Realistically, what's the highest USF can finish?

Why can't USF compete from the national championship? They should beat Louisville; they'll be favored against Rutgers and Cincy. Going unbeaten in the Big East isn't out of the question. So then it becomes a question of if or when LSU, Ohio State and Cal lose.

 

The obvious point being that USF doesn't need to get to No. 1 -- it just needs to get to No. 2. So, in theory, it just needs two of those three to get beat.

I wonder, though, if there will be any kind of backlash should they get much higher. You might start to see one-loss teams from power conferences getting a lot more support.

I also wonder what the Bulls' strength of schedule will look like by the end of the year. Admittedly, though, with a road win over Auburn and what looks to be a pretty strong conference schedule -- I can't see how that would cost them any support.

 

If South Florida runs the table, it's playing for the national title.

Because two of the teams in front of them are losing at least one game (LSU, OSU, Cal and BC) and the teams just behind them (Go Gamecocks!, Mizzou, West Va and Va Tech) aren't running the table, either.

One loss, though, and SouthFla is toast.

 

Yeah, the fall from fifth to 21st will come quicker than you can say "Cincinnati 30, Rutgers 11"

 

West Virginia could run the table, which would make for a nice debate if they make the BCS title game with one loss while South Florida is in the Gator Bowl with one loss and a road win against the Mountaineers.

 

That's not necessarily true. Yes, USF's last game is Nov. 24, but the Big East is scheduling some regular-season games on Conference Championship Saturday (this year, Rutgers-Louisville and WVU-Pitt play during Week 14).

And I'd wager that the reason USF has that final week free is because of its position in hurricane country -- in 2005 USF's home game vs. WVU was postponed until the first week of December because of a hurricane.

 

In regard to those faux-BCS results, what's keeping USF at five is their Harris and USA Today rankings.

In the computers, the Bulls are, on average, No.2 in the country thanks to the wins over Auburn and West Virginia.

 

Actually, if the sites are believable, ALL the computers love South Florida because of those wins. South Florida's going to need to run the table and hope Auburn and West Virginia do the same.

 

The WVA win was at Raymond James in Tampa.

 

Crap, that's why I don't poist past midnight.

 

Of course this whole debate has little to do with what South Florida has done on the field and far more to do with the fact that an 11-year program dare takes up space that could be occupied by the old guard.

 

James Carville in this week's SI:

"Mississippi State, perhaps the worst team in the SEC, beat Auburn at home. South Florida, the best team in the Big East, beat Auburn at home. So the best team in the Big East is just as good as the worst team in the SEC. I’m impressed."