Moffitt misses final cut for Butkus Award

USF senior linebacker Ben Moffitt is not among three finalists for the Butkus Award, given to college football's top linebacker.

Ohio State's James Laurinaitis, Penn State's Dan Connor and Colorado's Jordan Dixon were the players chosen from the award's semifinalist. Moffitt, second on the Bulls defense with 78 tackles, has 11 tackles for loss, most of any USF linebacker. He remains a candidate for the Lott Trophy, the only major college award to specifically count off-field contributions in selecting its winner.

Cornerback Mike Jenkins is a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, given to the nation's top defensive back, and defensive end George Selvie remains in contention for the Hendricks and Bednarik awards.

Comments

[steve oneal]

Cee Why was P White out? Our defense knocked him out! The mighty OSU played Youngstown St, Kent st, Akron. The UF gators played W Kentucky, Troy, and FAU. ALL major colleges play some weak OOC opponents, not just the Bulls. You always say the same thing, We are a fraud, CJL sux, all our players are scrubs stupid criminals. You talk about facts, yet never produce any hard facts. You tell me to google it and read all the bad news on the Bulls. I research and point out docomented facts to support myself and you say CJL SUX, we're a fraud,players SUX, their stupid and criminals. You are an idiot who never backs up crap. Now I told you I like discussion and debating different opinions and ideas, but you must come back with something kinda credible or it isn't any fun. I have asked you some pertinent questions and you go back to the standard mantra; CJL SUX, we're a fraud, etc. Come up with something fresh and really constructive backed by specific facts other than just your opinion. You always extoll the virtues of the STAR rating system. You say it is GOSPEL when evaluating a players POTENTIAL, yet when USF had actual physical workouts like the pro teams put prospective NFL draftees through, YOU SAID THAT DOESN'T prove anything because it showed ONLY POTENTIAL, and it matters what you do on the field. Huh kinda like the STAR rating system only shows potentially how well a hs athlete will do in college, NOT a guarantee they will be successful in college. If you don't start being more credible I gonna have to ignore your stupid baseless comments. So please be a little more credible and don't take away the fun I have debating our different opnions on the BULLS. GO BULLS!! OH YEAH, if we lose today and I say if because anything is possible(App st vs Mich), I will be on here to express my extreme displeasure and admit to legitimate reasons why. I won't hide, but I won't stop being a FAN of the USF BULLS. I would have to laser surgery to remove the Bulls tattoos from both shoulders to accomplish that. I might be a FANatical fan but definitely not a CASUAL fan! GO BULLS!!

[cee]

dave, that was the nicest post you've made about me so far. thank you. steve, i see that you're finally starting to understand that our record is pretty black and white in terms of interpretation. as bill parcells says [in reference to your record], "you are what you are".. and we are a team that has gotten six wins against some pretty easy out of conference opponents and 1 against a WVU missing pat white in the 2nd half. we are 1-3 in the conference and on a fast downward slide into the abyss of the unranked. we are being spat on by the media, who have proved everyone right that we are nothing but a fraud. to make matters worse, we have delusional fans that actually believe things are getting better for this program. newsflash: if you're a team filled with 1 and 2 star athletes and you're starting RB is a WALKON (which technically makes him less talented than 1 and 2 stars), you are NOT a good program. you are a joke, and that's what jim leavitt has made us into. a 1-trick pony that has the occasional upset every year but comes back down to reality after we CHOKE to teams we (or any other BCS program in the state of florida) should be defeating.

[steve oneal]

YOu're right, Dave W, I was looking through my gold colored glasses again. I don't Know what I was thinking.

[Dave W]

Steve, don't you know that cee paid for the flights to the bowl games? In fact, without cee, we wouldn't have football at all. As cee has pointed out, he is a major donor to the program and we should all kiss his feet and his footprints whereever he walks, because he is the only reason we have a team and the fact that he is a donor means he knows everything about the team. The rest of us should only wish to be as enlightened as cee.

[steve oneal]

Hey happy hands ask Notre Dame. I bet they would take 6-3 right now. The last time I checked we were still 28 in the BCS rankings. I believe that puts us ahead of approximately 90 other div 1 programs. And I see that you are also a fortune teller seeing as how according to you we have already lost another conference game before we even payed it,AMAZING TALENT. UCONN is mediocre with one loss so far and that was against a team now ranked in the top 20(Virginia)? UF must also be very embarrassed with 3 losses out of last 4 conf games(or 4 losses maybe after SC game).Maybe SC should fire that "bum" Spurrier what with choking away a 6-1 record with a 3 game conference losing streak.( I don't think so). And Cee, using your own stated facts(ONE signature upset each year), we have already doubled that this year with TWO signature upsets. AT Auburn(By the way my "casual fan" butt was there at game) and win over WVU. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely Pissed and Dissapointed with the last 3 weeks. However, I refuse to give up on the team. Have you been to either bowl game Cee? And again I ask you, CEE, if you have ever cheered as a fan for your team the USF BULLS? EVER? I admit that at last game I was cussin and fussin about play calls, focus of the players, their effort or lack of effort and thought team did not deserve to win with so many turnovers. When the season is over it will be interesting to see what schools go to what bowl games. I bet some "established programs" will be going to some lower tier bowl games. Maybe all of them should fire their coaches and revamp their entire programs. If I were to be embarrassed about any program at USF, it would Basketball. I find it hard to believe that you couldn't find 14 BE quality players in Florida(let alone the rest of the country) to field a competetive team. GO BULLS!!

