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Year Of The Bull Became Year Of The Bull's-Eye

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 14, 2007

We have long since said goodbye to those Horatio Alger and "Little Engine That Could" references to University of South Florida football. Was it barely a month ago that the Bulls were undefeated, ranked second in the Bowl Championship Series and the talk of this and many other towns?

What happened? Were they, as some skeptical pundits had been smugly predicting, finally "exposed" for the gate-crashing pretenders they were?

Not really.

A couple of points:

In today's college football rankings, USF is as good - and as vulnerable - as most of the brand-name schools: the South Carolinas, Alabamas and Penn States. It is arguably better than the Georgia Techs, Miamis and North Carolina States. It is much better than the Nebraskas, Minnesotas and Notre Dames. And it has beaten the West Virginias, Auburns and North Carolinas.

The team is a major player, and that won't change. It is here to stay. And the top deck at Raymond James Stadium will be in play more often than not for USF games from here on out.

As the new grid kid on the block, the team surprised most outsiders with its early results and talent level - and its seemingly instant inclusion among college football's elite. But sheer ability wasn't enough, as it turned out, to trump growing pains. The kind that lose you games you should win.

USF's problem has been composure. Make that lack of. When the Bulls were not expected to win, they played with abandon - and won. Think Pittsburgh, Louisville and West Virginia in the past few years. They were having fun - an underdog's exemption from stress and nerves. Overtime at Auburn, at night, in front of 85,000 Tiger faithful - what pressure?

But with the Bull's-eye of national recognition, USF has been playing not to lose. Not to lose the game, not to lose that exalted ranking. Not to lose to underdogs.

And it's a top-down issue. Questionable play calling, clock management and sideline deportment were signs of a team wound too tight. There was an increase in dropped passes, missed assignments and poor decision making. Penalties attributed to lack of discipline and concentration rose. A few key injuries hardly helped.

In unprecedented fashion, USF had fast-forwarded from a nobody to a major college force. But what it hasn't done yet is make the transition from hunting wins to becoming the prey. That's the part that takes seasoning.

And may this be the final season for that. Because after this year, the grace period accorded a quintessential upstart ends. Lack of composure will be unkindly labeled "choking."

It comes with the territory - talent, success and the expectation of more success.

Forecast: More Weather Teases

What are the odds that even though this is mid-November that we haven't seen the last of the hurricane TV teases?

But before long, the storm teases inevitably will morph into those about freeze warnings, and file footage of citrus icicles will be recycled.

But that's still a month away.

Right should be the boring part of the weather-news cycle.

Enjoy.

Joe O'Neill is a South Tampa writer who can be contacted at www.OpinionsToGoOnLine.com.

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