USF / Clemson: what happened in 2011?

[JB]

As I watched Clemson finally lose the other night for the first time this year, I thought back to our bowl game and wondered how the hell we got here. After we won the bowl game, I thought Skip was a genius and that Dabo might get canned.

Dabo did go out and make changes to his staff and got the #1 recruiting class in the country. However, they did lose their best player (Bowers) to the NFL. Now they've finally lost their first game of the season.

And with all the momentum and nearly everyone back, we have taken a major downturn. Who would've thought it? Sure hope we can get back to winning this week and finish strong. Looks like every Big East team is beatable this year so who knows?

[Big_Hairy_Bull]

Doesn't hurt that they have the #1 True Freshman in football playing WR. Kid is a stud! Sick skills!

[bullcocky101]

With WVU, Pitt, UCONN changing coaches and many teams losing their star players, and with USF returning the vast majority of their players from last year+ the overwheming talent gap between USF and North Eastern school (recruiting), this year should have equaled a no-brainer conference championship. Losing the first three conference games in a row and to have nothing of merit to play for mid way through a season is far and beyond unacceptable. Established programs can afford to have a year or two of disappointment when they have national championships under the belt. USF having worked so hard to be a legitimate contender cannot afford the same luxury.

[Bull94]

Doesn't hurt that they have the #1 True Freshman in football playing WR. Kid is a stud! Sick skills!

right from our own backyard too.

ft myers

need to keep these athletes home.

[IncrediBULL]

To say this year is a disappointment, would be a huge understatement.

[GaUSFBull]

Established programs can afford to have a year or two of disappointment when they have national championships under the belt. USF having worked so hard to be a legitimate contender cannot afford the same luxury.

Not like USF has a choice in the matter ... we are far from being an established program, plus, USF is not, nor have they ever been a "legitimate contender." We're basically taking the lumps a teenage program should be taking at this point.

[Who'sYourData?]

That bowl win was very bad for the USF program, and especially for expectations.

This is still a young team, and the best talent on the team belongs to the underclassmen. A conference championship should always be the goal, and it could have happened if things fell into place. But it is too soon to have such high expectations. Let's see how the team finishes up before giving the team a final grade.

[Bull Martin]

We're only a few plays from being 6-1

[SANJAY]

Or from 3-4.

[cophbulls]

That bowl win was very bad for the USF program, and especially for expectations.

WTF? I've never heard of a bowl win being very bad for a program before. I betcha most would take a bowl win over an ACC team this yr. Sure expectations were elevated for this year but I don't think that had anything to do with the bowl game. Finally, my prediction is (speaking of expectations), by this time next year, all will be forgotten............