[cee]

Happy Hands, great post.. every year, we have that signature upset, then we wet the bed against other opponents.. last year, we Choked against Kansas, the year before, we lost to a BAD Uconn team and pretty much threw away our opportunity to host an unofficial big east championship against WVU at home (a game we got blown out by 28-13).. the year before, we lost to ARMY. yes FREAKING ARMY.

leavitt get's us embarrassed time in and time out.. but i gotta say, this one's got to take the cake.. a 3-game losing streak in-conference! that cements us into a bowl game named after pizza or automotive parts.

there is one thing and one thing only that our coach is making us famous for: CHOKING.

[Happy Hands]

Steve,
I don't think any "established" programs would like to have the success USF is having. It is always great to beat the best team in your conference, but to lose three (or four) other conference games to mediocre programs would be embarrassing to an established program. I do agree, however, that it is good for the young USF program.

[steve oneal]

I wonder how many established big time programs across the country would be happy to be enjoying the success that USF is having. The future sure looks bright for our young program and our "terrible" head coach,Jim Leavitt. There are head coaches that have been coaching for a lot longer than CJL and have never won a conference title much less a national championship. The Bulls have stumbled lately and we will have to see how these last three games shake out. Hopefully they will regain there focus and finish on a high note and get to decent bowl game.(I incorrectly posted earlier regarding Texas bowl.This year they are taking CUSA team, not BE team). I think CJL will continue to improve as will the entire program as they grow and gain more experience. We are a young program and have done amazingly well so far. GO BULLS!!

[Sanjay]

cee it is clear who on this blog does not understand football. It isn't me.

[Apis Bull]

cee,

You talk about the, "fans" that are only around when things are going well. Why are you only around when things are going poorly?

[Tony G]

Why do you people even bother with this "cee" character? BCS programs? What are those cee? If the NCAA does away with the BCS, will you call those schools that name then? They are Div I schools. You obviously have no knowledge of college recruiting or college coaching, You are just bitter because you slipped and fell off the USF bandwagon. Young program and National exposure will equal to higher rated recruits in the coming years. Meanwhile, your remarks only attempt to discredit or minimize these young athlete's accomplishments. Get a life cee.

[Melissa]

Stars schmars.

[cee]

steve, i am not against USF and our players.. i want USF to win.. i just simply state the facts. some WEAK USF fans (i call them "casual fans", because they only like to hear things all rosey and cheery and seem to disappear when we lose) cannot stomach the TRUTH. like you have said, state the FACTS. well here is a FACT: we, at one point, were #2 in the nation (given by the media).. another fact: we took that position, and CHOKED IT AWAY. from #2 to nothing in less than a month. another fact: we are a team filled with 1 and 2 star athletes that do not have the potential or athleticism to win a conference title. another fact: we have a head coach that has not won a title at ANY level (D1AA, CUSA, Big East-- in fact, we went 4-7 in our last year of CUSA).

those are a lot of facts. i can go on more if you like, but they are the facts and exactly what they are-- FACTS. things you cannot deny. there is no opinion behind them, because they are what they are, and you better start learning how to accept them because those types of FACTS will be what we should all get used to seeing every year as long as we are led by the staff that is at the top.

[steve oneal]

Cee i can read and comprehend what i read. You should try it sometime. I'm 51 yrs old and have been here in Tampa area all my life and I don't plan on going anywhere any time soon(till death). I guess Auburn and WV are 1aa. I guess Michigan is a crappy team because App St beat them. You have not said one thing to back up any of the nonsense you always post. I don't seem to be the only one on here that shares that opinion. As a matter of fact, the only person that agreed with you was a uf fan who you apologized to like a wimp. GO BULLS!!

[steve oneal]

Cee you said the magic word "potential". Most recruiting mags and websites base ther "stars" on who recruits these kids. They don"t have a clue who is really going to pan out. I bet if someone researched how many 4 & 5 star recruits didn't pan out in college it would be a surprisingly high number. Just answer me this Cee, why are you so against USF and their players? I don't want to hear about CJL unless you think he is the only problem. I have never encountered anyone who claims to be a fan of a team and then slams that team always whether they win or lose. GO BULLS!!

