Let's take a breather and get some perspective

[smazza]

Okay, first things first, this year blows chunks. We lost Matt, found B.J. and won at Florida State but that's about all. Yeah, we were ranked but that didn't last too long. Anyway, it's not a "losing season" but it is certainly not what we would normally expect from our Bulls.

Time for some perspective:

1) All the coaching changes in the off season hurt. I think this team's on the field performance this years has shown the inconsistencies of a new staff and players still learning a new system (adjustments with new staff and new ideas).

2) We don't have enough depth. We have talent but just not enough at all positions to compensate for our weaknesses.

3) Are we ready to contend for the Big East and head to a BCS bowl? Nope. But we aren't that far away.

4) Have we arrived on the doorstep of respectability? Sure. We are playing to a national audience all the time now; people know our name. We aren't LSU but we are NOT UCF.

What's the bottom line?

I think patience is the key right now. Some things don't happen overnight. We need more talent; we need the coaching staff to gel; and we need to change the way we play USF football. I think that old stuff needs to be thrown out, especially on offense.

As fans we do deserve to be disappointed but it's not fire-this-person-fire-that-person time. That's just silly. I think if there is one program that deserves our forgiveness or whatever we want to call it, it's the football program. The USF football program as a whole has exceeded my expectations from day one -beyond my wildest dreams. Now, I can afford to give it time to grow and to move to the next level (a BCS Bowl team).

But, if you want a National Champion or that type of team, then move your allegiance to that team two hours north of USF on I-75...

Me, I'm always proud to be a USF Bull and I'm willing to wait and be patient -hell, I've waited since 1992 for men's basketball to get off its proverbial back. 

GO BULLS!

--Peace out from Vietnam!

Yes it is a losing season.  Our conference paly is what coun ts toward getting a decent bowl game or playing in the StPete Bowl for Magic Jack connections.  Going 4-0 in non conference play is total BULLSHITE.

yeah and next year usf will be 5-1 with another bs schedule

do they think fans are that stupid

[South_Florida_Flip]

1) All the coaching changes in the off season hurt. I think this team's on the field performance this years has shown the inconsistencies of a new staff and players still learning a new system (adjustments with new staff and new ideas).

Maybe on the defensive side you can say that, but we didn't change a thing offensively.

[smazza]

Back in 1997 and 1998 we all dreamed about a big time program.  Are we there, no but we are moving in that direction.  I waited to play a big time team at home (WVA, Kansas, but for sure a in state power house like Miami) and we were rewarded.  Now, we are better than 50 some teams, but we need to get down to business and focus on building a team that will set the tone. 

Donate more money, continue to win and get to a bowl and we will continue to build the program.  You are just now entering a period of slow development and plodding.  It is not fun but improvements are not measured by yards but by inches and we will need to fight and scratch for those inches.

Loyal fans who throw money at the program.

We have the base now give it time.

i love the excuses from leavitt apologists

how much more time

it took jim harbaugh 2 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  at stanford

[Bullshiznitz]

Back in 1997 and 1998 we all dreamed about a big time program.  Are we there, no but we are moving in that direction.  I waited to play a big time team at home (WVA, Kansas, but for sure a in state power house like Miami) and we were rewarded.  Now, we are better than 50 some teams, but we need to get down to business and focus on building a team that will set the tone. 

Donate more money, continue to win and get to a bowl and we will continue to build the program.  You are just now entering a period of slow development and plodding.  It is not fun but improvements are not measured by yards but by inches and we will need to fight and scratch for those inches.

Loyal fans who throw money at the program.

We have the base now give it time.

i love the excuses from leavitt apologists

how much more time

it took jim harbaugh 2 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  at stanford

Took him 2 years to do what exactly?  Go 8-4 and finish in the middle of the Pac 10?  Well congrats, it took him 2 years to get to our level with a program with history and greater resources than us......should we give him a lollipop? 

[Bullshiznitz]

do not throw the baby out with the bath water!

5 consecutive seasons bowl eligible.

3 consecutive 5-0 starts

steadily improving recruiting

"big wins" almost every season

Does this really put us in good company when 1/2 of Div 1 schools go to bowls?  If any one of these was a BCS bowl it would be something to get excited about.

We're one of only 23 BCS schools (out of 65) not to have a losing record in the past 5 years....so yeah, I would say that puts us in pretty decent company. 

[usf97]

1) All the coaching changes in the off season hurt. I think this team's on the field performance this years has shown the inconsistencies of a new staff and players still learning a new system (adjustments with new staff and new ideas).

Maybe on the defensive side you can say that, but we didn't change a thing offensively.

Why does Canales offense look like Gregory's offense last year and not Canales offense back in the 90's? Blackwell did not do this much read option. Am I the only one who feels this way? His philosophy feels different....maybe it just looked different because he was facing 1-AA competition back then.

[bulls96go]

do not throw the baby out with the bath water!

5 consecutive seasons bowl eligible.

3 consecutive 5-0 starts

steadily improving recruiting

"big wins" almost every season

Does this really put us in good company when 1/2 of Div 1 schools go to bowls?  If any one of these was a BCS bowl it would be something to get excited about.

i would bet there are 80 teams who would trade wins/loses and bowl games with us right now.

and 30 of those would be BCS conference teams.

we have a long way to go but we are making progress, slow but steady.

the question out there: Is CJL the coach to lead us up the steep part of the climb? he has done a gtreat job in getting us here, can he take us further? I do not know...but i am willing to give him the chance, he has earned it!

[CousinRicky]

do not throw the baby out with the bath water!

5 consecutive seasons bowl eligible.

3 consecutive 5-0 starts

steadily improving recruiting

"big wins" almost every season

Does this really put us in good company when 1/2 of Div 1 schools go to bowls?  If any one of these was a BCS bowl it would be something to get excited about.

We're one of only 23 BCS schools (out of 65) not to have a losing record in the past 5 years....so yeah, I would say that puts us in pretty decent company. 

But in any one year you only have to be in the top 50%.  So in the last 5 years we've been in the top 50% of college football each year.  That's OK, not great.  You can spin stats any way you want.  I would have traded one of those bowls and had a BCS bowl thrown in there.

[Bull94]

do not throw the baby out with the bath water!

5 consecutive seasons bowl eligible.

3 consecutive 5-0 starts

steadily improving recruiting

"big wins" almost every season

Does this really put us in good company when 1/2 of Div 1 schools go to bowls?  If any one of these was a BCS bowl it would be something to get excited about.

We're one of only 23 BCS schools (out of 65) not to have a losing record in the past 5 years....so yeah, I would say that puts us in pretty decent company. 

But in any one year you only have to be in the top 50%.  So in the last 5 years we've been in the top 50% of college football each year.  That's OK, not great.  You can spin stats any way you want.   I would have traded one of those bowls and had a BCS bowl thrown in there.

give me cincy's potential back to back BCS bowls over our 5 in a row any day.