2008 UCF FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Aug. 30 - South Carolina State
Sept. 5 (Fri.) - USF (ESPN)
Sept. 20 - at Boston College
Sept. 27 - at UTEP
Oct. 4 - SMU
Oct. 11 - at Miami (Fla.)
Oct. 26 (Sun.) - at Tulsa (ESPN)
Nov. 2 (Sun.) - East Carolina (ESPN)
Nov. 8 - Southern Miss
Nov. 15 - at Marshall
Nov. 22 - at Memphis
Nov. 29 - UAB

Conference Games = Bold

USF, BC, Miami, Tulsa, ECU, Southern Miss are all the games that we could drop (yeah, yeah, any given saturday/etc..). That puts us anywhere from 6-6 to probably, I donno, 9-3. I'll adjust my optimism/pessimism meter after the spring game ;)

Three ESPN games for sure though. Just on odd days.

Best of luck to both! More knights in the pros the better.

And I know, I've already read the internet melodrama -- "but Kevin held a press conference!".

We've all changed our minds on something at some point in our lives. Kevin is a 21 year old college kid, not someone who signed a professional business contract (Billy D, I'm looking at you.) He's allowed to re-evaluate things -- maybe something came up family wise, maybe a couple key RB's around the country are returning (Ray Rice, for instance), or maybe he simply was able to get some more down time and had a chance to think clearly. The bowl hype had to be over the top two weeks ago.

When opportunity knocks ya gotta answer the door. Lots of people don't have the courage to leave their comfort zone but Kevin, and possibly Joe, do. I commend them for it.

Go get that paper and make UCF proud.

What started as a blog post at the St. Pete Times has been picked up by the Tampa Tribune with multiple articles, some of it starting to investigate USF's knowledge of all of this.

According to the Tribune, Moffitt's wife went and spoke to the school about it. This story is denied by the university, but correlated through the account of a witness who saw the discussion take place. To take it a step further, the Tribune followed up with an article after retrieving a total of 9 papers from Shauna's personal computer. The University says there is no cause for investigation and there is no way to prove that Ben didn't take the online classes.

Side note: I don't know about you, but I remember having to show up in person with a student id to take online class tests. This was the same lack of common sense that plagued FSU, and likely plagues a lot of other schools. That seems to be issue #1 that needs to be addressed. Not just at USF, but in general

The liability USF just assumed by denying any investigation -- even a quick glance over/write off -- is amazing. They better be 100% sure these charges are false and that there isn't any other cheating going on that the media will uncover. If so, they now have documented reluctance to even bother with the most basic of investigations from what seems like fairly credible accusations.

We'll see if more and more media outlets start picking up on this story. Right now it seems to be nothing more than a local one.

"Why should the media be reporting this?"

It's a fair and reasonable question. This is, after all, a divorce, and divorces can get pretty messy. Not to mention it's all pretty accusatory even with the evidence, and we have no idea of Ben's side of the story.

Here's the kicker. The school promoted Ben as the shining example of USF athletics on national T.V. broadcasts, in national newspapers (remember the NY Times and ESPN puff pieces?), and in national awards. It was a well marketed, heart warming story.

"Linebacker. Leader. Husband. Father."

The truth, of course, was that Moffitt rode his first marriage all the way to graduation and the NFL only to file for divorce before the big pay day. While national awards were being lobbied for, Moffitt and his wife's relationship had already fallen apart. The school made Ben a public figure and now the people who were sold the story are finding out that it wasn't all that true. Hell hath no fury like media scorned. That and, you know, it's the off-season.

Combine it all with the rampant cheating at another nearby state school, and you have the perfect recipe for a story. Top it off with a sprinkle of university denials like this, and it would seem to have the potential to grow:

Even with this information, Gullette said, "there's really no change at this point" as far as the university is concerned.

"The information we have is information we're getting from reporters," Gullette said. "There's not much to do at this point."

USF President Judy Genshaft would not comment on how the allegations might affect the school's academic credibility, and she referred questions to Gullette.

Ken Cissna, chairperson for USF's Department of Communication, said he couldn't comment on students because of privacy issues. Moffitt is a communication major.

Ken's absolutely right about the privacy issue, but for the rest of it, USF better hope there isn't much to this and that someone doesn't uncover something else over there. The kind of liability that USF is assuming is the same kind that the NCAA doesn't take lightly to.

