Wow: Bulls up to No. 6 in AP poll

USF, cementing its position as the hottest program in the country over the past month, has gone from unranked three weeks ago to a No. 6 ranking the Associated Press rankings released Sunday.

The Bulls (4-0) jumped 12 spots from No. 18 after knocking off No. 5 West Virginia 21-13 on Friday night. They are the highest ranked team in the Big East, and more impressively, the highest ranked team in the state of Florida, moving three spots ahead of defending national champion Florida, which lost 20-17 to Auburn in Gainesville on Saturday.

The Bulls made a significant move in the coaches poll as well, leaping nine spots to No. 9 -- the discrepancy between the two polls is that the coaches put USF behind Boston College, Kentucky and Florida. Of USF's remaining eight opponents, none is ranked higher than No. 20 Cincinnati; the Bulls must travel to face No. 21 Rutgers in 18 days, but will likely now be favored to win in all of their remaining games.

USF isn't the only big news in this week's poll: LSU has overtaken Southern Cal to become the new No. 1 in college football. The Tigers, who had one more first-place vote and two more total points than the Trojans, must defend that ranking this week against the Gators.

Comments

[Tom]

The AP poll is usually a more accurate source than the ESPN/USA Today poll.

[HoustonUSF]

The Running of the Bulls is nothing short of awesome. I'm proud to represent USF in an area dominated by the Aggies and the Longhorns. I really do hope USF becomes a more-familiar acronym to the world of college football.

[JD]

I still think the Gators would beat us in an actual game (there are only a few teams out there that I think could actually do that), but it's amazing that USF has reached this point this quickly. It's absolutely stunning.

[Ken]

UnBULLievable! Not only moving ahead of all of the 1-loss teams, but jumped ahead of undefeated Kentucky and Boston College. Can't say we aren't getting any respect now.

[Marissa]

I am so happy for the Bulls! Friday night's game was THE BEST football game I have ever been to.

[Marissa]

I am so happy for the Bulls! Friday night's game was THE BEST football game I have ever been to.

[Marissa]

I am so happy for the Bulls! Friday night's game was THE BEST football game I have ever been to.

[Dave]

I couldn't be happier with this. My senior year is the definitive dream season!

Who is going down to FAU?

[Ari]

I use to think that Florida would hand it to us in an acutal game, but no more.

That was the same Auburn team we beat minus quentin groves for the second half.

I think we can play with anyone in the country. I just hope the team can stay focused.

[702JV]

GA thanks for spending NFL Sunday keeping us updated. I am very proud to be a Bull right now. I just hope Coach keeps the team grounded.

[Dan]

Unreal. Im as excited as an alumnist can be. Just stay grounded boys, don't let this get to your heads. Keep playing hard nosed football and the rest will fall into place. Good luck next week!!

Go Bulls!

[Tad]

Where's those people saying, "yeah, but their only 1-star recruits". This is awesome!! I think the hardest team on our upcoming game will be cincy. UConn is 5-0, but hasn't played anyone, and Rutgers got dominated at home to a bad Maryland team. Pitt & SU are terrible.

Also, Who'd thought UCF would be playing another top 10 team this year?
Go Bulls!!!

[Our New Insect Overlords]

I'm flabbergasted ... now the FAU Owls think they can make their program by beating us, just like we could make ours by beating West Virginia or Auburn ... we can't stop now.

Finally, as an ex-patriate GA Dawg fan, and then becoming a GA resident, I have a Florida Team I can totally commit to.

I always liked the Hurricanes, but felt a little discomforted because they competed with the 'Jackets. Same, FSU, even though my daughter is an alumnus, and I revere Bowden, right behind Vince Dooley.

For the Gators? Even though they have a wonderful program, and maybe the best coach in college football today, all I can say is "BLOOD". Dawgs.

The only absolute, to me, is SEC ball, is that one or the other is going to win, or maybe tie. Look at Gators-Tigers this weekend.

It would not surprise me if Florida beats LSU this next week, but the Gators know that down the road they have to face the "Dawgs".

No other conference faces so many talented Opponents. Finishing first in the SEC should be automatically #1 in the nation.

Now, with the Bulls, I can put my full heart into pulling for a team in Florida. The fact that it is in the Tampa-St Pete area, where I spent much of my adult life, is just icing on the cake.

GO BULLS!!

Last comment by Winston, it was not posted anonomously.

[Jim]

Where is cry baby cee, I am sure he will say that the coach's and the AP poll don't matter. Oh, don't forget that FAU is going to run the tables on us.

GO BULLLLLLLLS

[Marshall]

If your ranking teams based on what they've earned, which is the way it should be, I would put USF at number 3. GO BULLS

[Rob]

We MUST stay focused! That cannot be emphasized enough. USF the highest ranked Florida team in the AP poll? An incredible feat. Almost unthinkable. Also, many pundits dismissed our win AT Auburn; yet Auburn beat UF AT Florida. Go Bulls! We are for real.

[L.A.]

Congrats! Nice hurdle in the polls.

[Marshall]

Exactly. All week I heard Deumig talk about how USF hadnt beat anybody and that Auburn sucked. But it doesnt make a difference, USFs just gotta focus on winning games and everything will take care of itself.

[cee]

we are just products of the media-- aka media darlings. we need to play someone of substance before we can start beating our chests. auburn isn't all that good and wvu was highly overrated.. on top of that, their qb didnt play all 4 quarters..

just watch out for our annual goof up game. last yr it was kansas, the year before it was uconn, and before that, it was army.. i wouldnt be surprised if it is another garbage opponent that we lose to. our lack of discipline will be exposed, it's just a matter of time.

