USF-UCF: The bulletin board overfloweth ...

I said it after last year's game and I'll say it again now: USF coach Jim Leavitt ought to give a game ball to the Orlando Sentinel, for providing his team with a steady source of motivation in a game in which they probably don't even need it for inspiration.

Ask players why they're fired up about the UCF game, they'll say it's about the other side running their mouths, but it's really not the Knights players -- they've been careful not to say anything too incendiary. Sentinel columnists David Whitley and Mike Bianchi have made up for it -- for whatever reason, the columnists on this side of the rivalry haven't touched it. The Times' Gary Shelton will be at Saturday's game, and ESPN.com's Brian Bennett has also lamented on the passing of the rivalry after this game.

Anyway, if Leavitt himself weren't fired up about the game, here's one more link to read and print out 100 or so copies for required reading. The folks at Coaches Hot Seat, a blog devoted to college football coaches, have called out Leavitt big-time, saying the series isn't continuing because Leavitt "is not MAN enough to play UCF every year!" Words that might wind up getting highlighted: pitiful, afraid, arrogant, un-American, disgraceful, scared, repugnant ... they have Jack Nicholson tell him he can't handle the truth. Arnold Schwarzenegger checks in. Their intent is to fire up UCF, best I can tell, but I think it might inspire the Bulls a bit as well. My, this is a fun week ...

-- A story in Thursday's Sentinel talks about how last year's 64-12 USF win was ultimately a catalyst for the Knights' season, sparking a turnaround that led to a Conference USA championship. The Knights stop just short of thanking the Bulls for last year's trouncing, saying it put them in their place and refocused them on becoming a better team. Again, UCF's players have done a good job of not saying anything. They'll certainly be motivated Saturday.

-- I still like this Pollspeak.com feature where you can check out ballots in the AP top 25. Most intriguing this week? Adam Van Brimmer of the Savannah Morning News, who can't be accused of not responding to the scoreboard. Van Brimmer is one of just three AP voters who don't have USF ranked, but not to worry -- he could have the Bulls No. 2 on his ballot next week. That's what he did with Alabama this week: After not ranking the Crimson Tide in his opening ballot, he put them No. 2 in his top 25. It's an impressive recalibration, though to be fair, two other voters have Alabama in their top three. He's got UCLA No. 15 and Bowling Green No. 17 -- nobody has either team higher ... and he has West Virginia No. 19. I'm all for being contrarian, but ...

Oddly, the other two voters who left USF off their ballot had the Bulls ranked last week. Barker Davis had USF ranked 12th last week, then dropped them off his ballot. He does, however, have five non-BCS teams in his top 25 -- Utah, Fresno State, BYU, TCU and East Carolina. The other non-USF voter is ABC's Craig James, who had the Bulls No. 21 last week but also dropped them out after a 56-7 win against Tennessee-Martin.

Comments

[G.A.]

SHG, I wasn't arguing with you. Somebody said UCF didn't want to schedule USF early on, and I was just showing that UCF had said they wanted to, but USF declined. Someone mistakenly said USF was spreading lies about UCF, but that information was in fact truth and came straight from UCF.

Sorry if you think that makes me less of a "writier" ...

[analogies, funny but false]

deldabull, you should stick to facts. i appreciate the humor but if it's used to hide the truth then that just makes you look stupid.

[DeldaBull]

SHG,

GA did not make your point.
The first football game USF played was in 1997.
If UCF want to "establish" a rivalry with us in 95 or 96 before we even played a game or knew we would be decent what does that say about them?
Then we became a 1-A program (which was the plan all along) and said bring it and UCF was like - Ooon no we can't you are on the same level as us. As we passed them the knoughts were like, oh please play us so that we can become awesome like you too. We said go somewhere else we are onto bigger and better things than your scrub conference. We are playing for national titles (I think next year is our year if George Selvie comes back), you punks are playing for the Liberty Bowl. I cannot wait until about 8pm today when this series is over.
Bring on Miami!

[SHG]

GA, you made my point for me. USF did NOT want to play UCF. How does that mean our program is spreading lies?!?

I thought you were one of the best beat writiers in town, but this week you've just been a big homer.

[Orlando Bull]

I'd like to see the series continue. I enjoy being able to check out the bulls in my own backyard.

That being said, I feel that since USF is in the driver's seat, we deserve a 2-1 deal or a 3-2 deal at the very least.