As the Sarasota Herald put it, USF is invoking the "Roger Clemens" defense. The question is which local journalist is going to play the role of George Mitchell?

I won't bother commenting on the relationship situation that USF's Ben Moffitt finds himself in, that's his business. What's more interesting, especially in light of the suspensions our friends up at FSU just handed out, is this:

"He is living a lie," she said. "He's lying to everyone. He's not helping (us) with anything." Their marriage of five years has deteriorated to the point that Shauna, 26, made public Thursday a larger allegation, saying that she had taken multiple online courses for her husband and written papers for his college classes to keep him eligible to play football.

"I have written every single paper he has ever written in five years at USF," said Shauna, who works as a data specialist in the Sumter County Appraiser's Office.

As of 3 p.m. Thursday, USF officials had not responded to questions seeking comment on the academic allegations.

Yikes. This is fodder of course for everyone outside of USF who has questioned Coach Leavitt's discipline (or lack thereof) of his team over in Tampa. I'm sure this type of thing takes place not just on football teams but on college campuses at large, but man.. talk about continually fueling the fire that was kicked off by Nick Saban bashing USF's lowered acceptance requirements. This comes after ESPN ran a "behind the lines" on the school showing that close to half of the USF players were admitted under 'special circumstances' with the NCAA.

This kind of thing plays out one of two ways -- either they get past it unscathed and start recruiting legit kids, or they keep going until they implode from on and off the field issues. The big question that comes up when discussing the "timing" of a possible shakedown, is whether or not Leavitt will stick it out to be around when it happens. Personally, I think if he were looking to "upgrade" coaching positions, he would have already done it. Especially with all the openings this post season.

Just getting back from Memphis after attending what will undoubtedly be the most boring bowl game of the year for most folks. If you are not a UCF fan or a MSU fan, you probably fell asleep by the third quarter. We had a group of ten though and managed to have a great time regardless of the score/play.

On the game
We knew going in that Kyle Israel was going to have to play well for us to be able to put it away. Turns out, that was highly prophetic. MSU played almost as poorly, but reigned it in when it mattered most. Congrats to Croom on their turn around this season. 10-3 was the final score, with MSU scoring a touchdown off an interception late in the 4th quarter. That's right. We spent 95% of the game tied at 3-3. Fascinating.

On Kyle's play
Kyle has had a pretty solid senior year. He's a great kid and a hell of a student athlete. I'm thankful for what he has done at UCF and I think he will make a fine ambassador for the program.

However...

This may have been one of the worst first half performances I've ever witnessed (I've already blocked the USF game from my memory). Kyle typically makes great decisions (60% completion rate prior to Saturday), but for whatever reason he tends to get overly excited when facing a 'name' opponent. Telegraphing his throws, missing open receivers all over, passing into tight coverage and over/under throwing balls. This kind of thing plagued us the majority of the game. Three interceptions, two of them being completely poor decisions and completely inexcusable. (That last one was just a great defensive play by MSU. I think he got hit right when he released and it was pretty tight coverage.) One dimensional play isn't going to win a bowl game.

Here's what MSU's Derek Pegues had to say about his interceptions after the game;

He just threw it right to me both times, and I was lucky to catch the ball.

My thoughts exactly.

If I were in GOL's shoes, I would have put in Greco for at least one series after that second interception just to mix it up and see what happens. On the other hand, Bowl games are rewards, and Kyle deserves to play his last game.. It's just... man... I guess the backup QB is always the most popular.

On Torres missing two FG's
He has been automatic all year. People are allowed a bad game. It's unfortunate that his happened to be Saturday night, but he's not to blame for this one. Plus, the momentum argument is simply to hypothetical for me. No doubt the misses hurt though.

On 24k
The SEC homers are trying to play it up as Kevin being shut down. Limited, sure, but If hanging 120 on one of the best rushing defenses in the country is being shutdown, especially with 9 in the box and zero concern for the passing game, then Kevin is truly one hell of a back (keep in mind, McFadden ran for 88 on MSU). I'm not sure what game they were watching but in mine I saw a running back get hit in the backfield and still get positive yardage more often than not. He had a fumble that from our vantage point looked like either a strip or a bad hand off, I couldn't tell but I'm sure the DVR will hold the answer. That many carries with no pass relief and its bound to happen. We also got Kevin involved a bit more in what little passing game we had. I hope we see a lot more of it next year.

