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Skyrocketing Bulls Crack Top 5

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By BRETT McMURPHY, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 8, 2007

Updated: 10/08/2007 12:12 am

TAMPA - Apparently the voters in The Associated Press poll agreed that the University of South Florida didn't look like the nation's No. 6 team in Saturday's 35-23 victory at Florida Atlantic.

Instead, the Bulls looked like the nation's No. 5 team.

USF got a couple of high fives from the voters in The Associated Press and USA Today coaches' polls Sunday. The AP poll has USF fifth, while the coaches' poll has USF and Oklahoma tied for fifth.

Both polls had the identical top four - LSU, Cal, Ohio State and Boston College.

After losing at No. 1 LSU, Florida fell from No. 9 to No. 13, while Florida State was No. 21, the Seminoles' first ranking since the preseason poll.

Since entering the AP rankings last month, the Bulls (5-0) have climbed each week, from No. 23 to No. 18 to No. 6 to No. 5. A big reason for the Bulls' ascent is that five of the nation's top nine teams lost during the weekend, a week after six of the nation's top 13 teams were upset.

While the Bulls were ranked No. 5 by the AP and coaches' polls, USF was more highly regarded by the computer polls. The official BCS rankings won't debut until Sunday, but three of the six computer polls used in the BCS rankings have USF No. 2 and another computer poll has USF No. 3.

The Harris poll, also used in the BCS rankings, has USF No. 6.

'We're here in the polls, so as long as we keep winning, we're not going to go anywhere,' USF quarterback Matt Grothe said. 'It's not like we're going to move up to No. 1 without winning a football game.

'It's about playing good football week in and week out, and if we keep winning, we can set ourselves up for something crazy.'

The top two teams in the final BCS rankings play in the BCS Championship Game on Jan. 7 in New Orleans.

'I don't want to say it national championship game yet,' Grothe said. 'There's 12 games before you get to the bowl game. If we keep winning, with as hard a schedule as we've got, who knows?'

Despite USF's steady climb in the polls, not everyone is sold on the Bulls.

During Sunday's NFL pregame show on Fox, former Dallas Cowboys and University of Miami coach Jimmy Johnson was asked how it was possible for USF, in only its 11th year of football, to be ranked in the top five.

'It shouldn't be possible, because they don't deserve to be up there,' Johnson said. 'They've got some good players. They don't deserve ... I've got a bunch of teams that's got two losses that will wear them out.'

USF senior nose tackle Richard Clebert said that while most fans might not have thought much of the Owls, he left Lockhart Stadium impressed after the Bulls won their seventh consecutive game dating to last season.

'This was the toughest game we played all year,' Clebert said. 'They are an in-state rival. It's the same way it's going to be Saturday against UCF. Everybody wants us now. We're the hunted.'

Added USF defensive coordinator Wally Burnham: 'Sometimes you win when you don't play good. That was very important for us.'

NO GAMEDAY: ESPN's 'College GameDay' will originate from Norman, Okla., on Saturday for the Oklahoma-Missouri game, ESPN spokesman Mike Humes said.

The network was considering coming to Tampa for the USF-UCF contest, but opted for No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 11 Missouri instead of No. 5 USF and unranked UCF.

ODDS AND ENDS: No individual tickets remain for Saturday's Central Florida game, but mini-packs are available for USF's final three home games (UCF, Cincinnati and Louisville). ... UCF RB Kevin Smith, who was suspended for last year's game against USF, is the nation's leading rusher, averaging 172 yards a game. ... USF DE George Selvie remains the nation's leader in sacks (2.1 per game) and tackles for loss (3.6). ... P Delbert Alvarado leads the Big East with a 43.32 average.

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928 or bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com.

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