It's about a half an hour until the kickoff for USF in Miami against the Hurricanes. Fortunately ESPN has decided to give the local ABC affiliate the rights to air the game, unlike the Louisville game (thanks to the St. Pete Times for the story on that - I only wish I had read it sooner so I would have felt more compelled to actually go to the game). Last I checked the Bulls are underdogs by the same line as the Louisville game. Like Louisville last week, Miami is ranked #9. This time however the Bulls won't have a home crowd to lean on for momentum, although the Orange Bowl has never had the mystique of, say, The Swamp.
I'll come clean. I am a Miami fan. I grew up in Miami, so my first memories of football are of the Hurricanes back in the years when it was probably the most feared program in the nation. No, I'm not an alumni, and heck, I'm not even a huge fan of the city of Miami, but I still feel a certain amount of loyalty to the Canes.
But now I live in Tampa. I've been here from USF's infancy to its now promising adolescence. Until the schedule for this year was announced, despite the obvious stratospheric climb the Bulls have made in nine years, it had not occured to me that choosing sides would be something I'd be faced with.
It comes down to this: if Miami loses tonight, they'll recover. Three games this season have already shown to that this is a transition year for the Hurricanes. Kyle Wright, the freshman QB, has a fair amount of promise, but he definitely needs the experience this year. One or two years from now, Miami will be the its usual intimidating self, challenging for the ACC crown and possible more. And if they win, they will still have one conference loss, and they still have to play a scary Virginia Tech team later in the year.
If USF loses tonight, it may not be a surprise. But there is a lot at stake for USF to at least put up a good fight. Recruiting in the state of the Big Three is challenge, but a win against One of Three would almost certainly steal away some prized prospects. There is also the fan base that has begun to emerge this season. The Louisville game should be enough to keep a lot of fans for the future, but a lop-sided loss tonight might put the fluke word in people's minds. Yes, as long as they present a marginal struggle against Miami, momentum should carry over to the rest of the Big East schedule this year (remember, even if the Bulls lose tonight, they'll still be first in the conference). But a win? Oh, what a moment that would be.
My prediction: Miami 24, USF 13. But never have I been more hopeful of being wrong.
All my people that's drug dealin just to get by
Stack your money 'til it gets sky-high
We weren't s'posed to make it past twenty-five
The jokes on you, we still alive
Throw your hands up in the sky and say
We don't care what people say
- Kanye West, "We Don't Care"
Posted by Joel at 10/01/2005 07:17:00 PM
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