On UCF's defense
Outstanding. It helped that MSU was having a terrible offensive game, but still some of the best pass rushing I've seen from the Knights. We still can't seem to handle mobile quarterbacks well, and I think MSU would have been better served giving Dixon a few more touches in the middle. He would have had a much bigger night.

When your offense gives up 4 turnovers, and it's still 3-3 late in the fourth, the defense has done its job. We should be even stronger next year.

On cowbells
Talk about over-hyped. They weren't banned cause they are loud (they really weren't), they're banned because they're f'n stupid. It would seem that MSU fans forget to yell and instead rely on what ultimately sounds like locusts. For weeks all we heard were these jokers talking about cowbells like they were some sort of magic. 55,000 of them and I was completely unimpressed. From the hype you'd have thought my ears would have been bleeding. Not that I'm disappointed, but I'll take a 100% steel constructed stadium any day of the week. Add 20,000 to the top of Brighthouse and it's going to be deadly.

And seriously. Cowbells for bulldogs? And yeah, I know the story about the cow wandering on to the field and beating Ole Miss 80 years ago, but that only makes it seem even more sad.

On MSU fans
Most of the folks we met were mighty fine, but man. The more some of those backwoods frat types drank on Beale, the more I realized how thankful I am not to live in Mississippi. President Eisenhower pushed for the highway system specifically so people there could leave. The smart ones did, the rest started breeding. Then again, Southern Miss fans have never really seemed to bad. Maybe there's just something in the water in Hattiesburg that saves them from Mississippi's burgeoning idiocracy. Either that, or I haven't experienced enough Southern Miss fans.

On Memphis
When we got off the plane, we weren't sure if we should adjust our clocks to central time or to 1988. The sweet smell of charcoal BBQ was immediate and welcomed though and the towns support for the Memphis Tigers was great to see.

I had been warned that Memphis is pretty ghetto. After living in not-so-nice areas of D.C, I didn't really think much of it. I should have. The city has a we'll-rob-your-ass-in-broad-day-light vibe to it. During the game, a couple people in our group had their hotel room broken into through the window and everything was taken. We went out to Silkie's and ran into a friend from DC (an MSU fan). They had some dude come flying into their table, and then somehow or another some girl hit someone they were with. It turned into a little huffy puff and they were looking to press charges. The bouncer told her that it was simply "the manner of the town" and the cops didn't seem to give a shit. Nice.

Basically, the downtown area looks like every last penny was spent on a two block area. The rest of the town looks like a pre-storm 9th ward. Evidently, the apathy towards crime and shit poor behavior is just as bad. It's sad to see a town with such strong history and culture completely accept their crime as simply, as the bouncer put it, the "manner of the town."

It's great to know that whoever wins C-USA is rewarded with such an awesome destination. I think next time we'll try staying in Nashville.

On Silkies...
The same bouncer told me that there were in fact goats there, but they were behind the tents and you couldn't get to them. I didn't see them, and therefore I do not believe that they exist. If any place wasn't worth the cover, it was this joint anyhow. Unless you're meeting someone there (like we were), don't bother.

The best bars seemed to be B.B. Kings and Pat O's. Both are chains, and both are in Orlando. That was really really disappointing. We did see an Elvis impersonator sporting a disgusting male camel toe at club 152 though. That's gotta be worth something. Just not $5 cover.

On Graceland...
Graceland was so fantastically awful and cheesy it's beyond words. The museum of jump suits is now one of my favorite places on Earth. The captions talk about how stylish they were for the time, but Kat accurately pointed out that no one else was wearing such things. They seemed to get more elaborate and eccentric with every pill Elvis popped and you can totally tell when the bedazzler was released.

I really don't mean to keep ripping on Mississippi, but I'd be neglectful if I didn't point out that the MSU fans seemed to be really really into it. It was hard to make it through the mansion with all of their photo taking. I'm pretty sure at least one of them is putting together some sort of Elvis scrapbook to sell on eBay in an attempt to pay for their trip. Sure was a classy place, eh bulldogs? Enjoy your new commemorative plate.