[Plant City Gator]

>>>UL, WVU, Cincy<<<

BUHAHAHAHAHAHA!
HOT DAYUM THAT WAS TOO FRIGGIN FUNNY!!!

At least you fellas are pretty consistent. You obviously know your place [among the mid-tier programs] and leave the real media attention to the MIGHTY GATORS and the best conference in all the land ... THE SEC!

[Gator Earl]

How cute! It's refreshing to see the li'l girls on the minor league circuit jawing back & forth ... wonder if more will watch your game or the Armwood/Plant game?

[Adam]

SHG....

Does "throughout the 90s" include all 3 seasons USF played in the 90's?

[G.A.]

Mark S., UCF's football coach must be spreading it too, then. Here's a quote from Gene McDowell in a story I wrote in 2005:

McDowell said one of USF's wisest decisions was not to play UCF in its early years. Playing the Knights meant acknowledging them as peers, and the Bulls went a long time without doing that.

"I did try to get USF to play us early on. I talked to them until I was blue in the face, but they wouldn't hear of it," McDowell said. "I don't blame them. They wanted to wait to play them until they could beat UCF, and that was a smart move."

[Mark S.]

UCF fans has been spreading this non truth about how USF didn't want to play them ever since USF became a threat. Fact is USF was chasing UCF for a game. UCF felt that they were to good to put USF on the there schedule. And I didn't blame them. Now shoes on the other foot, and they don't like it. It's been part of Coach Leavitt's and the Bulls goal to knock off all the top teams in the state. So why would they not schedule UCF back then? UCF fan don't believe in using common sense. Go spread your lies to your fan base. GO BULLS!!

[steve oneal]

The BCS Bowls know. That's who! Nice one, since the "BEST" bowl game CUSA gets is the Liberty bowl against the 6th or 7th best SEC team. No automatic BCS bowl for your CUSA champion. GO BULLS!

[Chris]

Big East is a BCS Conference? who knew.

[Chris]

K2
#2 team in the Nation for 5 minutes last year, and all you can get for the first game of the year is 40,000, now that is pathetic.

[SHG]

DelaDaBull, The sad thing is that your analogy is factually wrong. UCF asked to play USF throughout the 1990s and was turned down by USF because USF didn't want to discourage their young program by getting beat. Perhaps it was a good move, since things have worked out for them so far. But, as usual, you and your fellow fans can't take the time to research your young history and just spout off whatever made up story supports your argument. See ya Saturday.

[702JV]

DELdaBUL - Bravo!!! I would pull a Costanza and just say goodnight folks I am out of here!!!!

[DELdaBULL]

GA,
Was that bulletin board material? I am looking forward to seeing that game. Can't wait until next Friday also. Too fun games back to back.

[Adam]

SHG - were Ohio State and Michigan in the same conference then? Would that explain them playing every year...honestly, I don't care enough to look it up.

UF/FSU - forced

WVU/Marshall - forced

Find a BCS/Non-BCS "rivalry" that wasn't forced upon them, then we'll talk.

[Orlando Bull]

Hey guys,

It's not the frying pan, it's "the wok". Let's go Bulls!

[K2]

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE!!!

Only 48 hours before kickoff and 50 yard line tix are available through ticketmaster.

They should have built a 35K stadium if they can't even sell out a "rivalry" game. PATHETIC.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

[Taurean]

DelDaBull

Perfect anaology!

[Ken]

Odd that we could be on people's ballots, have a great game and trounce a team we should trounce, and fall off their ballots. Oh well. At least these AP voters have to make them public every week, unlike some of the others.

[Gary S.]

Good analogy DELdaBULL, but you left out this part: "and then she started stalking me..."

Because this crap has been going on for eleven freaking years now.

No means no, UCF!

[Mike]

Ummm... happy hands, you should quit playin with yourself and pay attention to what happens on the field. WVU and Cincy are both very good football teams, who also would have beat UCF by 50+ points last year.

[Mark S.]

DELdaBULL, Can I PLEASE copy and paste? I've been telling these Looney Toon U. fans this for a few years now. They don't get it. I guess they see themselves as queens of the beauty pagent.

[jarred]

print that in the slantinel

[happy hands]

DeldaBULL,
Your hotchicks are UL, WVU and Cincy? I just realized the Big East if full of trannies. They look like real football programs but...

