With Holtz at the helm, time to start new chapter

It's a whole new world for South Florida football, or, as those somewhat contrived billboards all over town would proclaim if asked, a Holtz new world.

The time for plays on words has ended.

It's really time to play.

It's hard to believe what happened really happened just last January. There has been healing. There has been bonding. And there has been a media blitz, with Skip Holtz meeting and greeting. If he hasn't shook your hand, just stand there, he'll be by any time now.

But now it's time ...

"It's time to start the journey," Holtz said.

We're a long way from the last head coach, a million smiles away, really. Jim Leavitt, king of USF football, if not comedy, built USF up from scratch. Nothing will ever change that, not even the fact that he demolished his career by confusing himself with King Kong.

The new man has been working the town and his team.

Now it's really time to play.

And it's time to look at that 2010 schedule ... and gulp.

Repeat after me: at Florida, at West Virginia, at Cincinnati, at Miami.

That's most of USF's road schedule, which is not exactly a winning recipe for the big-jump off. It begins Sept. 11 and promises to be nothing like last year and the Bulls' first trip to Tallahassee, where USF nudged Bobby Bowden a little closer to the door with the biggest win in program history.

Don't look for such Feel Good when South Florida meets Urban Meyer and his Gators. Don't put it past Urby to remind his lads what Skip Holtz said when introduced as USF coach in January and a fan screamed "Beat Florida!"

"I'm with that. That's why I'm here," the Skipper said.

It might get Ben Hill Grizzly.

Holtz's first season might have a few lessons like this. The cupboard isn't bare, not by any means, but five Bulls were taken in the NFL draft, USF lost its defensive stars and it might not have enough playmakers on offense, even with quarterback B.J. Daniels on the job. Middle to the back of the Big East pack seems likely.

Leavitt might have eventually gotten the heave-ho even if he'd kept his hands to himself. This program had stalled, clearly, big starts (the only BCS school to start 5-0 the past three seasons) followed by memorable slides, sometimes from incredible heights, to utter Big East also ran.

Holtz begins on no mountain. He'll get some time, as most new coaches do, to try to try to see if his success at East Carolina will translate to a bigger stage in a city and school that knows the Big Fade all too well. Even with 15 starters back, don't expect miracles. If he matches last year's 8-5 and throws in the school's sixth consecutive bowl game, give it up for him.

"We just have to continue to put this thing together," Holtz said. "It's not a race."

In this state, with this talent pool, this program should contend for conference titles on a regular basis. It can't have nights such as the 0-31 abomination last season at Rutgers. That stuff has to end.

It's not a race.

Not yet, anyway.

That's the Holtz truth and nothing but the truth.

Will somebody please take those billboards down already?

It's time to start the journey.