Leavitt: 'I wish Rich would have stayed'

USF coach Jim Leavitt can say this because he knows he probably isn't playing Michigan anytime soon, but I'll put this up against any zinger you'll read out of Newport today. Here's what Leavitt had to say when he was asked about new West Virginia coach Bill Stewart:

"He's got a great reputation, because he is who he is. He's a down-to-earth, good person, loves the game. ... The people who wonder on how he'll be (compared) with Rich are nuts. This guy's probably better than Rodriguez. I'm worried about him. We beat Rodriguez. We haven't gotten this guy. This guy worries me. I wish Rich would have stayed. But he didn't, so we'll have to go play Michigan now."

One more jab from Leavitt, talking about the job Mike Tranghese has done in creating the new Big East after the ACC raided Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech: "In the history of college football, one of the great stories is what Mike Tranghese did during that whole period of time ... the ability to hold and in some ways strengthen the Big East, while the other three schools seem to have watered down, I have to be honest with you, on the national scene."

Leavitt said he enjoyed his first Big East media gathering in 2005, when much of the talk was whether the new Big East even deserved an automatic berth in a BCS bowl. "I sat back and I had fun that year because I knew what was going to happen. Everybody's running around, wanting to get that story. I thought it was funny. I knew how people were going to work, the credibility of the Big East. I said I'll just sit back and let time take over. I knew it was going to happen, but I didn't know the other three would seem to have watered down as much."

No, wait, there's more: "These are powerful statements, and you can say all you want, but the facts are facts. We're 8-2 in bowl games the last two years. It's a test over time. We're 3-0 in BCS games with West Virginia and Louisville winning, and those guys didn't go through undefeated. They got beat in the Big East. To me, that is reality. How it'll be this year or next year, I don't know, but if you look back through the last two, three years, the facts are the facts."

(Rodriguez photo courtesy of University of Michigan)

Comments

[DELdaBULL]

LMAO go CJL. Rich didn't want none of this!

[Dave W]

That's one of the funniest things he's ever said. I'm surprised at the mudslinging aspect of it, but then again, it's completely true.

[Blake]

That is absolutely awesome!

[Taurean]

So when did CJL drop such a huge pair?

I just hope he can continue to back up this sort of talk by continuing to win big games on the field. It's talk like that that can portend an enormous fall from grace.

I don't want to sound like I'm defending the ACC-- they're weak and horrible RIGHT NOW. But Miami still Miami, FSU is still FSU, and the ACC has a far richer history than the Big East or even our fledgling football team.

Tough talk, but let's just continue to show it on the field and in the backroom with the press corps.

[jarred]

FYI, we just won the helmet challenge against USC!! GO BULLS!

[cg]

yowza.

[Taurean]

That should have read "and NOT in the backroom with the press corps."

[jarred]

o sorry, i was watchin college football live and when they said it i just posted on the last thread and didnt read they earlier one, sry

[Taurean]

@jarred

Thanks for the update. I'm at work and wouldn't have known otherwise.

I always thought that USC's uniforms were much like they're program. Overrrated and not very interesting to look at (or watch).

Now it looks like we'll face off against FSU or tOSU. I'm hoping for an epic win for us over the Seminoles!

[Tom]

Great Smack to RR! Go Bulls!

[Rob]

On behalf of the Wolverines, I'd like to extend an invitation to USF to come play us.

We'll try to make a game of it.

[cg]

RR's coaching style is not good for what he's going to face in the 10. It's going to be a murder scene. Schiano would have been the best coach for them.

[JM]

Rob,

On behalf of the USF Bulls, hopefully it would be more of a game than the App. St. game.

[UCF FAn]

USF couldnt beat a Big 10 School. You are in the Big Least

[nybullsfan]

Totally off-topic, but Phil Steele is calling for us to be 11-0 going in to the WVU game and has named us as his #1 sleeper team for the NC game in Miami.

http://www.philsteele.com/

"This year my #1 surprise team is the USF Bulls! A quick check of other preseason polls in May shows that they may not even be ranked at the start of the year and who could blame the voters? AP voters drank the Kool Aid last year and put them #2 in the polls after 6 weeks and then watched the Bulls lose 3 in a row. While they rebounded to win the next 3, they were annihilated in the bowl by Oregon 56-21. That gives us a lot of value. This year they have 17 returning starters and hopefully QB Matt Grothe can remain healthy all year as they are more dangerous when he is mobile and on top of his game. He has tall, fast and athletically gifted WR’s to throw to, a good set of RB’s and an experienced O-line. The only question on D is at CB where they lose a pair of NFL CB’s (#1 & #5 DC). The front 7 is nasty led by DE George Selvie (31.5 tfl ) and LB Tyrone McKenzie. They play the defending CUSA champ UCF on the road early but the Knights lost their star RB Kevin Smith. They host a Top 10 team in Kansas and I think they will pull the upset there and get back in the rankings. Their other road trips are versus Florida Int’l, NC State, Louisville and Cincy and that should put them 11-0 when they travel to Morgantown in December. I think there is a good chance they could win that as they won their last trip there (2006) in a game that kept #7 WV from the National Title game. Also all THREE losses during the regular season last year were close and they were either done in by the weather or turnovers. USF will know how to handle the pressure this year as they rise in the polls."