Trip Highlight
For me, it was the food. Ryan arranged for a get together at Central BBQ before the game. The ribs were pretty dang tasty and the pulled pork was top notch. We didn't get to Rendevous, but I'd certainly recommend Central BBQ. On Sunday, we went to Gus's for fried chicken. Probably the best I've ever had. Definitely worth the time if you find yourself in Memphis. Corky's was okay, but I enjoyed Central more.

Anyhow.. It was fun and I value the experience, warts and all. We'll see you again next year, Liberty Bowl ;)

Been crazy distracted lately and haven't had much mind to blog. Heading to Memphis Saturday morning bright and early by way of Cincinnati. Let's hope the planes aren't running late ;) Vescio and I will also be playing Zombie Nation on the flight. I'm pretty sure modern aviation can handle it. We'll find out.

Both Burnsy and Streep told me there is a bar in Memphis where you feed goats beer and they fight. I wasn't 100% sure if this really existed, or if it was some sort of terrible ploy to leave me drunk and broken hearted on bealle street. I did some googling though, and it turns out that this crazy place actually exists. So.. If you're going to be in Memphis, see you guys there after the game!

Here's a picture of the C-USA congrats billboard next to the liberty bowl. Really cool to see the conference spending some cash to pimp little ole' UCF.

Please, spare me the crap. We've all heard the arguments and I'm not sure there is a serious football fan left who agrees.

How often has the BCS worked as advertised? Maybe a couple of times? The entire system was designed to settle the national championship discussion. Instead, it's made it worse.

It's highly unlikely, but today UConn could beat WVU. Mizz could beat Kansas. We're then looking at Mizz vs Ohio State right? Not necessarily. Oklahoma could beat Mizz in the Big 12 championship game.

What happens then?

A team that won't win the SEC, Georgia, would be likely get the nod. That's right. A team that won't win their own conference and will finish the year with 2 losses, would be playing for the national championship.

I've been a fan of the "plus one" concept, but at this point.. That's not even enough. 8 team playoff or bust. Keep the silly rankings and illogical formulas. Just take the final 8 and let them loose. This way, UGA would still have a shot at it, but they'd have to earn it, not slide in because of some wacky formulas.

Thank you Marshall.

The Herds win over ECU puts UCF in the drivers seat for C-USA. *If* we can win out, we'll be hosting the C-USA championship game here in Orlando, FL at the brand new Brighthouse Networks Stadium. What a crazy way to open up the new facilities.

It's also Nov. 14th, a very emotional day for Marshall. Say a prayer for `em.

Kevin Smith is about to top 2,000 yards on the season rushing. He'll be only the 11th person to do so in college football history, and the first in the State of Florida (ever). With all the talk of McFadden, 24k has done this relatively under the radar while facing better rushing defenses (look it up, I'm not kidding or exaggerating). It's likely Kevin goes pro after this season. Take advantage of him being in Orlando and go check him out at the UTEP game Nov. 24th, or god willing, at the C-USA champ game (noon game, dec 1st I think?) Backs like this one are few and far between.

Man, yesterday was amazing. We were on campus for 12 hours tailgating and I have the sunburn to prove it. After morning mimosas with Screws and company, the parade set the stage. After the parade, there was a basketball game, then I believe a soccer game (that I didn't see), and then the marshall game. To have it all on UCF's campus, all on the north side that didn't even exist 3 years ago, was simply incredible. The administration over in east orlando has done a hell of a job, and the Knights are bowl eligible (6-3). Keep it up.

I've avoided saying much about USF since they dismantled UCF four weeks back. At three losses in a row though, I'm required. What the hell, bulls? At first, I was impressed with USF's almost-comeback last night. Then, I started reading things the fans are saying about the game. USF fans managed to piss off the entire nation with their arrogance while winning, and now they're pissing off everyone with their poor sportsmanship after losing. Learn to win, learn to lose. Can't say it's completely unexpected when The Jim is in charge over there though. Jim Leavitt has officially come off the hinges after swallowing his face with his lower lip against Rutgers. Last night, his team had 8 turnovers, the players ran out on to the field to cuss out the refs and his own players started fighting with each other on the sideline. Afterwards, he had the audacity to pin things on a possible blown call. Not to mention cry. You heard me. The man cried. At least he showed up to talk with the media this time (Which, you know, is his job, and one that he and his players have a reputation for not doing. That's going to hurt grothe's heisman hopes way more than his 4 picks.)

