Beano Cook likes Bulls for national title game

Longtime ESPN personality Beano Cook, speaking Tuesday morning on Seattle's 950 KJR-AM, predicted a USF-Penn State national championship game. It's just a passing reference -- you can fast-forward to about the 18-minute mark in the link for the "Mitch in the Morning" show if you want to hear it -- but here's the transcript:

Cook: "If I had to pick two teams right now to play for the national title, if I had to pick two, it'd be Penn State to play South Florida."

Host: "South Florida? How? Oh, you said South Florida. Well, who would you root for, Beano? Would you pull for the bully, Penn State and Joe Paterno?"

Cook: "South Florida, I'm a Big East fan. We're in the worst conference, I would root for them."

Host: "You think the South Florida Bulls are going to run it."

Cook: "Well, why, yeah. You're asking me. I thought USC was going to run it. Sports Illustrated thought Georgia would play for the national title."

Host: "Well, they've got No. 24 Connecticut at home, a game at West Virginia. They've got Pittsburgh coming up this weekend, they've got Syracuse -- that will be a win. At Louisville, Louisville's down. Oh, boy."

Cook: "Look, look, look. We have to have a plus-one ... (conversation moves to need for playoff)."

USF coach Jim Leavitt doesn't want to look ahead at all, for obvious reasons, but it seems that the pundits are certainly already looking to January and how things might shake out. There was similar conjecture last year when the Bulls opened 6-0, and the debate was somewhat moot when USF lost three in a row to fall out of the polls entirely, falling out of contention for even a conference title.

But would an undefeated USF team, as Big East champ, earn a spot in the national championship game, or would they be bumped out by a one-loss champ from the SEC or the Big 12? ESPN analyst Craig James, who will work Thursday's game against Pittsburgh and has a ballot in the AP top 25, said he believes his fellow voters might leave the Bulls on the outside.

"I believe the voters would choose a once-beaten SEC or Big 12 champ over an undefeated Big East team," James said Tuesday. "I've been a big supporter of the Big East, but that's what I think the vibe of college football is right now. You've got to face competition."

James said he's the opposite of analyst Doug Flutie, who he called "the ultimate little man with a chip on his shoulder, believing if you go undefeated, you deserve to play for the title no matter who you are. That's baloney."

James, who said he does not think an undefeated BYU team would make the BCS title game, said a Thursday game like this week's against Pittsburgh is crucial for USF because it's the only game in college football, forcing voters and fans to stop and give them a long look.

"South Florida is a really good team, but their perception is just not there yet, not with people in the Big Ten or the Pac-10," he said.

Comments

[Jordan]

I'm not so sure I agree with that. It really depends on what happens with the rest of the league. Are you going to say that the ACC is better than the Big East? Depth wise, of course, there are more teams. How about the Pac10? USC, and then.... who? I think USF has a terrific shot of running the table. It would be nice to say they control their own destiny, but we are not quite there yet. I am just hoping that everybody continues beating each other up. Greg, is is POSSIBLE, just POSSIBLE, that the ACC might not even get a team in the BCS Bowl Games? If you are not ranked high enough, can't a Non-BCS school (say Utah or BYU for example) take your spot?

[Jordan]

What I meant to say about the ACC is that if the BEast had a similiar number of teams, I dont think there is a single difference. If Uconn can take UNC this week, I will put my money where my mouth is and say the BEast>ACC.

[Mike]

A one loss UF team would make it to the National Championship Game before an Undefeated USF Team...

USF's Schedule is a Joke... 1 ranked teams?! WOW!!!!
UF plays 2 Top 5 Teams then the SEC West Champion in the SEC Championship game if we do run the table.

[Jordan]

Mike, the SEC is going to beat up on each other like crazy. UF is struggling. UGA doesnt seem to have a offensive or defensive line. LSU is still a question mark... Yes, they beat a good Auburn team, but Auburn just doesnt seem to have any offense. I am worried about Bama, boy they look good. I can see all of the SEC teams having two losses honestly.

[Accountability]

Re the National Championship Game; The argument for USF should be, IF we are One of only Two undefeated BCS teams at the end of the season We should be in the N.C. game.

Any team (with the best record) in a BCS conference should be eligible. Thats what the BCS is about. If, we get to that point and are not chosen because of a "weak conference", we AND the BIG East should withdraw from the BCS and form an alliance with NON-BCS conferences to develop a Play-Off System, exluding BCS Conference teams.