[Rob]

JM

"On behalf of the USF Bulls, hopefully it would be more of a game than the App. St. game."

Or the Florida Gator game. Funny how folks have no problem remembering ASU, but don't recall the Gator game. Weird ;-)

[Sandro]

Rob,

We will see how good you guys will be this year. I believe a 6-6 season would be a success for you guys.

GO BULLS!!!

[Adam]

To JM USF may not be able to beat any Big 10 schools but we took out your Sooners! Yea and we lost to Pitt. But here is the thing in the Big East we win Bowl Games unlike the Sooners who have lost I believe atleast two in a row to teams that were the underdog and how about them Buckeyes the Buffalo Bills of College Football, can win the big game!

[Adam]

Go Mountaineers!!!!!

[steve oneal]

We may not have beaten any big 10 schools yet, but we've beaten wvu the last two times. GO BULLS!

[Adam]

I am not here to take shots at Big East teams, but yea you won the last two games and we still won the Big East. So your win was good but not good enough!

[Dave W]

We haven't played a Big-10 team since Penn St in 2005, and in all fairness, we've come a long way since then. I would take us over every team on a neutral field except Wisconsin and Ohio St. I mean really, Michigan has no QB and no one anywhere near as fast as Slaton, White, or Devine. And that system needs small, fast players to work. Mike Hart would have to have been a fullback in that system. Penn St. has huge QB questions (on top of the discipline issues- why is it that we are accused of being renegades when we haven't had a player in trouble in about a year and Penn St is only starting to be criticized?). The Fighting Zooks will be hurt more by the loss of Mendenhall than Rutgers will be by the loss of Rice (they still have Britt and Underwood). And after that, the conference is probably weaker than all but the ACC.

And despite all those great academic institutions, they can't count.

[Sailingbull]

RichRod panicked and fled the building when the going got a little tough... with his "Yankees" comments from a year ago, I say you go Coach Leavitt.

Miami may be Miami, but unless their coach actually starts addressing team needs (and not just recruting a bunch of hyped names) they won't be back "out of the barrell" anytime soon. FSU will continue to spiral down while they employ a head coach in diapers.

The state of Florida is a much different football landscape than in the 90's. There are too many up and coming programs as well as out of state colleges snatching up the talent here for FSU and Miami to "bounce back" right away.

[64-12]

USF couldnt beat a Big 10 School. You are in the Big Least

Posted by: UCF FAn |

Yep and we destroyed your C-DOA team with the least amount of effort.

[USF95]

The last time we played a Big 10 team was at Penn State in 2005. We played at Penn State with Big 10 officials. We lost by 10 (23-13) but had five turnovers on the road with 17 of PSU's 23 points coming off USF turnovers. A fumble return for a TD and a turnover inside USF's five. I believe we outgained Penn State in total yardage and that USF team was nowhere near as good or talented as the 2007 or 2008 teams. That Penn State team went 12-1 and only lost on the road at Michigan on the last play of the game.

[JoeB]

That was an overrated PSU team back in '05. But in all fairness we played a horrible game. I believe Denson started that game at QB before Pat Julmiste relieved him. That tells you how bad our offense was.

[BullBard]

Defeating michigan sounds like fun but in my opinion it would have to be a home and home set up. Of course, blunderine fans would cry bloody murder at that but I don't care. Lose to Appy State at home and you lose all respect despite all PAST glories and
memebership in the Five Lakes Conference.

I for one enjoyed watching the Big Blue run all over Florida. I get real tired of the mighty SEC talk. UCF ? C-USA champs - yup - We destoyed them. End of story.

[Beastie]

ummm...last time I checked WVU won the BE. Facts are facts. I'm the biggest USF fan I know but that's scoreboard.

[Energizer Bunny]

What kind of batteries do you use to shock a wolverine?

I-AA

[Grateful Dad]

The Miami comment was to start the animosity toward an in-state program. Pure and simple. Leavitt does not have a big head as he consistently says that we won't be in the Big Four until we beat one of them. He knows what he is doing. He is just starting the five year stretch on Florida rivalry weekend with some good, homegrown smack talk. You go, Jim. We Bulls know -- the rest of the country is just catching up.

[dmmathis]

This guy and his team chocked big time last year. By the way, whats his teams graduation rate. Where are you NCAA?

[Ramiro Galvan]

Do you guys know who you are? You are South Florida. You are a nobody. Your Coach is stupid. If you guys were even honored enough to be on the same field with the University of Michigan, they would completely demolish you. The winningest team in History verse a team that should evn have a football team.

[Jake (San Diego)]

This Leavitt guy sure is pompous for somebody with two 9-win seasons under his belt. Nice wins against McNeese St, Florida A&M and Elon?