Optimism is stratospheric as USF football begins Year 2 under head coach Alex Golesh, and Green, Gold, and Bold gets that. I’m optimistic, too.
But as training camp begins and the opening game is a month away, do we need to pump the brakes a bit? Logic says that might be the smart play, but why would anyone want to do that? After the desert USF football crawled through before Golesh arrived, it feels good to feel good.
The Bulls were picked by American Athletic Conference media to finish fourth in among the league’s 14 teams this season, and that shows other people from outside the Fowler Avenue bubble take USF seriously now. When we compare it to last season, when the Bulls were picked 13th and were basically an afterthought, that’s downright spectacular.
They surprised everyone and justly received a lot of national attention for finishing 6-6 in the regular season before demolishing Syracuse 45-0 in the Boca Raton Bowl. Like you, I enjoyed immensely watching that blowout, but let’s be honest—Syracuse basically brought a jayvee team that night.
The Orange had an interim coach, a third-string quarterback, and were missing multiple front-line players who chose not to play.
Of course, after finishing 4-26 in the Jeff Scott era, Syracuse's problems were unimportant to anyone in green and gold.
Since that night, Golesh has continued to build his Bulls through recruiting, the transfer portal, and, maybe most importantly, a transformation in the weight room and nutrition. USF's talent and fitness level now compared to a year ago is not even close. The Bulls are that far ahead. But what does that mean in terms of wins and losses for this season?
When Golesh arrived, USF football was lower than a snake’s belly, but even the most cynical fan knows now that things are heading in the right direction. He has surrounded sophomore Byrum Brown with multiple tools for success, and we get excited about that.
However, until we see how improved the defense is from the unit that allowed more than 50 points last year to UAB, FAU, and Memphis – plus 49 to UTSA – we might need to take a deeper breath.
The schedule obviously is a high bar. The Bulls are at Alabama in the second week and home against Miami two weeks later. The first two conference games are at Tulane and home against Memphis.
I love Golesh’s bravado. When asked about playing Alabama and Miami, he quickly responded, “Bama and Miami have to play South Florida.”
Love it. USF fans have waited a long time for someone with swagger and the kind of team that can back that up.
Maybe this is the one.
But as training camp opens and the season looms closer, it’s helpful to remember that the other programs have scholarship players, too.
Yes, the time seems right for USF to make a huge splash, especially if the Bulls are as good as everyone hopes. They might be, and I understand why everyone is ready for something special and doesn't want to hear anything that might dampen the good vibes.
Just keep your seat belt fastened in case of unexpected turbulence. The Bulls won the off-season, but they still have to play the games.