USF is a team that has two convincing wins this year -- UNC and UCF. Every other game has been questionable calls and turnovers. Basic statistics tells you that its going to balance out, and thats exactly whats happening. Bad calls go both ways. When you peak under the covers of the program itself, The Jim has a roster of 50% NCAA special exceptions (according to ESPN's outside the lines. It means it took lawyers to get them into school, and that Saban was right.), with most of the players being two and three star talent. That's not a likely formula to win the Big East, let alone a National Championship. What it will do though is make a competitive program with tons of off the field issues. Either you survive it and start recruiting legit kids, or it implodes and gets everyone fired. The jury is still out on what the outcome will be right now. And yeah, I get it. I'm a UCF fan. It must be jealousy. The kicker, of course, is that the entire sports world is now arriving at similar conclusions. I guess jealousy runs rampant. Stay classy, Tampa.

Ohio State over Wisconsin. I know everyone's doubting the big 10 (with reason), but OSU looks stronger each week. The biggest rivalry in the college game looms big. Michigan has been playing the way everyone expected them to play pre-app state implosion, and I believe they're playing up in the big house. Michigan had a hell of a rally yesterday over Michigan State.

Tough loss for ASU, but Oregon looks good. Real good. If I had a ballot, they'd pass LSU this week. LSU continues to play risky, and I'm wondering when it's going to bite them. And no, I don't believe that its because the SEC is "just that good." Not this year, friends.

NC State beat Miami.. you know what that means..... go knights!

FSU beat Boston College. I was disappointed to see their streak come to a close, but can't say that I was terribly surprised. BC's team GPA is just way to high... ;)

UConn beat Rutgers. I really though Rutgers would pull this one off. It's good to see a cinderella team still alive though.

And is it time to put Kansas in the top 5 yet?

Virginia Tech beats Georgia Tech while wearing GT uniforms. Well done!

ECU at Memphis next week. If Memphis can pull off the upset, UCF will be in the drivers seat for C-USA East with a shot at the Liberty Bowl. Not bad for a team that was 4-7 last year. Big win over Southern Miss tonight on the road for the knights. Tulsa last week, USM this week -- its amazing the things that can happen when you don't turn the ball over 5+ times.

Funny thing though, I believe the Papa John's Bowl is a Big East team vs. C-USA's #4 (off the top of my head). If UCF drops another game, and USF drops another game, we could be looking at a bowl matchup. I know, I know.. That'd be nuts after USF manhandled UCF for four quarters. The thing is, the Big East only has three bowl tie-ins. USF and the bowl committee might not have a ton of wiggle room. Of course, that means UCF is C-USA #4, and well, that would suck. Soo..

UF lost to UGA. Gotta love them dawgs.

Ohio State finally looked like a #1 team on the road against Penn State. Maybe, just maybe, we'll get some stability.

How about Matt Ryan? That's what I call a Heisman performance.

Arizona State over Cal, but it's Oregon who's looking like they're for real. Great match up ahead of us next week.

Man.. Best year of football ever.

Kiel was able to score a couple of VIP passes to the Republican Debates held here in Orlando on Sunday night. Massive, massive thank you to him for bringing me along.

It was a pretty crazy event. We went early enough to walk around, take it all in and talk to some folks. The whole political process, when viewed up close, is extremely surreal and probably the best people watching you can possibly ask for. Some of you know what Kathryn does for a living, but for those of you that don't... well, I've been around it in some shape or form for a little while now. Seeing it all take place in our hometown, and being right up close to all the candidates at once though, was a really cool experience. Kiel and I had 5th or 6th row seats with our names on them, which meant that we were just to the side of the moderators (crazy close) and were probably the only "commoners" in the immediate area.

I won't go into how I feel about various candidates or anything like that (if you like politics, feel free to ask me in person.. I've grown immune to discussing it and keep a pretty open/even mind), but afterwards we walked up to the stage where a couple of the "2nd tier" candidates were hanging around conversing with folks. Gov. Huckabee, who has been gaining momentum lately, was one of them.