A playoff system among ALL conferences of Div-1 is good for all other sports. It should also work for football.

Of Course, we've only played 5 games so far this season and have a long way to go. So let's do it one week at a time.

My ten cent.

[John]

A 1-loss team from the SEC, PAC10, or Big12 will make the NC Game over an undefeated Big East or Big 10 team no doubt about it.

[Mack]

If you told me UF lost to Auburn I would agree with you as a 1-loss team in the show. Facts are facts. Gators lost to an SEC punching bag. It is the equivalent of USF losing to Louisville.

The facts are facts, USF is undefeated and the only 1-loss team I can see making it to the big game is USC.

With that said, USF will not get to the big game even if undefeated because the Big 12 and Big 10 are going to have undefeated teams.

Let's not forget, USF went to Auburn and beat them last year. Florida??? Not so much...

[Windbane]

Mike, I'd be more worried about UF losing a lot more games this year than not getting a chance at the title game with 1 loss. UF hasn't beaten anyody this year.

As for USF: I think USF makes it in ahead of 1-loss teams, unless it's USC (despite the pac-10 possibly being worse than Big East), Georgia, or UF because the latter 2 are ahead in the Harris poll. However, a lot of it might depend on how well Kansas does. I'm not worried about Georgia or UF winning all of their remaining games, and I figure USC will likely slip up somewhere because they are overrated. If not, we'd have to compare Ohio State and Kansas.

[Windbane]

John: the pac-10 is terrible this year. they are 0-6 against the mountain west.

[Adam]

Hey, does anyone remember last year when the UF fans that ignore us 99% of the time started flocking to our message boards and blogs? Good times...good times...

[Brendan]

Hey you know what would be great? Beating Pitt! We have a whole bye week to talk about this. After Thursday! I'm not trying to stifle conversation, but lets just keep looking one week at a time. This type of talk happened last year around the same time and look what happened.

[Don Corleone]

Oh no, Beano is hyping us! That is the kiss of death…

Signed,
Ron Powlus,

[GP]

The biggest factor for an undefeated Bulls team to get into the big game is were we are ranked now. At No. 10 you not only have to keep winning, but hope for losses below. Let us take a look at the Coaches poll (as the AP doesn't factor in when it comes down to it)

Keep in mind these all (I think BYU included), but USC have a conference championship game to boot.

1.OU- Still has to play #5 Texas then #16 KU (common oppenent outside Cincy), #7 Texas Tech and finish with in-state rival Okla St. I say they lose to Texas and barely beat Texas Tech

2.LSU-Still has Georgia and Alabama to play. Both ranked and both at home. I say the win one and lose one

3. Mizzou- Plays much like OU, but at #5 Texas. I say they lose to Texas, but Beat KU (again common opponent)

4. Bama- still has LSU and Auburn. At LSU though, I say they lose to Auburn in a huge late season offensive melt down and beat LSU in OT

5. Texas- Same predicament as OU, but on the road to Tech. They beat Mizzou, and split the other 2 (KU and Tech)

6. Penn St.- Honestly I don't see them losing. They OSU, but well, OSU plays them big and comes close, but I see St. running the table.

7. BYU- They don't get tested what so ever this year. Utah will be their biggest test and they will win, but the Utes will have lost games by then. Their only hope is that the teams they beat get wins (UCLA I'm looking at you, upset over USC?)

8. Texas Tech- Man am I sorry for these guys. They play KU, Texas, Ok. St., and OU in that order. they take 2 of those games at best.

9. USC- They can keep winning all they want, but their conference, well, it just isn't up to Pac-10 standards. who knows. The voters love em, but even finishing the season as a 1 loss team they don't play anyone other than a mediocre to bad Pac-10 school. (p.s look for another upset though)

The moral is that one maybe 2 teams ahead can go undefeated, but not all. And if someone ahead of us, finishes undefeated, save BYU and Penn St. USF def. does not go, but....if we remain perfect, I don't honestly see otherwise.

[Windbane]

Brendan: fans talking probably has very little effect on how the team plays.

[GP]

a lot of that is rushed, so I apologize now. Trying to post it before I leave work.

