Yet ANOTHER big game CJL doesn't have team ready to play.

[Brad]

You shouldn't confuse threads critical of the team's performance and the coaching job as being "anti-CJL" - at least not your brand of it.  Sure, some come closer to believing CJL can take us no further - some even change their board name to include something like "FireCJL" (one poster) but some will also shift back.  It's what happens after wins and losses.  I would not take the negative critiques on the board to be the same kind of anti-CJL zealotry you have.

I find it funny that there are a few of the "anti-CJL" and the "pro-CJL" that do come here for some kind of personal validation and vindication after a loss (if you're entrenched as an "anti-CJL") or after a win (if you're entrenched as "pro-CJL").  It's really funny, but who doesn't need a little comic relief?

[RHBullsFan]

Talent is an issue, coaching may be part of it.

It would be nice to see some offensive talent at USF good enough to make the NFL like Britt or Rice.

I think we aren't there talent wise yet.  Pitt proved to have more talent at all skill positions.  We aren't there yet.  We need to get there pronto, but recruiting is just now starting to get where it should be (with last year's strong class).

Bulliever, I disagree. We have the talent to beat top 25 teams, ie Auburn, Kansas, West Va, FSU. Then, this same team losses to bad teams. I think it simply comes down to focus, preparation, and leadership. When we come ready to play, we can hang with anyone. Last night was yet another example of us showing up and looking like we didn't care.

[Joe]

Dude Kansas went 8-5...not ranked

FSU won't go to a bowl game.

Ya ranked when we played them...not after the season though.

[RHBullsFan]

Dude Kansas went 8-5...not ranked

FSU won't go to a bowl game.

Ya ranked when we played them...not after the season though.

This isn't exclusive to this season. Look back at seasons past, this is a trend. We play up and down to the level of our competition.

The teams were ranked when we played them, so our Bulls looks all amped up and ready to play. When they play what is considered a "lesser" team, we don't play as hard. You've got to bring passion and intensity every game.

[Brad]

Talent is an issue, coaching may be part of it.

It would be nice to see some offensive talent at USF good enough to make the NFL like Britt or Rice.

I think we aren't there talent wise yet.  Pitt proved to have more talent at all skill positions.  We aren't there yet.  We need to get there pronto, but recruiting is just now starting to get where it should be (with last year's strong class).

Bulliever, I disagree. We have the talent to beat top 25 teams, ie Auburn, Kansas, West Va, FSU. Then, this same team losses to bad teams. I think it simply comes down to focus, preparation, and leadership. When we come ready to play, we can hang with anyone. Last night was yet another example of us showing up and looking like we didn't care.

I don't think I was stating it was all talent and no coaching.  My talent comment was on the supreme lack of NFL quality offensive guys.  When we win, it is typically because our defense.  We only had a chance to win last night because of our defense's effort in an error-prone first half.

We apparently have the coaching ability to get a less talented team over the hump in big non-conference games, but not the ability to take the same group and win 5 of 7 conference games.

As to the coaching, people look at it different ways.  Some think players need constant motivation, some don't.  I believe if you have to motivate a player to play his best, you recruited the wrong player, but that's a whole different story.

As for preparation and leadership, I'm not arguing that either, it looks we laid a pretty solid egg in both departments.

[Guest Scherdin]

When you play like this there is no chance of recruiting top talent .... this coaching staff is  Div IIA at best ......CJL has done a great job getting us to this point, but...... at some point in time you have to realize "to be the man you have to beat the man" and CJL cannot get it done. I'm afraid the program is at the crossroads and can either move forward (with a new coaching staff) or will begin to death spiral with CJL as the the Captain.

Here's the thing, we are a DI or FBS program, what ever you want to call it.  We can go out there and beat the CUSA and other smaller conf teams.  And then we can beat these NC schools, weather it's their preparation or ours, we've proven we can play with some of the bigger schools.  It's the BE that we can't seem to beat, which is the most important.  This team shows up at times and then fall apart and when they fall apart they get embarrassed; that is poor preparation, motivation and coaching.  If we keep getting beat by these other schools, it will be a downward spiral.

[Buller64]

When you play like this there is no chance of recruiting top talent .... this coaching staff is  Div IIA at best ......CJL has done a great job getting us to this point, but...... at some point in time you have to realize "to be the man you have to beat the man" and CJL cannot get it done. I'm afraid the program is at the crossroads and can either move forward (with a new coaching staff) or will begin to death spiral with CJL as the the Captain.

Here's the thing, we are a DI or FBS program, what ever you want to call it.  We can go out there and beat the CUSA and other smaller conf teams.  And then we can beat these NC schools, weather it's their preparation or ours, we've proven we can play with some of the bigger schools.  It's the BE that we can't seem to beat, which is the most important.  This team shows up at times and then fall apart and when they fall apart they get embarrassed; that is poor preparation, motivation and coaching.  If we keep getting beat by these other schools, it will be a downward spiral.

In other words we are only beating teams that don't have our talent level or those that aren't familiar with us.  This means that coaching has not adjusted.  The teams that play USF regularly know how to beat USF, and are doing so with increasing regularity.  I don't buy the talent argument, Pitt had the same level or lower level of talent than USF 5 years ago, they have more talent now.  That comes back to coaching and recruiting.

[Brad]

The talent argument is clear, we don't have that much.  Much of what we had is on the shelf right now too.  Those unable to see the difference between Daniels and Grothe aren't looking.

However, regarding talent, if you read my posts after the Cincy and Pitt games I stated lack of talent is not an excuse for the program's success or failure.  Talent itself, is also the responsibility of the coach.  Talent, however, can effect the outcome of one game more than another.

This program has been and is CJL's baby.  I don't think anyone believes otherwise.

[Guest Scherdin]

When you play like this there is no chance of recruiting top talent .... this coaching staff is  Div IIA at best ......CJL has done a great job getting us to this point, but...... at some point in time you have to realize "to be the man you have to beat the man" and CJL cannot get it done. I'm afraid the program is at the crossroads and can either move forward (with a new coaching staff) or will begin to death spiral with CJL as the the Captain.

Here's the thing, we are a DI or FBS program, what ever you want to call it.  We can go out there and beat the CUSA and other smaller conf teams.  And then we can beat these NC schools, weather it's their preparation or ours, we've proven we can play with some of the bigger schools.  It's the BE that we can't seem to beat, which is the most important.  This team shows up at times and then fall apart and when they fall apart they get embarrassed; that is poor preparation, motivation and coaching.  If we keep getting beat by these other schools, it will be a downward spiral.

In other words we are only beating teams that don't have our talent level or those that aren't familiar with us.  This means that coaching has not adjusted.  The teams that play USF regularly know how to beat USF, and are doing so with increasing regularity.  I don't buy the talent argument, Pitt had the same level or lower level of talent than USF 5 years ago, they have more talent now.  That comes back to coaching and recruiting.

Buller64 understands what we are saying, it's the adjustments that we don't make.  Insanity is doing the same wrong thing over and over.  These other coaches have figured us out, yet we still go out and do the same thing over and over. 

We have talent, though it may not be UF talent; we have some very skilled athletes.  But the coaches have to be able to develop and modify that talent to get the TEAM to win. We have beaten some good teams in our past with lesser talent, there is no reason why we can't improve not only our talent, but our style of play.

[smazza]

why is would anything change next year if leavitt remains?

usf will finish 5 6 or 7th next year also