Her (rubbing eyes): Why so late last night?
Me (after a yawn and stretch): Big game. My alma mater beat Auburn with a TD in overtime.
Her: Beat who?
Me: Auburn. That's Auburn University, in Alabama, not the town in Massachusetts. They're a major football power in the SEC. Ranked seventeenth in the AP poll going into the game.
Her (turning over): Oh. How'd the Red Sox do?
So it goes. It now seems unlikely the Bulls will be able to pull off any more surprises. After an off week, they play North Carolina at home on the 22nd, and will undoubtedly be favored. The pessimist in me sees this as a classic scenario for a letdown; I suspect USF has just enough Gator DNA to fall flat coming off a big victory. If they can get past the Tarheels, they face their really big test on Friday the 28th, when they host the currently number three ranked West Virginia Mountaineers, who will be itching for revenge.
It seems I may have been wrong in thinking that dumping Michigan from the top 25 because of their loss to Appalachian State was an overreaction. Unfortunately, their drubbing by Oregon (which must have Lloyd Carr perusing Monster.com) may serve to dim ASU's accomplishment.
Update: South Florida didn't make the top 25 in the AP writers' poll (which doesn't count for BCS purposes) or the USA Today coaches' poll (which does), though it gets strong honorable mention in both (you can see the poll results here). It's interesting to note that Oklahoma is ranked third and Florida fifth in the AP poll, while those rankings are reversed in the USA Today poll, in which Florida received seven first place votes. I can only conclude that Urban Meyer is much better liked by his fellow coaches than is Bob Stoops.
To those of us in S.FLA who are college football fans (non-aligned with FSU, UF or Miami), USF football is a breath of fresh air. There's a solid fan base down here in the West Palm/Broward/Dade area. I'd guess that Howard Schnellenberger at FAU and Mario Cristobal at FIU (both SunBelt Conference teams) had the same support.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a treat to root for the underdog - even better when that underdog wins (i.e. Louisville and West Virginia). Those who do support the program are not "Fair Weather" fans. We know the history (or lack, thereof). We cheer for a program that believes in itself (The Little Big East Engine that could?).
Leavitt is a very, very good coach (maybe the most underrated of all BCS teams) - able to lead those who've followed him to Tampa, and bring out the best in his squad - while facing the juggernaut of recruiting that the major schools can bring.
Go Bulls!
re: Big Blue's upset loss to App State and subsequent loss to Oregon??
heh heh
Growing up a half hour from Ann Arbor - I never, ever, felt an alliance to those Schembackers from A-Squared. I was always an MSU Spartan fan. Maybe an exercise in futility at times, but I could sleep at night.
College Football in MI? It's a required class in Ann Arbor. In E. Lansing, it's a passion.
JMB(Fray)
yruka (Why are you knocking AnnArbor)
Claude...when we were students at USF, who would have thought of football at the school...Thay have coma a long way...Go BULLS!!
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