Unless a bunch of crazy and unlikely things happen in the final five games of the regular season, South Florida will end it still looking for its first-ever conference championship. The Bulls are 5-2 overall, but the two losses were both American Conference games.
But as they take advantage of their open date this week, there still is a lot to play for. A win over UAB on Halloween will make the Bulls bowl eligible for the third straight year. And while I can almost hear head coach Brian Hartline that's the minimum his team should expect every season, it still will provide more opportunities for practice sessions as he and his staff build the program.
However, a bowl game notwithstanding, a worthy goal in the closing weeks would be to vanquish a pair of demons that seem to haunt USF football -- looking at you Memphis and Tulane -- and end the season with an upward trend as the Bulls head to their new stadium next year.
Here's a stab at guessing how the final weeks could play out.
Home against UAB, October 31, noon kickoff, ESPNU
First-year head coach Alex Mortensen has the Blazers playing well. They are 4-3 overall, which already equals their win total in two of the last three seasons and surpasses the 3-9 nothing burger former coach Trent Dilfer served up in 2024.
The Blazers are 0-3 on the road, with losses to Illinois, Louisiana, and Memphis. Both teams are coming off open dates, but this is one game the Bulls simply cannot afford to lose. We'll be watching to see if USF's offense perks up, and the Bulls hopefully get receiver Ahmad Branch back. He has been out since the Delaware State game with what has been called a lower body injury.
Either way, the Bulls' top-ranked American Conference defense shuts down the Blazers and becomes bowl eligible.. Prediction: USF 24, UAB 7.
At East Carolina, Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m. ESPN2.
The Pirates were a chic pick to make in the American this season, but it hasn't worked out that way. They are 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference following last week's rare 13-point loss in double overtime to UAB.
The Pirates had the American's top-ranked defense last season under Josh Aldridge but slipped to 6th this season after Aldridge accepted Hartline's offer to be USF's d-coordinator.
Offensively, ECU is 10th in the conference and could struggle to score about Aldridge's stout defense, Prediction: USF 20, East Carolina 10.
Home against Memphis, October 12, 8 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2.
This is a study in contrasts. Memphis is second in the American in scoring, while -- we may have mentioned this -- USF is first in defense.
The Tigers have dominated the series against USF, leading 10-4 overall with five straight wins. Last year they tore the Bulls' heart out, winning 34-31 while shutting out the Bulls 17-0 in the fourth quarter.
The atmosphere at Ray-Jay should be electric for a Thursday night game, but unless the Bulls' offense picks up the pace, the Tigers look too balanced for USF to handle.
Prediction: Memphis 24, USF 17.
At Florida Atlantic, Nov. 21, Time and TV TBA
This is a dangerous game for the Bulls.
The Owls under second-year head coach Zach Kittley are 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the conference. They are 3-0 at home. They did have a 4-game winning streak soundly snapped in their last game, falling 56-24 at Army -- a place where the Bulls prevailed in Week 2.
The Owls do have an experienced and explosive quarterback in Caden Veltkamp. He threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns at Army, operating under Kittley's go-go offense.
The Bulls should be able to score on FAU's sub-par defense, but the key will be slowing Veltkamp down and taking the crowd out of the game. The fact that USF has routed the Owls in the last two seasons will serve as motivation for the home team. It won't be quite enough.
Prediction: USF 27, Florida Atlantic 24.
Home against Tulane, November 28, Time TBA.
There will be a lot of pomp and circumstance around this game. It's the last time the Bulls will call Raymond James Stadium home, but that's more for the USF fans -- and the long-time ones at that. I don't believe it will affect the players or coaches one little bit.
Tulane is another team with some mojo on the Bulls. The Green Wave lead the series 4-1 has won the last four times these teams have played -- usually by a comfortable margin. The infamous 45-10 game in 2024 was when quarterback Byrum Brown suffered a broken leg.
These teams haven't played since.
Tulane has been a little erratic under first-year head coach Will Hall, who took over from Southern Mississippi after Jon Sumrall took the Florida job. The Green Wave swamped Memphis 31-17 last week but, as of now, are 0-3 on the road.
The Bulls have to beat these guys some day, right?
Prediction: USF 20, Tulane 17 on a 55-yard Nico Gramatica field goal at the gun as the Bulls say farewell to Ray-Jay in style.
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