[NickLurby]

We'll be favored to win each of the rest of our games.
My biggest fear is a repeat of last year when we had to travel to Rutgers for a Thursday game after a Saturday game.
This year we travel to Louisville on 10/25 and then travel to Cincinnati on 10/30.
That's a lot of traveling a little prep time.
There will be more twists and turns before this season is over.

[GOBULLS!!]

Im a USF Fan and im so scared, look at our schedule... ITS SO TOUGH!!!

Conneticuit... FOOTBALL POWERHOUSE! we will be lucky to make it out of that one alive...
West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Syracuse... AHHH WE BETTER BE ON OUR A GAME!!

[Bullspit]

GP - Bull alum, but OK. born and bred. Just wanted to let you know that there is no way OU will be losing to Texas. Maybe a trip-up against OSU or Tech; since they seem to have OU's number in seasons where they are poised for N.C. games.

That being said - Go Bulls, and let's take it one game at a time.

[oldgreengold]

Winning the Big East would be a big accomplishment at this point. That's something we haven't done yet, so that should be our goal. Anything else is gravy.

[Chris]

Hey GOBULLS!! @ 6:58 pm...did you here UF lost to an unranked bottom dwelling Ole Miss team.

I agree with Adam. It is fun to get that good old UF attention...they jump on and off our boards like they jump on and off their bandwagon this time of year.

[Ken]

Isn't this great. And I think, as Grothe says, that the whole team has an increased maturity that might just make this possible--but one game at a time.

To win the BE, we probably have to be undefeated, so if one happens, it's likely the other does too. Undefeated, we've got a good shot at the NC game. To be undefeated, though, we've got to beat Pitt--that's all that matters.

We planned our tailgate menu this evening. See you there. GO BULLS!

[JCM]

Hey Mike, maybe Florida should worry about those unranked teams on their schedual huh?

[Rich]

let's beat pitt! this is our biggest game of the year. Our players need to focus on Pitt and realize they are the obstacle that stands between USF and their goals.

just ask USC and UF about buying into the hype. They were too busy believing they were unbeatable to put forth the effort to beat 20 point dogs.

windbane- if the fans are talking about it, you know the players are too. it's best if nobody pays attention to this non-sense this early in the year.

Anybody know what kind of pay bonus Coach Levitt gets for a Big East championship vs. winning a national championship?

[Dave W]

The thing about fans talking has nothing to do with the players and everything to do with karma. Duh.

Anyways, Beano doesn't like USF. Beano only likes "traditional" teams and represents everything that is wrong with the college football landscape. He's one of those talking heads that will tell you FSU is automatically better than USF- the reason? FSU was good 20 years ago, and therefore (to him), they are still good.

And GA, after a few blog entries, I now realize how easy it is to make a typo. I don't really have the time to review what I write, though, but my friends let me know what I messed up...

[Darth Vader]

I'll be at the LSU/UF game, cheering on the Tigers!

[KBull]

All I know is my Gator friends were making fun of our top ten ranking. I think their worried. Go Bulls!

[cg]

Running the table would be great for the program even if they dont get the NC bid.

[Bull Daly]

Running the table wound be awesome!!! Even UF can say they went undefeated in a season, and they have been playing football for over 100 years!!! That just goes to show you how tough it is to do in my opinion when you are in a BCS conference.

[G.A.]

Dave W.'s had good stuff on the fan blog. If you guys aren't checking that out, you should be ...

http://blogs.tampabay.com/bullspit

[Mike Lakeland]

The SEC bias is much too strong. A 2-loss Florida or Georgia would jump over us. You can book it.

If we do run the table, let's just hope for the Orange Bowl, because that is the ONLY game where we could travel well.

[Ryan]

Why is the SEC considered so great? Who have they beaten? They only play each other and rarely play games against big teams out of conference. I mean seriously why are they considered so good? give me an example of a big non-conference win this year? UF beat Miami, wow I'm real impressed. Georgia beat ASU, big deal. How can anyone consider AUburn good when they beat Mississippi State 3 to 2.

[DELdaBULL]

Let's just beat Pitt tomorrow. Remember they are the most talented team in the BEast (at least that is what the pundits say). Therefore, they could win this game in spite of their coach. Hopefully though Wanny continues to weigh them down.

