize that all of those programs you have mentioned (except for Uconn) have all had football programs for alot longer then USF (including rutgers who played int he 1st ever football game).  They have gone through the growing pains that USF is going through right now.  Uconn won a share of the Beast title 2 years back with a 5-2 BE season (we were 4-3) and what have they done other then that (finished 1-6 in the BE the year before, and 3-4 last year)?  They have never beaten a team to finish in the top 25 and never finished in the top 25 themselves.  They have really no signature wins to speak of OOC.  They like us are growing as a program, developing, and building.   You cant compare USF to any of those teams, we may have started in our conference at the same time but our road to the conference was paved much much differently. 

     

yes i understand that they have existed long before us... What does that matter now though? None of those schools have exceptional tradition or anything... What does the road to the conference have anything to do with it?

We have facilities on par with theirs and have been recruiting well, if not better than them... We have been out recruiting schools like UCONN for 5+ years.

[Bulls On Parade]

If anything is possible, it is that we are coached better to the big game than we are to the week in and week out challenge of conference play.  It has been mentioned before.

My guess is that some games are circled as program-defining (rightfully so) and become the focus of attention.  We need to be ready for each and every conference game in addition to the big games.  There can be little doubt the FSU game was circled as is the Miami game.

There was a poll here.  Some thought beating FSU and Miami was more important to the program's growth than the BE title this time around.

Most need to realize we are still a growing program, not a steady or established program.  We still need to win statement games but also win conference games in my opinion.  Ask UCF....still in search of a statement game win.  They have won their conference - and granted it's different being non-BCS, but they too need the statement wins just like us in order to continue to climb.

I think we've been more focused as a team on the statement games and not the conference games.  Perhaps it's an offshoot of our history.  I think we're at the point however, where we have to be able to win at least 5 conference games to reach the next plateau.  We need to treat the conference with increased focus. But we had FSU this year and the Gators next year.  Don't you think most players think about those games ahead of Cincy and Pitt, UConn and 'Cuse?  Coaches need to find a way to prepare for both..it's tough I think.  You have to manage to what best benefits the program.

Good post agree 100%

This team needs to show up to all the games not just the few they circle for that season as the "big game"

[theman123]

What success?  We have never won a conference championship, never had a 10 win season, and haven't won a better bowl then the Pizza bowl.

What?

Talk about a selective recounting...

Some would say the following would be a success:

1)  A #2 ranking in 2007 (the biggest spoiler)

2)  A #10 ranking in 2008

3)  Wins over ranked teams such as Auburn, WVU, KU, FSU, etc.

4)  Two losing seasons in 12

5)  Four bowls

6)  Rise to BCS conference, growing attendance

Just plain going from an idea to national awareness in 10 years.

Discount it all you want...there are several other teams that would love to have even that level of success.

That is really the only good point.

While being ranked high is great, playing in a BCS conference is great, it's nothing special when we finish the season winning the magicjack bowl, or getting rocked in the sun Bowl.

[Brad]

What success?  We have never won a conference championship, never had a 10 win season, and haven't won a better bowl then the Pizza bowl.

What?

Talk about a selective recounting...

Some would say the following would be a success:

1)  A #2 ranking in 2007 (the biggest spoiler)

2)  A #10 ranking in 2008

3)  Wins over ranked teams such as Auburn, WVU, KU, FSU, etc.

4)  Two losing seasons in 12

5)  Four bowls

6)  Rise to BCS conference, growing attendance

Just plain going from an idea to national awareness in 10 years.

Discount it all you want...there are several other teams that would love to have even that level of success.

That is really the only good point.

While being ranked high is great, playing in a BCS conference is great, it's nothing special when we finish the season winning the magicjack bowl, or getting rocked in the sun Bowl.

That's your opinion right or wrong, but the other items led to our ascension to the national stage and the realm of high expectations.

[bulldad10]

Give me a time frame of when I can expect to contend for a Big East title so I do not set myself up for a major disappointment ? 2010-2020  I mean it has to fall within this time frame. If not, let me know so I can enroll in another school and graduate. I am starting to get a little long in the tooth. Also when will we learn penalties are bad and if you do not show up for games the other team will kick your teeth in.

Wait a minute...are you really saying that you would transfer to another school because the football team is not winning?????  ???

That my friend, is unhealthy.