O'Leary on rivalry: 'One side gets it'

Central Florida coach George O'Leary, speaking Wednesday on a teleconference with reporters, said that he still doesn't understand why USF isn't interested in continuing an annual series with UCF.

"One side gets it, the other side, I don't know what the problem is," O'Leary said.

O'Leary said the rivalry reminds him of when he was at Georgia Tech and there was an annual rivalry game with Georgia, despite the teams being in separate conferences.

"It was different conferences, but that had nothing to do with playing the game," he said. "With Georgia, it was about locale and distance, being in the same state. It's very similar to what you have here."

Georgia and Georgia Tech are both in BCS conferences, as is USF, while UCF is the defending champion in Conference USA. Asked if he played any annual rivalry games at Georgia Tech with teams who weren't in major conferences, O'Leary said he didn't.

"No, Georgia was the one that was our rivalry game," he said.

O'Leary said he wasn't worried about his players getting too emotional or overexcited knowing Saturday is UCF's last scheduled chance to beat USF. If anything, he said, his players likely aren't aware of that.

"I don't even think they know it's the last time they're playing them," he said. "I haven't said anything to them about that. ... They don't look at it as the last time playing them. It's the game on Saturday, it just happens to be a team 60 miles away."

Comments

[Dave W]

Assume that "it" means a victory.

USF and UCF are the sides. There are two sides, but only one can get it.

One side gets it.

USF gets a victory.

Hey, he didn't lie about something! There really is a first time for everything!

[Jason M]

I say O'leary should run stadiums after the beating sat night. I'd pay to watch it

[Ken]

There are a lot of reasons for this to be a "rivalty" and I wish we could keep playing it, even though I understand perfectly well all the reasons we won't. And 2 for 1 would be appropriate. Hope to see you all in Orlando Saturday night!

[Herman Momart]

George O'Leary is some of Suffolk Countys finest.

[keith]

UCF fans HATE USF.

why?

cuz our program blew right past theirs into something they'll quite simply, never have.

[Gary S.]

I think George O'Leary should spend less time whining about the future of the series and more time concentrating on the football game that is actually being played.

[I love knightro]

7s 9s come to us while there's still time

[BeezyBull]

If Leary wants to see CJL in competion on a saturday again, then they can take it up on the CLAW. ESPN is very charitable to televise this game. Most people wouldn't want to watch a pack of dogs attack a three-legged cat

[Jim]

He was lying again to us, his players don't know. Duh are you kidding me.

[DELdaBULL]

George O is very funny. Brings laughter to my day.

[Al]

No, no 2 for 1's with them...Agree to play them every year at an NFL stadium of USF's choice and give them 4500 seats in the south corners of the 300 level at $85 each.

"So his players don't know this is the last game? Do they know anything you don't tell them Georgie?" Adam

Hey, last year he forgot to tell them they were playing a football game in Tampa...The result, they got a 64-12 azzwhoopin !

[KC]

George is a piece of work...let's look back on some of his famous qoutes and statements.

I don't even think they know it's the last time they're playing them

It was an easy work out.

I will not recruit junior college players.

I have a master's degree.

I lettered at New Hampshire.

He is leading the dilusional crowd at UCF...I think he is in charge of making the Kool-aid and unfortunatley he has been sampling it a bit too much.

What a loser...

[USF95]

I think a 2 for 1 is fair and that's what we got from FIU and FAU. UCF got that from Miami and Texas. If George wants this series so bad then he will take the 2 for 1. If not, then I don't want to hear his complaining.

[Mike Creyton]

My God. I cannot wait for this series to be over. UCF has to have the most delusional fan base and program I have ever seen. They are not a rival. Like Matt Grothe said. He considers WVU, Louisville, Rutgers, Cincinatti, etc as rivals. Because those games matter.

Playing a series with Miami matters too. It helps both school's SOS and we recruit head to head vs Miami A LOT. We rarely cross path's with UCF in recruting anymore. Getting our name out there in the Miami market will be huge for recruting that part of the state.

[Steve Stacy]

I, for one, will miss playing UCF. Despite our utter dominance of them, they ARE a rival, albeit they are being rapidly replaced by WVU and the rest of the BigEast cohorts.

I like having someon hate us so badly. And I even think they're "SUCK" shirts are clever.

[cg]

Get this: I am sick of your idiot fan base. I can't wait until I never have to hear from them again.

[Norb]

I don't know if we can get UCF to play all future games at RJS but maybe we should offer them 2-1 splits like all the other BCS schools are doing. Then maybe George would get it.

[Mike Lakeland]

George's "don't know" comment reminds me of CJL's comment last year that he didn't know that USF was playing Rutgers as their next game. He made it on the Saturday of the UCF game, and the Rutgers game was the following Thursday.

It's just coach speak that a coach says to tell his players (in a roundabout way) "don't look ahead to games".

[Don Corleone]

What George doesn’t get is that one team needs the series, and the other team doesn’t. UCF needs the series as something to look forward too. USF does them a favor by continuing the series, and if the situations were reversed they would see it the same way USF does. I would offer them a continuation of the series with all the games at RJS. Since USF has the hammer, they should use some leverage and see how much they really want it to continue.

[KB]

Dear George,

USF has an annual Thanksgiving weekend series with (BCS) Miami starting next year, similar to the (BCS) Georgia v. (BCS) Georgia Tech game you refer to.

I don't see Georgia Tech having an annual series with (non BCS) Georgia Southern, or (non BCS) Valdosta State or some other BCS wanna be Georgia school.

Love,

The Side That Gets It

[Brendan]

After reading George's quotes he must (1) not think very highly of his players intellect or (2) keep them in some sort of terrarium with no contact to the outside world. Saying he doesn't think they know it is the last game is pretty egotistical. They have friends telling them and I'm pretty sure something called the Internet as well.

[Jimi]

What a joke. I love how they throw in the local audience card all the time. What do they think the local excitement would be ten years from now when the series is 12-1 for USF? There won't be any excitement. It's only like that now because the series is young. Even then, I am sick of dominating UCF. I'd rather play another team and see some fresh faces on the field.

[Adam]

So his players don't know this is the last game? Do they know anything you don't tell them Georgie? Come on, why would you even make that statement.

Dear George,

This just in.....USF has nothing to gain by playing you!!

[Eric C]

Hey Greg, hope you didnt get charged too much for the first call. SportsCenter got on them about that last night. Anyways, I really do not see a particular reason to keep this rivalry going, considering the fact that you look at BCS schools and how many of them have a rivalry with actual non BCS teams. Akron Ohio State? WVU vs Marshall? It's just one of those things where your rival needs to be slightly above and or on the same level as you. This is why its great that we are starting the Miami series. We are becoming big when they are rebuilding.

[SMH]

I think George is coming around to what we are trying to do. The only difference is we are trying to do it with UM. Same state and a BSC school.