Who needs rankings? Bulls can stay hungry as Big East play begins

There are probably South Florida fans who can't believe their Bulls were robbed of a spot in the top 25.

There are probably some Bulls players and coaches who can't believe it, either.

They beat Florida State, the 18th-ranked team in The Associated Press poll.

They only won the biggest game in school history.

And they get no national ranking?

Know what I say to that?

It might be the best thing for them.

We've seen how Coach Jim Leavitt's program has handled rankings and attention - too much attention - over the past two seasons.

Remember how they imploded, with zest, in 2007 after rising to AP's No. 2.

They fell like rocks after being ranked last season.

The last thing this team needs is a pat on the back from the national polls.

The last thing USF needs is too look past anyone, even for a second.

They need to stay hungry, need to keep an edge.

This might be just the thing to do so.

They still have a lot to prove.

The Big East is the thing, in case you didn't know - or they didn't. The Big East is what carries the real prize, a BCS spot for the conference winner.

For USF, the Big East starts this Saturday at Syracuse. USF is 4-0 against Syracuse, and has won twice under the Carrier Dome roof by a combined score of 68-10.

This time they'll face former Duke University basketball guard Greg Paulus, who has become a quarterback. He hasn't played badly, either. It might be just the kind of X factor the Bulls need to stay frosty.

That's what they need right about now. The Big East schedule is where their last two seasons have fallen apart, beginning with that 2007 loss at Rutgers that began their dizzyingly slide from No. 2.

The Bulls - and their coaches - in no way handled life at the top.

They lost three straight after rising to No. 2.

They didn't do much of a job last season, either. Remember? They were 5-0 and ranked and looking good - and then they blew that game to Pittsburgh and the slide was under way. The Bulls lost three of their next four. They're 5-8 in the Big East since that No. 2 ranking.

Who needs a ranking?

Who wants a ranking?

The last thing they need is for anyone to be looking past anyone.

Yes, there's a big game out there, right around the corner, an Oct. 15, Thursday night national TV game against No. 10 Cincinnati.

That's the game that could put USF back in the big picture.

But that's years away.

At least that's how this team should be looking at it.

It will need every edge possible.

So maybe being overlooked isn't such a bad thing.

Unranked, unfulfilled - and hungry.

That's the ticket.

Onward.