The South Florida Bulls have a first-year head coach, a situation which suggests uncertainty and unpredictability, but this is not a common situation for a team with a brand-new coach who is just beginning to get his hands on a program. What South Florida faces in 2017 is a product of several connected circumstances, and the Bulls might be on the verge of claiming greatness as a result.
How Did They End 2016
Under previous coach Willie Taggart, the Bulls were very solid in 2016. They lost to Florida State – which won the Orange Bowl – and also to Temple, which won the AAC championship. They defeated everyone else. USF’s offense was way too effective and explosive for Navy and Memphis. The Bulls had elite skill players throughout their roster. Their depth and balance were too much for the AAC to overcome (minus Temple). South Florida’s offense was able to put opposing defenses on a pendulum. The Bulls were too good for defenses to anticipate runs only or passes only. USF was regularly able to change up.
South Florida’s defense wasn’t always airtight, as shown in the Birmingham Bowl against South Carolina. USF very nearly squandered a huge fourth-quarter lead, but quarterback Quinton Flowers and the offense rescued the game to give USF an 11-2 record for 2016. The Bulls can’t offer too many complaints about a season in which they lost only one conference game.
Offseason Changes
Willie Taggart is out as head coach, and Charlie Strong is in after being fired at the University of Texas. Strong is very familiar with recruiting in the state of Florida. He has mined a Florida recruiting pipeline for some time, having been a defensive coordinator for the Florida Gators before he became a head coach. Strong needs to create continuity relative to last season, providing firm leadership but allowing players to grow in their own ways.
The Bulls also know that running back Marlon Mack and receiver Rodney Adams will not return from last season, so new faces will have to step up.
Team X-Factor
Ronnie Higgins started barely more than half of USF’s games in 2016. He is expected to be better this season at cornerback, but he has to deliver. The AAC has become an offense-dominated league. Moreover, USF’s two losses in 2016 were in games against overwhelming offenses which ran wild against them. USF needs to avoid the nightmare game in which an opposing offense completely explodes, without any resistance from the Bulls’ defense. Higgins can be the kind of player who enables USF to make the crucial turnaround which means the difference between a second-place division finish and a conference championship.
What To Expect From The Bulls This Year
With the sole exceptions of the departures of Mack and Adams, USF has just about all the pieces needed for a huge year. Quinton Flowers is a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback. He presides over an offense which should dominate nearly every game it plays. Strong is a defensive expert, and as long as he makes even modest progress with his defense, this should be an 11-1 team with a chance to go 12-1 with an AAC championship, then 13-1 with a bowl win.
Record Last 5 Seasons
2016: 11-2
2015: 8-5
2014: 4-8
2013: 2-10
2012: 3-9
Schedule & Outlook
The Bulls are viewed as a team on the rise and possibly even one that could crash the College Football Playoff party if everything goes well. The good news for them is that the start to their schedule – and some might say their entire schedule – looks easy. Why that’s important is it affords them the opportunity to really get momentum going.
They’ll start with a trickier-than-it-might-look road trip to San Jose State to start the year. The Spartans were only a four-win team last year but are typically a challenge to face on the West Coast. From there, South Florida will host Stony Brook, go to UConn, host Illinois and Temple, and then visit East Carolina. There really is no reason why this team shouldn’t be 6-0 by the end of September.
The Bulls will indeed go 13-1. They will finish in the top 10 after thriving on offense throughout the season. They will win the AAC title.
Regular Season Win Total Prediction: Over 10
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