Gator fan on Deadspin talks about USF: "Officially the best team in the state"

[Jim Johnson]

What To Do After Your Season Is Ruined

Sunday morning, 2 a.m.: I am writing this now because I cannot sleep, because my team's season is ruined. Obliterated.

I could be an Oklahoma fan. Or a West Virginia fan. Or a Texas fan. Or even a Rutgers fan. As it happens, I am a Florida fan. What we share is the fate that in Week 5, our team's seasons are effectively over.

...

This Week's Bandwagon: South Florida

College football is built on tradition. Decades upon decades of tradition, allowing long-baked rivalries and attitudes to flourish.

So how do you feel about South Florida? Here's a program that didn't even EXIST 15 years ago. How can you hate them? Then again, how can you love them? How can you feel anything about them?

On the other hand, in the hierarchy of college football jobs, managing a powerhouse like Texas or USC seems relatively easy (aside from expectations). Turning around a long-standing dud, like Rutgers, is much harder. But hardest of all would be to create a program from scratch, then turn it into a national powerhouse -- in one decade.

(No wait, I take it back: Hardest of all would be being given the keys to the most prominent brand name in college sports history and managing to run it into the ground in just three seasons. Rah, Charlie Weis!)

More than anything, it speaks to the motherlode of talent to be found recruiting in Florida. Jim Leavitt took Florida, FSU and Miami's sloppy fourths and turned those recruits into a Top 10 team.

USF has a tough schedule left: Believe it or not, at Rutgers, at UConn and home against Cincy suddenly reads like a daunting gauntlet.

But if the Bulls can survive it unscathed, combined with a signature non-conference win over the team that just beat Florida in Gainesville, it's not crazy to consider South Florida a BCS title-game contender.

My BlogPoll Ballot Top 10

1. LSU

AP finally catches up with the bloggers.

2. South Florida

Officially the best team in the state.

3. Cal

But are they ready to dethrone USC?

4. Ohio State

Played at UW tougher than USC.

5. USC

Just lucky Jake Locker is a spaz.

6. Boston College

Defied my prediction of a 1-AA upset.

7. Wisconsin

What happened to the stout D?

8. Kentucky

This can't possibly last, can it?

9. Cincinnati

Cincy is my new Rutgers, apparently.

10. Florida/Oklahoma (tie)

Both played like ass.

...

[mgoda]

That's right USF #1 in FLA

[Mama_Bull]

All I can say is WOW, WOW, WOW!  Although there has been talk today about USF in the NC game, I don't want to say anything and put a jinx on the possibility.  LOL

Good article and the guy seems straight forward.

[BullsFanInTX]

If USF gets by RU and UC, then we can start talking about NC game.  Those are the 2 biggest games left imo, and will be difficult games

[IHuckItDeep]

i really enjoyed this write-up.....told it how it is......no BS..............

[namuh-bull]

Don't forget syracuse, uconn, and pitt.  It would be terrible to go undefeated and lose to pitt at the end.

[hbryan]

If USF gets by RU and UC, then we can start talking about NC game.  Those are the 2 biggest games left imo, and will be difficult games

Let's not forget Louisville and UConn.  They're all tough from here on out and none should be overlooked.  If our guys forget the hype and the rankings and focus on one game at a time - then the possible can become reality.  Look ahead or have trouble fitting you're helmet on your head and there'll be trouble.

[E.T.]

The only game I am aware of is FAU  ;D

[USFPDiddy]

Man it's harder to hate UF fans when they act like this.  #2 is too high for us right now...there are still teams with good wins in front of us...and a lot of season left.

Any team that goes undefeated is a good team.  Odds are against any team doing it, any year.  I will be thrilled if USF manages it, especially for that reason.

[MikeG]

Bianchi just said that USF is the better team between UF and USF.

is it cold in hell today?