Sentinel: USF in national standings

[Jim Johnson]

USF in national standings

The Bulls kick off against unranked North Carolina, and many expect a win.

Shannon J. Owens Sentinel Staff Writer

    September 22, 2007

TAMPA - There is a picture from a game against Auburn hanging in the University of South Florida football locker room that captures the birth of a nationally ranked program.

Two weeks ago, USF shocked college football fans around the country when it upset Auburn, then ranked No. 17, in a thrilling overtime victory in front of 82,617 fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Alabama. Of course, the players on the USF team said it was no major surprise to them; they have been building toward that moment since the program began 11 years ago.

Despite their triumph, the Bulls (2-0) went unranked last week. But this week, they are no longer unrecognized. USF broke into the national rankings for the first time in school history, climbing into the No. 23 spot in the Associated Press poll and No. 24 in the USA Today poll.

When they kick off against unranked North Carolina (1-2) at noon today in a game nationally televised by ESPN, many fans will expect the Bulls to win. But after taking a week off, some wonder if USF can sustain its amazing ride to the top.

"For me, my expectations are always very high and I'm always going to do everything I can to prepare to win a football game whether we're ranked or not," said USF Coach Jim Leavitt. "For over a hundred games we've been preparing to win football games and we never were ranked, so that doesn't change. How it affects people outside, the perception . . . I can only speak for myself."

Make no mistake about it. USF football is the second-best team in the state behind the defending national champion Florida Gators, according to the latest college football polls.

But, for now, Leavitt and his players want to shelve talk of such a moment. There should be no looking ahead to No. 5 West Virginia next Friday and no looking past Butch Davis' Tar Heels.

Davis will coach his first college game in the Sunshine State since leading Miami to a Big East Conference title in 2000. North Carolina (1-2) will look for its first win against a ranked opponent on the road since beating No. 13 Clemson 38-3 in 2001.

"It is a real big concern because everybody wants to think about other big games coming up, but Coach Leavitt let us know this game is the biggest game of our life," said George Selvie, who leads the Big East Conference with six sacks through two games. "If we lose this game, the rest of the other games don't matter. We have to win every week to be consistent."

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[Mama_Bull]

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It is a real big concern because everybody wants to think about other big games coming up, but Coach Leavitt let us know this game is the biggest game of our life," said George Selvie, who leads the Big East Conference with six sacks through two games. "If we lose this game, the rest of the other games don't matter. We have to win every week to be consistent."

Gotta love Leavitt!  He is 100% right.  Each game is a must win.  With 4 1/2 hours to go until kickoff, I can hardly wait.

[WoDoS]

BiggTipp and I are preparing for the ride to "Tampalona". Will be on the road in about an hour or so... Hope to see some of the proud Bull Fans there.. Can I get a GOOOO BULLS!!!