Do you think the National Media believes the Bulls will lose to RU?

[JoeB]

Anytime you go on the road and play a Thursday Night game, its a tough game.  Forget about the Vegas lines for a minute.  Rutgers is a good football team, and we still have to prove we are the Best Team in the Big East.

It doesn't matter what the National Media thinks.  It matters how USF plays.  CJL is right.  For now all we know is that we were better than 6 teams on 6 Saturdays.  How do we know??  Well, we know because we played and beat them.  That is all we know at this point.  You still have to go out and play the game, and win the game.

[dabull80]

Everyone is excited about this game because ESPN is making it a must see game.  Rutgars had a very nice team last year and still has a very good defense and a guy named Ray Rice.  

USF is the feel good story right now and because it is not a traditional powerhouse a lot of folks are still on the fence and waiting for the joy ride to end - you know those kind of people - we have em right here on our own board - glass half empty.  

The one thing I have heard alot is if we can get by Rutgars on Thursday is we have a good shot at running the table.  UL and Cinci at home with Pitt,U-Conn,Cuse on the road is not an impossibble schedule.  

Everyone seems to think that Oklahoma will run the table but everyone else will have a loss except for maybe hawai and they aren't part of the National Title hunt.  

Also, until the UCF game we weren't sexy cause we win with great defense.  Keeps the score to close.  People forget what we did to UNC.

[usfmasters]

I draw 3 things from the National Media perception.

1) they think that Rutgers is a top 25 team, but for some reason did not vote for them in the top 25 (I know they are tied for 30th in the AP poll, but still not top 25)

2) they do not think USF is that good.  What more does our defense need to do this year to show that they can shutdown other teams, I guess shutdown Rice.

3) nobody knows what is going to happen this crazy season so look at the trends for Thursday night games.

[BigShoop]

We have no more "non-statement" games on our schedule.

We need to crush and kill all those who dare to step on the field with us from here on out if we wish to maintain our #2 rankings. 

The National Media is just looking for a reason to put LSU above us.  We can't give them that chance.

GO BULLS!

I think this sums it up perfectly.

For years, we've wanted national respect. Well, now that we have it, let's keep it.

We're finally in position...now let's take advantage of it.

[Ruger7mmmag]

People still don't think we're an "every week" team capable of running the table bc we haven't dominated in all aspects of the game except against UCF and many think UCF sucks.  Granted, they're better than some other better well known schools, but not in prestige.  Had we dropped that score on Nebraska it would've been different.

We haven't earned respect yet.  That's why we're being picked against.  We've earned the right to be discussed.  Respect comes after an entire seasons worth of work and dominating week in and week out.

The worst part, the more we destroy Rutgers, the more these same clowns will then scream how weak the Big East is.

So the moral of this story is don't worry about what the others are saying.  The computer knows.  If we win our games, we'll have a chance to earn respect in a big bowl game.  Shoot, just getting there will see USF in the top 25 to start next year if not higher.  Then every win suddenly means more.

So I'm more worried about winning this game and not dropping all the momentum we've built more than some dumbass writers who've never seen USF play a down...

[usf97]

I think the National Media is going to focus on it's readers. It's more likly to get ratings and sell papers if you say OSU, LSU or Oklahoma are going to the NC. They have much larger fan bases. Think about all their decades of alumni. No one wants to see us there, especially FOX. This is really the last game they could see us losing. They know we play much better at home and have laid some eggs on the road.

Plus, they are playing to the Northeast Media who needs all the Rutgers support they can get.

I think most think LSU will win out, but don't expect OSU or BC to win out. Oklahoma's SOS will not jump us athough LSU's will. They NEED us to lose. Thus setting up LSU-Oklahoma.

[RHBullsFan]

I hope the media and the country picks against us every game. The best thing I took from the UCF game was that I could tell Grothe and the other guys were PISSED at some of the comments and took the game personally. I hope people keep bashing us and Matt and the guys shove it right down their throats again with some more arse kickings! Please keep underestimating us.

[Bulls 8_va]

I hope the media and the country picks against us every game. The best thing I took from the UCF game was that I could tell Grothe and the other guys were PISSED at some of the comments and took the game personally. I hope people keep bashing us and Matt and the guys shove it right down their throats again with some more arse kickings! Please keep underestimating us.

DITTO...our guys cannot be more hungry!

GO BULLS!!!

[crambone]

I keep saying it:

This year, EVERYTHING is falling into place for us.  Mark my words: ten (10!) years will pass before we get the kinds of shake-ups that are taking place with the normal "top 25" teams, and the BCS loves us.  For once, we can say "f*ck off!" to the pompous sportswriters and gasbag coaches that have a one-loss SEC team in the same area as an unbeaten Big East team.

If we can't do it this year, we won't sniff another chance like this for a long time.

The Big East, nay, the National Championship is ours to lose.

[MikeG]

any given week we could lose a game

let's just worry about one at a time

yes-- we have a shot at the big prize BUT it will take a hell of lot to get there. So enjoy each game as it rolls by-- and if the Bulls happen to lose a game-- do not turn into some crazed fan who feels the Bulls were screwed out of something none of us really imagined could happen before the season. I really want the Big East title this year-- anything beyond that is gravy. Finishing 2nd would be pretty decent as well all things considered. Let's try not to turn into Nebraska or Bama overnight here folks.