TAMPA – It is not the biggest game South Florida will play, Florida would probably qualify there, but it could be the most important, because there is a good chance the winner of USF’s opener here against Boise State will qualify for the College Football Playoff.
Lots of things have to go right for the Bulls to make that happen, but a loss to the Broncos would almost automatically guarantee, after just one game, that USF has absolutely no shot.
The way the playoffs are currently set up, one spot goes to the five highest ranked (as determined by the CFP selection committee) conference champions. The means that besides the Power 4-the Big Ten, the SEC, the Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference-a champion from the Group of 5 is going to get in.
The Group of 5 consists of the American Athletic Conference (of which USF is a member), Conference-USA, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West (which includes Boise State) and the Sun Belt.
Last year, Boise State got the nod, and the Broncos have a real shot at getting back again if they beat USF. because the AAC and Mountain West are generally regarded as the two strongest conferences in the Group of 5. But if they lose to the Bulls, then USF shoots up to the top.
Of course this is no sure thing. Working against both schools, and particularly USF, are their schedules. The Bulls probably have the toughest schedule in the Group of 5. Among others, they face Florida, which has an outside shot at winning the SEC, and Miami, which could do the same in the ACC.
Losses to either or both of those teams shouldn’t keep the Bulls out. But a third loss would definitely eliminate them. which is why beating Boise is a must. The Broncos schedule is not as tough, but they face Notre Dame, and USF would need them to lose that game. That, coupled with a loss to USF, would keep them behind the Bulls.
USF Coach Alex Golesh is not one to look ahead; as UCF’s George O’Leary used to say, you play 12 one-game seasons, but there is no way to minimize the importance of this game. Still, the Bulls must focus on the task at hand without letting it affect their preparation.
Understanding that, Golesh is trying to use the Boise game and the two that follow, Florida and Miami, as motivation.
“I think a lot’s been made of the schedule, especially early, and I think for us it’s trying to be as process driven as we can and worrying about right now, that’s the most important thing,” Golesh said.
“I think when you know what’s coming, and certainly the Boise game and the two after it (Florida and Miami), when you know you’re facing that kind of gauntlet it’s easy to say like ‘man, you’re working toward something,’ Golesh remarked.
“It’s (the playoff possibilities) certainly in the back of their minds, it’s in the back of our mind, but you know what’s coming, you know the challenge that’s going to hit you in the face that Thursday night at RayJ,” Golesh said.
“So certainly, I think that makes it easy to stay motivated when you know man, that’s going to be a street fight for three straight weeks and so to stay sharp, to stay motivated will certainly be easy, All you have to do is flip the film on,” Golesh remarked.
“I flipped the Boise film on in February and it hit me. I thought ‘all right, it’s real,'” the USF coach went on.
Of course one of the easiest ways to possibly make the playoffs would be to pull a Liberty. Just don’t schedule teams like Florida, Alabama and Miami. Liberty, a member of C-USA, has been a BCS team for just seven years and while it has never had a losing record, it never plays anybody, either.
In 2023, Liberty went 13-0, was nationally ranked and played in the Fiesta Bowl, where it was thrashed, 45-6, by Oregon. The 39 point defeat is the worst in Fiesta Bowl history.
“I think, with a 12 team playoff, those games (against strong Power 4 teams) are not as critical but they’re still important,” Golesh said. “I think for us, to have a schedule like that, you figure out early where you are, who you are,” he continued.
“I think our guys are certainly excited and want to play those kind of games,” Golesh said. “You’ve got a chance to play a team that got a first round bye in the playoffs last year. At the end of the day, that gives us a chance to see how we stack up in the national conversation.”