[Jonathan]

A one loss Big 12 or SEC team SHOULD get the NC berth over USF. USF will likely have played 1 game against top 15 competition going into the bowls. A big 12 or SEC team will have had to play 3 or 4 plus their conference championship. That means that even IF USF were one of the top 2 teams in the nation - they would have only had one game to prove it whereas the SEC/Big 12 team would have had 4. I also see a one loss USC team going before an undefeated Big East team (UCONN is also undefeated and has USFs number). That being said, USF is FULLY capable of losing to Pitt, WVA, Rutgers, UCONN, Louisville or Cincy. I'm pretty sure they beat Syracuse. In conference games are tough in BCS leagues. Let USF take care of business in the Big East and go to a BCS game. If they get more than that so be it. But I'd rather see USF play the ACC or Big Ten champ in a BCS game and win than get slaughtered in a NC game. USF needs to worry about getting a Big East Championship so we can start pulling big time recruits from FSU and Miami before those programs get turned around. If we do that, Leavitt can have the kind of success over the next two decades that UM and FSU had in the 80s and 90s. Recruit the cream of the crop talent in Florida and NC games will follow. For now - Beat Pittsburgh.

[aj]

I would agree with the weak conference thing, if Ohio State didn't just go to two NC games in a weak Big 10. A team that goes undefeated in BCS competition deserves to go. Every BCS school has a lot of talent.

USC will lose more luster this week after Utah rolls Oregon State.

With Lorenzen out, the Bulls should run the table if they keep their heads out of their arses. To say the fans have to stay focused is ridiculous. The players need to stay focused, fans get to dream.

[Ken]

We have lots of chances still to lose, starting tomorrow night! As an outcome, I'd love for us to be in the Orange Bowl next January--what a fantastic year that would make it.

[Jerry]

The fact is, a team's history has more to do with their ranking than it should A 1-loss USC team will likely make the NC game over USF...but does that make it right? I'm just not a big fan of the bowl system...but that sure as heck is where all they money is, so the NCAA likes that. Consider this...Ohio State lost to #1 (at the time) USC...and dropped to like #13 as a result. Losing to the #1 team should not drop you 12 spots...but it did. Now consider #1 USC losing to UNRANKED Oregon St. Should USC not fall 12 or more spots for losing to an unranked team? Gee...Ohio State dropped 12 spots for losing the #1 team, yet USC drops only to #9 (8 spots, for those of you counting) in the polls. I would think the team losing to the unranked opponent would be penalized a bit more harshly...but again...the name keeps USC in the top 10.

If USF runs the table, then they absolutely should go to the NC game. All this talk about weak conferences and such is garbage right now. We beat a tough KU team (which I still believe can climb into the top 10 before the season is over), and last year beat Auburn on the road (when UF could not do it at home). To say that USF is just some second-rate team is ludicrous. It's only a 12 year old program, but to say that they still have to prove themselves is mindblowing to me. They've been on a steady rise since the inaugural season, and they've earned the right to be in the NC game discussion if they can go undefeated this year.

In any case, it's all talk for now. by the season's end...more top 10 teams will fall, and so long as USF handles business, they should be able to leapfrog some of those teams. USF is favored in all of the games they have remaining. So long as they keep the "business first" attitude, and not get caught up in rankings, and pages such as this one...then they should be ok. I feel like last year was a good learning experience for them. From 6-0 to the #2 spot, to 3 consecutive losses and finishing unranked. I think they carry that chip on their shoulders to this day...and I don't think that they will let something like that happen again. They've learned...and continue to mature.

GO BULLS!

[DELdaBULL]

Good post Jerry. They just need to keep winning. Tomorrow is the first step to their "stated" goal which is the Big East title. Everything after they become BEast champs is gravy.

[Ken]

We'll be favored in the rest of our games, provided we keep winning. Lose three in a row, and we could see something quite different later in the season. The only game that matters is Pitt. See you all tomorrow!

[Chris]

Hey Jerry/Einstien...Ohio St. was ranked #5 i believe when they got blown out by USC...so...do the math....that means they dropped like 8 spots...same as USC...amazing stuff huh?

[Jim]

I hope yall didnt put a deposit down for the national championship tickets yet...

HAHAHA

wait, one more time

HAHAHA

[Chris]

Ahh the curse of the old BamBeano...how SWEET IT IS!! Isn't he a Pitt guy??

[Darth Vader]

Jim,

I sense that the Force is weak with you...