Question to Fans...

[usfbullcpa]

I will tell you what I mean.

First, go back and look at the posts, the press, and the analysis before this season ever started.  We knew what, at the time we had a hot senior QB that did not have a front line.  The O line before the season even started was young, with not much size and less experience.  We did not have a great running back that we saw.  Ford has never produced, Plancher was really not a noted runner.  We thought it was a year Mitchell would be big.

On defense we had Selvie who everyone hoped would return to his Sophomore form.  JPP was a hopeful but had not taken a down in practice, we only knew he had potential.  We lost some incoming freshman to academics, and lost some players to stupidity off the field.

Coaches told us this was a year of hope, but it all depended on how the cards were dealt.  The analysts said we would be lucky to get to a bowl, and we all agreed the high point of the season would be to keep it close in Tallahassee.

Now here we are, we lost our star QB goes out before the meat of the season.  We get a surprise in a freshman QB that shows promise, wins the big game.  We lose more offensive linemen, the experienced ones, and shift them around again and again.  We find out Selve is not producing at the NCAA record pace of two years ago.  We find out the our QB is just a freshman, and we see that the BE is getting better and better.  

So, as much as I hoped for more, this season has exceeded my expectations.  Not my hopes, just that looking back on my posts I didn't expect anything different.  

Welcome to college football.

[CousinRicky]

Are we actually arguing if we are a mediocre team or a less-than-mediocre team??? I would hope that our goal for USF football would to be a perennial top-25 program and competing for conference championships every year.

Many of the arguments that occur on this board come from the group that is happy with just participating versus the group that actually wants to see this group accomplish something memorable for the university.

For some on this board, happiness is a low level of expectation. If you can't be a little better than the previous day then why get out of bed?

I would argue that all of us want to see USF a Top 25 team each and every year.  But why make my life miserable if it doesn't happen?  Trust me, no one gets more pi$$ed off than me when we play poorly.  So I find my happiness where I can - tailgating, participating on this Board, going to away games.  I haven't lowered my expectations, but I accept the fact that we aren't a major player yet.  We may never be that good, but I'm still going to the games, making my donations and keep hoping for more.

[BULLO12]

I will tell you what I mean.

First, go back and look at the posts, the press, and the analysis before this season ever started.  We knew what, at the time we had a hot senior QB that did not have a front line.  The O line before the season even started was young, with not much size and less experience.  We did not have a great running back that we saw.  Ford has never produced, Plancher was really not a noted runner.  We thought it was a year Mitchell would be big.

On defense we had Selvie who everyone hoped would return to his Sophomore form.  JPP was a hopeful but had not taken a down in practice, we only knew he had potential.  We lost some incoming freshman to academics, and lost some players to stupidity off the field.

Coaches told us this was a year of hope, but it all depended on how the cards were dealt.  The analysts said we would be lucky to get to a bowl, and we all agreed the high point of the season would be to keep it close in Tallahassee.

Now here we are, we lost our star QB goes out before the meat of the season.  We get a surprise in a freshman QB that shows promise, wins the big game.  We lose more offensive linemen, the experienced ones, and shift them around again and again.  We find out Selve is not producing at the NCAA record pace of two years ago.  We find out the our QB is just a freshman, and we see that the BE is getting better and better.  

So, as much as I hoped for more, this season has exceeded my expectations.  Not my hopes, just that looking back on my posts I didn't expect anything different.  

Welcome to college football.

Yes gthe BE is getting better and better but USF is retreating.

[Guest]

I am seeing a few people make the statement that even though we have had a poor season, that as a program we have "exceeded their expectations"

When people make this statement what do you mean? The fact that we have gone to bowl games? The fact that we are in the BE?

The only thing that has ever exceeded my expectations with any of our sports programs has been that we are in the BE. In my book we have really only had one year in football that exceeded my expectations and that wass 2002. Every other year has been sort of frustrating. Even 2002 was frustrating.

As a football team we have never won a conference championship, never played in a major bowl. We are a .500 team in conference play over our entire playing time. We are 2-2 in bowl games with our losses in those games being our first shutout and an embarrassing loss while our wins came against 2 llower level non-bcs teams.

This is a mediocre team and program by any measure. What expectations have we exceeded. I am curious why people say this.

As someone who started at USF in 1990... when football was a dream... a figment of a thought that we might possible ever have a team...

The fact that we HAVE a program exceeds expectations.

For me, a successful program makes bowl games... 7-5 is it. That is all I ask.

Anything more than that is gravy.

[zarnozdabull]

People People

At least its not 2004.

[Bulls On Parade]

This was a rebuilding year the second we lost our senior QB.

[Cubanbull]

We have an avg team at best and we got a bit blinded after opening 5-0 and beating FSU.

But last year WITH an experienced QB and more experienced OL we went 8-5 and 2-5 in conference

this year we are starting a RS freshmen and a young OL and stand at 7-4 and 3-3 in conference

If we win at UConn or Bowl game we match last years record and improve confeence record so I wouldnt say we have regressed, we have been beaten by better teams and beaten badly.

We need to get better and thats accomplished by getting better players, when you look at all the new players we had playing time this year it tells you how weak our depth really is and how much better our recent recruits are talentwise compared to those before them.

[usf97]

I think this team met most people's expectations....not mine but most pundits thought we would go 7-5. Thought we were a pretty average team. A whole new O-Line they said, sure they bring back Grothe and Selvie and Nate Allan but that is it. 7-5 and going back to the St. Pete Bowl. I thought our O-line play would be much better than it has been and I expected big things from our D-line and Coach Treasey on Defense. Expected 9-3 or maybe 10-2. Guess the experts were right and I was wrong.