Bulls Still Have a Shot at a Bowl

[E.T.]

Published Saturday, November 13, 2004

Bulls Still Have a Shot at a Bowl

TAMPA

The buzz around the South Florida Bulls now is whether or not they can become bowleligible, a possibility that developed when they upset Alabama-Birmingham last week.

But if USF's players have that in the back of their minds -- and they do -- don't ask coach Jim Leavitt about it.

Leavitt says he thinks no further ahead than that day's practice.

As for his players, "I don't know what they're thinking," Leavitt said.

Sometimes, when you watch them play, you wonder yourself.

But with the UAB win giving them a new glimmer of hope, this group of Bulls would definitely like to be the first USF team ever in postseason competition.

"That was our goal when we started the season, to play in a bowl," senior center Alex Herron remarked.

And it's now a possibility, although definitely not a probability.

To become bowl-eligible, USF must win three of its last four, and the only one of those the Bulls will be favored in is tonight's game against East Carolina.

Which means nothing. If you can lose to Army, you can lose to East Carolina.

Army, Herron says, was a wake-up call.

"We're not good enough to just throw our helmets out there and win," he said. "And if there ever was any doubt about that, we know it now. This conference is just too evenly matched."

The Bulls, obviously, can ill afford to take anyone for granted.

By the way, just to clarify: The rules say USF can count its win over Division 1-AA Tennessee Tech for bowl purposes.

The NCAA allows teams to count a win over a Division I-AA team once every four years so long as that team gives at least 60 football scholarships.

That said, USF has a hard road ahead. In addition to winning three of its final four, the Bulls must beat Cincinnati.

Technically, they could lose to the Bearcats and still be bowl-eligible, but being bowl-eligible does not automatically mean you are bowl-bound.

USF was bowl-eligible in both 2002 and 2003 and didn't get an invitation, and the only way to ensure that it gets a bid this time is to qualify for one of the five bowls tied to Conference USA.

Don't ask which ones they are because with the exception of the Liberty Bowl, you've probably never heard of them.

But to get back on point, four teams -- Louisville, Southern Miss, UAB and Memphis -- will almost assuredly take four of those spots.

That leaves one.

Cincinnati, off this week, is sitting at 5-4 with USF and Louisville left.

The Bearcats aren't going to beat Louisville, so USF can knock them out of the bowl picture with a win.

If the Bulls can win at Cincinnati and then go on to qualify, they have a very good chance of being the only other team in Conference USA besides the big four that will be eligible for a bowl.

TCU could also sneak in, but it has to beat Southern Miss and has already lost to USF.

So Cincinnati is the biggie for USF.

After that, it's Memphis and Pittsburgh at home, and if the Bulls beat East Carolina and Cincinnati, they'd still have to win one of those two.

Hmmm. This seems like a good time to take Leavitt's approach. Let's not think about that.

Correspondent Patrick Zier covers USF football as well as auto racing for The Ledger.

[WoolyBully]

To become bowl-eligible, USF must win three of its last four, and the only one of those the Bulls will be favored in is tonight's game against East Carolina.  

Doesn't sound too hard.

Oh yeah, as an aside, Memphis beat Southern Miss 30 x 26.  8)

[ChiTownBull]

i thought we were not eligible last season because of the two I-AA teams

[Bishop of Bulltown]

I don't believe we were eligible either

[lotsofbull99]

we aren't going to any bowl, put down the crack pipes

[Markeymark]

we aren't going to any bowl, put down the crack pipes

My prediction: the only bowl USF is going to get close to is if they go down to RayJay on Jan. 1 - hope I'm wrong, though...

[smazza]

we look  worthy so far tonight

[Kizarvexis]

Well here are the current C-USA standings.

7-1 (5-0) Louisville - Bowl Eligible (Liberty)

6-3 (4-2) UAB - Bowl Eligible

5-3 (4-2) So. Miss - needs 1 win (@TCU, UAB, Cal)

6-3 (3-3) Memphis - Bowl Eligible

5-4 (3-3) Cincinnati - needs 1 win (USF, @Lou)

4-4 (3-3) USF - needs 2 wins (@Cin, Mem, Pitt)

3-7 (3-4) Houston - out

4-5 (2-4) TCU - needs 2 wins (USM, Tul)

4-5 (2-4) Tulane - needs 2 wins (@TCU, Lou)

2-7 (2-5) ECU - out

2-7 (2-5) Army - out

C-USA could have as few as 3 bowl eligible teams or as many as 7 depending on how the final games work out.

Kizarvexis

[bulls96go]

we will be teased again this year

[smazza]

if we win out

we are in

the bowls love strong finishes