The University of South Florida
The University of South Florida Bulls are an anomaly among the college football world; they have arisen from absolutely nowhere to become a top 25 program.
USF finds itself in an incredibly fortunate situation; they are affiliated with a BCS conference after only a very short time playing football and are located in what many consider the most talent rich state for high school gridiron talent (which should translate to solid recruiting). They have a massive student population (9th largest in the US) and a strong desire to be every bit the equal of the Gators, Seminoles and Hurricanes for bragging rights within the state. Head Coach Jim Leavitt has led the program from infancy and compiled an impressive 87-52 record and four consecutive bowl games.
As productive as the program has been, serious questions remain – the future is far from certain and concerns are growing on campus.
The Big East
Attaining the Big East membership was a considerable accomplishment for USF football; internally it – not a game – is viewed as the most important moment in the short history of the program. Playing in the Big East has given USF the opportunity to become a national name; an automatic berth in the historic Orange Bowl awaits the conference champion, which is something that every university would be proud of. If they were to have remained in Conference USA this article wouldn’t even be written, as the Bulls would certainly have remained in the lower tiers.
Their fortunes are very much linked to the success of that conference – if it has a defection or two (West Virginia and/or Pittsburgh to the Big 10, for example) it very likely will lose its’ automatic BCS tie-in, which would certainly be devastating for the Bulls. Their only real chance, if that were to happen, would be a realignment or expansion of the Atlantic Coast Conference that included an invitation for USF – which isn’t a likely occurrence.
Jim Leavitt
Being the only coach in USF’s history, Jim Leavitt has overseen the development of the football program at USF, no small feat considering his first days on the job were spent sweating it out in a decrepit trailer that overlooked an abandoned parking lot. Four straight bowl games, a number two national ranking and a handful of significant victories have certainly placed the program in the conscious of knowledgeable college football fans.
Leavitt’s sideline demeanor is a mixture of rabies stricken raccoons and a coked up John Belushi. His coaching style is one of quick, aggressive defense and attacking offense – but the execution has been helter-skelter, far too many mental errors are made and those usually at critical times. Many affix blame on Leavitt for the “panic” and lack of discipline that his teams seem to play with, claiming his sideline antics contribute to a jittery on the field product.
USF tends to play up to or down to the competition – wins over highly ranked Auburn, Louisville and West Virginia and struggles in games against seemingly over matched opponents (i.e., Florida International, Florida Atlantic, Elon) demonstrate this oddity.
There is far more criticism of Jim Leavitt in the Tampa Bay media market than most realize.
There has been considerable disappointment in the region that the Bulls have chosen to discontinue the University of Central Florida series – the War on I4, as it was called – in favor of scheduling more difficult and notable opponents. Most would recognize that if South Florida were to settle on UCF as its’ main rival then that would, in some ways, limit future expectations – having a second tier, non-BCS opponent as the hated rival would, to a degree, define how the program views itself and how others perceive it. USF correctly decided to focus on long-term success and discontinue the series.
Future schedules include a five-game Thanksgiving weekend series against Miami, a two game home-and-home against Florida State, two games at Florida and a game at Notre Dame. Further, games with Michigan State, NC State and Indiana add BCS heft to their non-conference slate. If USF were to fare well in those games, and win the Big East title a time or two (scoring the consequent BCS game) then the program would certainly be on firm footing going forward. If, however, they fail to make a dent against those opponents, and fall short of winning the conference title, it is very likely that the program will stall in its’ growth and end up relatively inconsequential.
Many fans in the state refuse to count USF as serious competition, and dismiss their early successes to luck, until they knock off one the big three (FSU, UM, UF). Fair enough, they’ll get their chances starting this season with games at the Seminoles and home with the Hurricanes.
The next three or four seasons will be critical to the long-term success of the Bulls – it is branding time. If Jim Leavitt were to direct a conference winning program and secure a BCS berth, the program will find itself in a very good position going forward – if not, they risk being a middle-of-the-road nobody, a team that most will overlook as a flash-in-the-pan team that got fortunate a couple of times.
It’s all on Jim Leavitt’s shoulders now.