History loves turning points, events that can be looked back upon as the very moment when drastic change occurred. Sometimes they are difficult to see in the present, requiring the reflection and context of passing time to make themselves visible. This time, right now, appears to be one of those turning points. Since the beginning of the season, this blog did something that it had not done before in previous years. The Poll Watch segment might have seemed ridiculous at times, considering where this team has been since the firing of former head coach, Jim Leavitt. But, there was something happening, it was palpable and real. As funny as waiting for a ranking might have seemed for this program, the expectation was real, because something special was happening and it could be seen. Now, there is a new coaching staff on the horizon who will return a bunch of players for next season. This year was just the beginning of the turn, with very big things ahead.
Looking Back
Fort Myers – Naples NBC 2 lists their winners and losers of the coaching carousel. It’s listed in the Graze, so you know it includes USF.
CBS Sports’ Tito Benach says football head coach, Charlie Strong, chose USF for vindication. “It’s clear Strong didn’t pick USF for the money, he didn’t pick USF for the resources, and he didn’t pick USF just because he gets to continue to throw up the Horns symbol with his hands.”
Looking Forward
#22/19 USF women’s basketball team will host St. Francis on Wednesday night. The women have started their season a perfect 7-0. They are just one of seven unbeaten and ranked teams in the country.
Three USF football recruits from central Florida remain committed to the Bulls for the time being. Bruce Judson Jr., being recruited as an athlete, has been targeted by former USF coach, Willie Taggart. Judson seems impressed with the Oregon brand, but has not de-committed from USF.
USF tight ends coach, David Reaves, was a coaching assistant for Bulls’ Birmingham Bowl opponent, South Carolina, for seven years. He is also one of just three assistants to coach every year with Willie Taggart at USF. Reaves will call the offensive plays during the bowl game, serving as co-offensive coordinator in the interim.
Sport Book Review predicts that the Bulls will “roll” South Carolina in the bowl game. Despite the noted advantage in scoring by USF, 44 to the Gamecocks 13 average points per game, the Bulls are just 10 ½ point favorites.
USA Today is ranking all of the bowl games. The Birmingham Bowl, featuring the USF Bulls and South Carolina Gamecocks, comes in just a few spots below the halfway mark at #24.
Other Stuff
Willie Taggart was ready to go, he told the Bradenton Herald. Just four years after touting USF as a potential path to a national championship, citing the #2 national ranking in 2007, Taggart says a championship cannot be won by the Bulls.
Tampa Bay Times’ Joey Knight writes that Texas will be footing the bill for the first two years of Charlie Strong’s contract. Strong will get $9.8 million for his five year contract with the Bulls. On top of that, he’ll get nearly all of the $10 million owed to him by the Longhorns. $20 million over five years is good work, if you can get it.
