Herbstreit Kiss of Death

Is this the year a non-Power 5 team breaks into the College Football Playoff?

In the first three seasons of the College Football Playoff, every Power 5 conference has been represented at least once.

A non-Power 5 team has never cracked the field, but there are always a handful of teams every year that have a shot at doing so.

ESPN college football analyst thinks USF could be that team this year.

When asked which school outside the Power 5 has the best chance of sneaking in, he named the Bulls.

Kirk Herbstreit

USF has to adapt to a new head coach in Charlie Strong, but as Herbstreit said, the talent level in Tampa is high.

We had the Bulls ranked 24th in our summer top 25.

http://thespun.com/aac/south-florida/kirk-herbstreit-usf-college-football-playoff-power-5

That's the 2nd kiss. The first came last month from CBSSN who picked the Bulls to go undefeated.

Personally, I don't see the championship committee going for it, regardless what USF does during the regular season. The Power 5 is an exclusive club. No outsiders allowed.

I fear all these lofty expectations. That's a lot of pressure and the hype can easily go to the head.

I don't see undefeated or CFP but Quinton Flowers may end up in NYC.

They're not making the CFP, but they have the potential to be pretty darn good. Really think Charlie is in a perfect spot at USF.

I don't see undefeated or CFP but Quinton Flowers may end up in NYC.

You can't help but pull for the kid. He's a great leader..Mrs. S loves him to death.

[video=youtube;cz-InwUdEBo]

Bulls on award lists...

Bednarik Award – Defensive Player of the Year: Deatrick Nichols

Maxwell Award – College Player of the Year: Quinton Flowers

Mackey Award – Best Tight End: Mitchell Wilcox

Rimmington Award – Best Center: Cameron Ruff

Ray Guy Award – Best punter: Jonathon Hernandez

Nagurski Award – National Defensive Player of the Year: Deatrick Nichols, Auggie Sanchez, and Deandrin Senat

Outland Trophy – Best Interior Lineman: Deandrin Senat

Thorpe Award – Best Defensive Back: Deatrick Nichols

Hourning Award – Most Versatile Player: D’Earnest Johnson (aka Junkyard Dog)

Wuerffel Award – Community Service: Auggie Sanchez

O’Brien Award – Best Quarterback: Quinton Flowers

Walter Camp Award – Most outstanding Player: Quinton Flowers

Fall Camp is underway!

[video=youtube;kXDfyftC-uI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXDfyftC-uI

USF Football: Heavy the horns that wear the crown

By Chris Torello , Spectrum Sports USF Reporter

TAMPA --

USF Football has never faced these types of expectations going into a season.

USF picked to win American Athletic Conference

Bulls enter 2017 ranked in pre-season Top 25

USF opens season Aug. 26 at San Jose State

Sure, there was that time in 2007 when the Bulls were 2nd in the nation but fizzled quickly under the brightest of lights.

After going 11-2 in 2016, the most wins in a single season in program history, the Bulls know that 2017 is expected to rewrite the history they just made last season.

"Great job on making history, now go make it again," laughed head coach Charlie Strong, who is entering his first season at USF. "When you think about just where everyone has said what we can do, it still comes back to us working and taking care of business each week and buying in every single day. I tell these guys all the time 'Win The Day'."

Strong takes over perhaps his most talented offense as a head coach.

USF was the top scoring offense in the American Athletic Conference in 2016 putting up nearly 44 points per game. The Bulls have moved on from the fast-paced Gulf Coast Offense and are focused on their 2017 offense being even faster by snapping the ball every 12-15 seconds.

"We want to get the ball, move it, get it to the middle official, get set, get the signal and keep rolling," said senior quarterback Quinton Flowers, who is a legitimate 2017 Hesiman Trophy candidate.

While a great offense can win plenty of games, it's the defense that can catapult a team to becoming champions - something this program is trying to do after being picked to win the AAC.

But in 2016 USF was last in the AAC in total defense and ranked 119th (out of 128) among all FBS defenses.

"We were the weak link last year, no doubt," said senior linebacker, and Northeast Alum, Auggie Sanchez. "We got guys who are ticked off about that and I'm glad they are because we need to step up and prove a lot this season."

"We need to improve our defense, there is no question we can and will," said Strong, who became a renowned defensive coordinator under Urban Meyer at Florida. "We have plenty of talented guys on that side of the ball and now they just need to work as one unit and believe and hold each other accountable."

Accountabilty will be a big word for USF this season. The goal, and the expected result, is 12-0 with a conference title and shouting at the College Football Playoff committee for a shot at a New Year's Six bowl game. But the Bulls know that they will be a lot of team's biggest game, being a preseason Top 25 team.

"The targert is on our backs, no question," said Flowers. "We just need to stay focused, me and the leaders will get everyone on the same page and we will go to work."

"Not long ago USF Football was 2-10 and not many people around here liked or cared about us," said Sanchez. "Do you remember when we lost to McNeese State (53-21, 2013 Season Opener) and we took them lightly. Right now we are making some noise. We take San Jose State lightly (on August 26th) and we lose, then we are back to square one and people are back to hating us and not caring how we do."

Heavy the horns that wear the crown.

You can't help but pull for the kid. He's a great leader..Mrs. S loves him to death.

 

[video=youtube;cz-InwUdEBo]

He's a lot of fun to watch.

Quinton Flowers on The Jim Rome Show

Soft spoken young man. I've talked with Q several times and his demeanor is always the same.

Even on the field, when you know he's upset with a player, he never gets animated. The players will tell you that they don't want to come back to the huddle and see a look of disappointment on Q's face. They respect him that much.

USF had 9 players commit for the 2018 class last week. They now have 25 commits and have moved up to 34 in rival's rankings. It's the most commitments by the end of July in program history.

Long way to signing day, though.

Busy weekend of hype and partying in Bulls Country.

Tomorrow is the Alumni Block Party in Ybor City.

Sunday is the annual Bulls Rally in Clearwater.

I'm very involved with both events and have been working my tail off the last 2 weeks to get ready, especially for the Rally.

I will be streaming the Bulls Rally live on the USF Bulls Rally YouTube Channel starting at 2 PM Sunday.

Kick off is a week from tomorrow.

#19 in the AP Poll. #21 in the Coaches Poll. Both the highest preseason ranking in school history.

Having already been named to the Walter Camp, Davey O'Brien, Maxwell, and Johnny Unitas lists earlier in the summer, Quinton Flowers becomes the first Bull to be named to five national watch lists in program history after being named to the Manning Award List.

4 days until kickoff.