[E.T. Thomas]

I am sure the guys will keep their focus, even more so now.

The prize just moved closer, but still a long ways to go.

Beat FAU !

Go BULLS !!!

[Tim]

Right on Marshall. I heard the same garbage by that radio host all week as well. I'm sure he'll denigrate USF's win and spin something with UF's loss to Auburn in their own back yard. The same Auburn we beat on the road. But you're correct. If we keep winning, everything will take care of itself.

[Merlisa]

They didn't even have a team when I graduated in 1987. I used to cover sports for the Oracle and went on to cover sports for the Tribune, St. Pete Times and Sports Illustrated. I live in the Washington D.C. area now and alumni get together at a sports bar to watch the games. Go Bulls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you know that Sandy Bailey, once assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated, is also a USF grad. Go Bulls!

[EEC]

Roll out the Green and Gold Carpet.

HERE COME THE RECRUITS

[Achmed Mohammed: Engineering Student USF]

The weekend moderator must be a pimple-faced kid from USF.

He deleted my post.

[Ari]

DC Bull right here Merlissa!!

Lots of famous bulls in DC. I worked up on Capitol Hill and the lead counsel for the Senate Intelligence Committee is a proud Bull.

Calls USF the "Harvard of Hillsborough."

Hilarious. When I met him we were talking about college and i mentioned to him that I went to South Florida.. He looked at me and said "you went to the Harvard of Hillsborough.?"

USF Bulls are everywhere.

http://www.defenselink.mil/policy/sections/policy_offices/solic/cn/richard_j_douglas.html

Go Bulls.!

[ka-bosh]

Well, I'm glad all this success hasn't gone to your heads!!! J/K Bulls --- soak in it -- it doesn't last forever so might as well enjoy it. First point -- Congrats to USF and its fans ... It's amazing what this program has done (although you could debate all day about why/how they play with so many transfers and former non-qualifiers; no program should cast a stone, however, since all are equally dirty). Second point -- even if USF wins out, a one-loss team from the Pac 10 or SEC would jump the Bulls. That's not even debatable so don't waste your breath. USF's win over Auburn aside, the Big East has laid a giant egg this year and it will kill USF if the Bulls go unbeaten. Then again, they probably won't, so it might not matter. That's not a slight; it just speaks to how hard it is to pull off(www.Gatoralert.com)

[chas]

While in California, I stopped in a small village sports pub to try and get the game.
It was 5 minutes to game time, happy hour just started and the locals were having a going away party for Jamie,the blond bar manager, They didn't have the game on...
I ask Sheri, the new blond for a beer and to put it on, "the big screen",..... if no one is wathching the cool surfing show then playing.
...No one seems to notice as she searches the satilite and I sip on my beer hopping I made kickoff, I smell the food and a party about to happen.
Pretty soon the guy next to me, a big bearded dude with a leather vest and riding gloves,. He turns, looks me in the eye and says,
"The guys in the office thought I was nuts when I picked USF #7. he smiles and adds he has another bet for 20 bucs. He asks where in Florida USF is. I give him a quick point to the inside of my thumb knuckle and we both turn back to watch quite a show!
Soon there there other TV's tuned to....................... ..................................WVU vs USF..........................
more than once, I hear "who are these teams".............. But an epic game for football fans from coast to coast.By the end of the game the place was full of USF fans Now some of them even know it is in Tampa. Thumbs up!
Get your tickects now!!!
Hats off to everyone involved in the emergence of this moment!

?....................now, can we keep our balance...................?

[Amanda]

I am so excited to see them ranked so high!! My only concern is that we still aren't going to get the credit from ESPN that we deserve. No doubt the journalists in major magazines around the country love us but the guys at the ESPN booths just aren't following. After we beat WVU, Herbstreit said that "USF is great but Rutgers is the team to beat in the Big East." Well, Rutgers just lost to an unranked team... so who is the team to beat now? I just want us to get our credit for what we have worked for.

[Chuck]

Amanda - Actually I think the Bulls are going to become the darlings of all the media. I guarantee if they win a few more, there will be an article in SI about the USF "story". It's just a feel good kind of a story. How far the Bulls have come, how Leavitt could have left several times and didn't and how they've done all this with all the other FL schools leftover recruits are a few angles.

[Heather Shell]

GO BULLS!!! WE ROCK! :D

[DR]

Cee, keep crying those gator tears cuz we ain't gonna dry them for ya! Gators got outplayed by the only good team they have faced this season and its a team we beat. Last year is gone and forgotten, its about the present and future. This is a Class 5 hurricane, named Bulls that is about to wipe out the entire nation for years to come, after it eats up Florida's recruits! The chomp is about to become extinct baby!

[Paul H]

I agree that the media will embrace the Bulls with darling status. They'd be crazy not to. USF produces tens of thousands of alumni, playing in one of the country's major media markets.

It's all lining up. Go Bulls!

[mike]

I love the potential drama. Contrary to the beliefs of the bitter gators fan who posted, there's no way a one loss team can go ahead of an unbeaten team with USF's schedule. Cry all you want gator fan, USF has a real schedule this year. With LSU likely to get beaten by a Florida team with nothing to lose, and USC facing a tough schedule to end the season, it's completely possible that USF could be there at the end. I'm a die hard Penn State fan, but I'd be just as excited to see the Bulls play for it all. They're a good team. More importantly, they have the kind of swagger and heart that teams like Florida lack. They don't go out there hoping to protect their ranking, they go out there to play football and win. As long as they keep that attitude, they won't end up like the gators.

[VOR]

"IF" USF runs the table I foresee a movie deal in there someplace.
From trailers ....