[Bulliever]

Very clever post, DELdaBULL...That is front page material!

[Windbane]

DELdaBULL: Excellent post.

[JasonM]

Deldabull - your comment is pure GOLD

[Dave W]

Pollspeak is a really cool tool; it shows just how stupid the whole system really is.

When UCF joins a BCS conference, let us know. Then we'll care and the game will actually have some meaning.

[Mike Lakeland]

WOW DELDABULL...you are spot on.

Nice analogy!

[DELdaBULL]

Speaking of ugly girl:

UCF is like the girl you thought you wanted to date when you were a young kid (1AA). Unfortunately, she was not into you. Then she says, hey why don't you take me out on a date (since you are a step up for her now). You say, "Sorry lady you are too late I have already moved on to bigger and better thangs (CUSA back then, Big East now) and much hotter chics (UL, WVU, Cincy)." She keeps pestering you and you give in, because back in the day (1AA) you had a crush. The date sucked, you find out she is a sket-ho, and brings NOTHING to the table. Was it an easy lay? Yup (64-12), but you are looking for a serious relationship with some prestige (UM, UF?). You tell her she could still be the woman on the side if she wants (2-1), but she refuses since she has a new faux fir (BHNS). So you kick her to the curb and replace her with her hotter, younger sisters (FAU, FIU), who know their place. You do let her know if she ever becomes an attorney, doctor, engineer (get into a BCS conference), you might want to try again. You explain that financially you are not on the same level since she is a "dancer" (CUSA). She keeps insisting she is in law school (where is the proof). This week the fooling around comes to an end.

That my friends is UCiF.

[JasonM]

"Hey UCF, hows my a*s taste?" - Grothe

[ugly girl]

Please keep dating me. Please don't leave me for someone more attractive.

I will be pretty in five years.

[Brendan]

I agree with flsportsfan83. Right now, the series doesn't benefit USF. As soon as UCF joins a BCS conference, then USF should jump at the chance to play them. Just savor the moment and hope for the best in the future.

[Joe]

SHG - you are a typical UCF fool

[Windbane]

Adam: hilarious.

RG: Miami won't be our rival, either. We are better than them right now.

[Ari Hinkelberger]

I'm looking forward to the kansas game personally.

[flsportsfan83]

If UCiF is in a BCS conference in 5 years then I am all for restarting the series at that point. The fact is RIGHT NOW you are way below us.

Cant wait to go to the frying pan.

[RG]

This 'bulletin board' material is way overblown. So are the Bulls not going to play hard if some Orlando Sentinel journalist doesn't write his weekly satirical column?
-This series should continue, ask any Miami fan if they want USF to be their 'rival'. The answer is a resounding NO. UCF will be in a BCS conference within 5 years, just wait and see.

[Mike Lakeland]

"fact-based discussions", eh SHG?

Tell your fans that when you talk smack, keep it to sports. Average SAT scores, freshman 15 weights, the old "facilities" argument, etc. Your people are more clueless than armchair Gator fans...

[SHG]

i love the shortsightedness of the entire USF team and fan base. Ohio State/ Michigan started off with 14 games won by Michigan or tied, and look where that went. I'm not saying we're anywhere near that game, but it's the only heated game usf plays all year. You can say WVU, but the fans don't really interact. I just wish we could have some more fact based discussions abut the series than the name calling. At least I backed up my comments with a quote.

[Richard Todd]

At least with Whitleys article I didn't have to read past the headline because he had it perfect.

[Adam]

SHG, I think you missed a blog, if you're going to put the same comment everywhere, at least be thorough.

It's funny, papers wanted to interview the UCF QB as well, but they left with the impression that UCF doesn't have one.

[Don Corleone]

The coaches’ article just goes to show you that any knucklehead with a computer in his Mom’s basement can be a “journalist”.

[Mike Lakeland]

I can't wait to destroy the Gnats in their frying pan.

Greg - did they save you a spot in their "huge" pressbox, or are you relegated to sitting on a folding metal chair by the "I" in "Bright House"?

Either way, see you there.

[SHG]

What a clown. "I won't comment, i'll just let me QB run his mouth all week."

Get a clue Jim.

UCF should forget about playing USF in future. UCF should try to schedule FSU instead of USF...they're better balanced...and annual routs by USF would be avoided.