Great Props for Leavitt

[Buller64]

What would it take for a school like West Virginia, Louisville, Michigan State, or Purdue, to turn the corner and become an elite school like Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC, or Oklahoma? Could it be done in ten years on the field? If a good school finished in top 5 for 10 years running, with 2 national championships, do they gain elite status like FSU did under Bowden? What would it take? – DH

Who out there has the potential to be a new superpower like a Michigan or USC? Not LSU or someone who's already great. I'm talking about a bit of a sleeper. Also, what makes a really, really good program and an elite one? - GL

A: What would it take to become a superpower? Oh, several decades of winning at a high level, and even that doesn't assure anything. Just over forty years ago, Minnesota got the same respect Michigan or USC gets now, but it couldn't stay at a high level going downhill after winning the 1962 Rose Bowl.

Being considered among the elite of the elite depends on the timing. Is Alabama still considered a superpower? It's been to one BCS-level game since winning the 1992 national title, but it's still had a ridiculous amount of success.

How about Wisconsin? Three Rose Bowls within the last 15 years, a boatload of other good bowl wins, and a ton of national exposure, but there hasn't even been a sniff of a national title. Would UW then be considered a superpower if it won the national title this year? How about Kansas State when it was really rolling under Bill Snyder? Colorado, until recently, could've been put into the superpower category for year-in-and-year-out success. So could Washington. It takes something truly special to be Teflon and win, win, and win some more throughout the ages. Michigan football will never be truly awful for a long stretch. USC will never have more than a few losing seasons in a row. Ohio State won't ever be a last-place program. They're just too big.

To be a Florida State and break into the old boys club, a program has to be in the national title hunt for about a decade, win at least one, and be really, really, really good for about 25 years. To get there, it needs a great recruiting base, a big enough school to eventually get the support for the facilities needed to compete at a top level, and a whole bunch of luck. Keeping a superstar head coach around for a generation, like at West Virginia if Rich Rodriguez decides to never leave, would also help.

My sleeper to eventually get to superpower status is South Florida. It has the most fertile recruiting base to work with, a coach in Jim Leavitt who loves to be there and appears to have no interest in any other gig, plays in a relatively big market (Tampa-St. Petersburg) at a school with a huge student population and alumni base, is in a good league, and appears to be just on the verge of turning a corner into conference championship status. Check back in 10-to-15 years and see how it all worked out.

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/6635176

[E.T.]

I am loving these reads . . . and you really can't argue with it. The nation is really starting to notice and comment, can't blame them for waiting - they had to  ;D

I expected a better 2006 season, but 9 Wins and a Bowl Victory is pretty good.

Expecting a big 2007.

Go BULLS !!!

[Mama_Bull]

Definitely a great read.  Leavitt definitely deserves the accolades.  As was stated in the article, we have to see what happens in the next few years.

GO BULLS!!!!!!!

[smazza]

usf needs to compete for a big east crown already

ftu/ou/oc had the same aspirations

talk is cheap

and premature

the analysis  about USC is wrong.they can stink with the wrong coach.

i havent seen the great recruiting needed to win a big east title let alone becoming a super power

[Jebbull]

We met Coaches Leavitt and Heath, along with several members of the Athletic Department at Englewood's"Around The Horn" event this week. I believe we are fortunate to have the caliber of coaches we do but was most impressed with the vision, the deep commitment and the direction the AD is heading.  This starts at the top with Mr. Woolard and continues throughout the Staff.

[Grateful Dad]

usf needs to compete for a big east crown already

ftu/ou/oc had the same aspirations

talk is cheap

and premature

the analysis  about USC is wrong.they can stink with the wrong coach.

i havent seen the great recruiting needed to win a big east title let alone becoming a super power

Steve, he DID say at the end to check back in ten to fifteen years.  We are making progress toward his assessment, so he is on track with his analysis.  We won't contend for an NC anytime soon, but we will make incremental progress toward it.  It will take a while, but we have the ingredients in place.  Just need time.

[E.T.]

Year One of the Big East, we could have won in the last week.

Year Two, we knocked WVU outta the Title.

Year 3, we should seriously contend . . .

Go BULLS !!!

[windbane]

Year One of the Big East, we could have won in the last week.

Year Two, we knocked WVU outta the Title.

Year 3, we should seriously contend . . .

Go BULLS !!!

Just want to check in and see the new board.  I agree with Greg's prediction but I feel USF has a legit chance to win the Big East this year.  E.T. is always closer to the truth than smazza.

Good to see a lot of the same functions, I believe.  Nice new look.  Go Bulls, and I'll be back to talk about EA's NCAA Football 2008 (the PS3 version, heh) next month, if not before =)

Go Bulls.

[Rizman]

Talk is cheap.  Time to knock off Louisville and WVA.  We need larger crowds.  Recommendation: Everyone by an extra ticket to the big games and bring a friend.  I did it for the entire season.  I also will buy some extra during the WVA and Louisville game and give them away.  You can do it.

We need the upper section open and need to exceed our largest crowd every 49,212.  I think we can do that.

What about getting a bus to bring the students from Sarasota and St. Petersburg in for the games?

[outrunner]

We need the upper section open and need to exceed our largest crowd every 49,212.  I think we can do that.

No thinking here. WE WILL BREAK IT THIS YEAR. If not against WVU, then definatley against UCiF.