[cee]

no vendetta steve, i am a bulls fan and there is nothing you can say to make me otherwise. i will always be a USF alum and fan... i'm not going anywhere. as for making a point, i've made mine.. i'm sorry that you lack the reading comprehension to understand what i'm talking about. maybe you should go back to HCC and finish your A.A. like i've said, our BEST recruits are juco/criminal/academically struggling recruits whereas those recruits are the "fillers" for other BCS programs, that build with 4 and 5 star bluechippers from high school who attend class and stay out of legal trouble.

[cee]

no sanjay, it is obvious you do not understand the game of college football. you are given stars based on your potential. when you are given 1 or 2 stars, you are not good enough of an athlete to be a "star" at the collegiate level.. you can shove your 1 or 2 star athlete's in our face as much as you want with them leading the nation in sacks, but the fact of the matter remains: those stats are put up against inferior opponents and games that DO NOT MATTER towards winning a conference title.. kinda like how hawaii's qb's put up gaudy stats against teams like san jose st.

[steve oneal]

Cee you keep saying the media handed us a #2 ranking, so how did we choke it away? I don't believe we were a #2 team. I believe we can be a top 25 team IF we win out. The other teams "compliment" there team with juco transfer and we build our team on juco transfers. How is having 2 juco transfers on your team construed as BUILDING your program with juco transfers? Again Cee you have failed to make your point and end up loking like a person with some kind of personal vendetta against USF. GO BULLS!!

[Sanjay]

These kids should not be nominated for awards because of how they were evaluated out of high school? Maybe you believe that we should all walk around with our high school transcripts so we can be told how successful we are allowed to be.

[cee]

steve, here's a fact-- those programs use those juco transfers to COMPLEMENT their classes of 4 and 5 star recruits out of high school.. see the difference? our ONLY 4 and 5 star athletes are JUCO transfers.. you cannot build your program with juco transfers as the cornerstones. doesnt work like that. you need to focus on getting the best HIGH SCHOOL talent from the talent-rich state of florida. we aren't doing that.

and "exceptionally well" isn't 1-3 in your conference and choking away a #2 ranking given by the media.

[steve oneal]

Cee you still didn't prove your point. It isn't CJL picking these kids for consideration in these awards, it is a panel of people with a better resume for football knowledge than either you or me. They are on BCS conference school roster and playing exceptionally well apparently. Oh and I checked a few top programs and OSU- 1 juco; oregon-7 juco;oklahoma-10;LSU-4(1 from PRCC);USF-2. Some pretty darn good programs HUH? I could go check the rest of the top 25 teams, but I think you get my point.FACTS,cee,FACTS. GO BULLS!!

[Dave W]

I should have said, at least Nick Saban got one thing right. cee hasn't gotten anything right.

[Dave W]

cee, those guys that belong at UCF beat them 64-12. Remember what Nick Saban said- 6 of those guys on defense would start at UF or FSU.

[cee]

steve, these guys were 2-star athletes out of high school. they have no business playing BCS football. recruits of that caliber belong in non-BCS conference teams like UCF/FAU/FIU and the like. I cant really blame them for playing BCS football, because leavitt make the mistake of giving them scholarships although they are not qualified. from a quality standpoint, i dont think they deserve any type of merits.. at least this year. 1-3 in conference is pretty embarrassing. if we ever get it together (and that's an "IF"-- i think we really need a mix-up from the top in order for that to happen), then maybe we need to talk about all these awards and accolades. but we gotta do a better job of NOT losing 3 conference games. that's just downright embarrassing and legitimizes what all the critics have been saying.

[steve oneal]

Cee does that mean that Mike Jenkins shouldn't get drafted in the NFL next season? Everybody in the world knows you don't like CJL, but I still don't get why you are so against these young men, the majority of whom are fine young men. I would personally like to see you play college football and maintain a full load of classes. You always say the most negative things. Why don't you go support some other program you non fan.

[cee]

no one on our team deserves an award.. when we lose 3 games in a row, let alone conference games, we should be banned from any type of accolades until next year.. and leavitt should be banned from coaching altogether.

[J]

I think the best chances of USF players getting a national award are Selvie for the Hendricks Award or Jenkins for the Thorpe Award.

[G.A.]

Simon, you're right. Not sure what I was thinking. Jenkins is still up for the Thorpe, which hasn't named its finalists yet. Good catch.

[Simon]

FYI, I think you may be mistaken about Mike Jenkins. ESPN is reporting he is one of the current finalists for the Thorpe Award? Too bad about Moffitt though. He is having another great year.

[Blake]

Greg, what do you think of the chances of USF actually getting any awards??