I previously mentioned that he's a member of the same college fraternity I was active in back in the day (TKE). I think his son is an active member and he was brought in as an honorary, but I'm not sure the details. I was having trouble getting his attention (he had a really big crowd around him) and his handlers were trying to walk him off the stage. I finally shouted, "Good luck, Frater!" and he turned around with "Are you a teke?! God bless you, frater." and reached back to shake my hand. Yeah, I slipped him the secret cool guy handshake. That's how we roll. I'm not sure he caught it though ;)

I have always heard stories of how President Reagan would go out of his way to shake hands with tekes, and I'm sure every frat has their own similar story. With Reagan, the line is that he's the only president to have visited a fraternity house while in office (Fundraiser at Purdue, I believe), and he mentions TKE occasionally in his diaries. He remained active in the fraternity as an alumni pretty much until he was completely unable. I've seen his signature on a letter to TKE as late as 1999.

It probably seems extremely silly to the vast majority of folks, heck, it seems silly to me simply writing about it, but it makes for fun conversation. I've served as a Chapter Advisor (up at Maryland) and occasionally try to help mentor/advise some of the guys down here at UCF (just for good karma, not in any official capacity). Alumni stories help inspire kids to over achieve (one less game of beer-pong, one more hour of studying.. or, you know.. not.. whatever). "Look what this guy, who you have something in common with, has been able to do." I now have my own first hand account to share and can quit making it all up as I go along. Rad ;)

Anyway, the day was a lot of fun. If I understand correctly, Democrats are refusing to campaign in Florida over some political beef with the state party (translation: if you're a dem in florida, your primary vote no longer counts for anything). Seems a bit short sighted to completely boycott such a battle ground state. If this election comes down to Florida again, and Dem's lose, they officially have no one to blame but themselves. It also would have been hella' interesting to compare/contrast similar events from different sides of the aisle. Maybe next time around...

BCS rankings came out. It would appear that USF is batting 1.000 with the computer rankings. Wow.

Here's the official top 10:

#1: Ohio State
#2: South Florida
#3: Boston College
#4: LSU
#5: Oklahoma
#6: South Carolina
#7: Kentucky
#8: Arizona State
#9: West Virginia
#10: Oregon

Complete BCS rankings

The saying goes that if internet message boards were purely representative of a fan base, every team would have a couple of starting quarterbacks and fire their coach three times a year. I think it's fair to apply that logic to what goes on over at TheBullsPen.com and other USF hangouts when it comes to discussing the UCF/USF game.

Their most passionate fans have followed Leavitt's lead in dismissing the UCF/USF game as nothing more than an annoyance. There's no rivalry because UCF isn't in a BCS conference, USF has "passed" UCF (certainly not in entrance requirements, graduation rates, campus life or facilities.. but I digress), USF "always wins" (0-2 on the series, USF won with a late touchdown in the 4th last year). Things of that nature.

Here's the rub, USF fans.

Rivalries, specifically "natural rivalries," have very little to do with on (or off) the field actions (or in UCF's case, inaction). A natural rivalry such as this is bigger than anything you say on a message board, any line your coach wants to pitch, any blog post we write and any final score on the scoreboard. It transcends conferences and alliances because it has very little to do with actual football. That's just where we get to watch the two schools face off in any "formal" fashion.

Two similar schools, similar history, similar age in the same geography. High school friends go their separate ways, families are split between them, co-workers work next to each other in cubicles while neighbors fly different flags. There's animosity over medical schools (USF lobbied against UCF's) and BigEast membership (UCF was on the list, crossed off in favor of a more successful basketball program at USF).

The two cities themselves have a history of animosity. Tampa successfully landed an NFL franchise rendering the Citrus Bowl close to worthless while Orlando landed an NBA team. Tampa, quite frequently, seemed to be waiting in the wings for the Magic had Orlando not approved the new arena. Ask residents here what they think about Tampa, and you'll hear a story of two sister cities. One, Tampa, a rowdy, drunken promiscuous sister, and the other, Orlando, a Disney loving, family oriented type. Not exactly a friendly setup for Thanksgiving dinner. (har har).

That sister analogy parallels to the routes each football program has taken as well. Leavitt, who of course denies Saban's comments on the subject, has in fact taken many athletes of questionable character. It worked for Miami in the 80s, and it seems to be working for USF 20 years later. I read somewhere the other day (and will search for the link when I have time) that mentioned USF has had close to 45 recruits ruled ineligible for college ball over the last 4-5 years.

George O'leary, on the other hand, has probably heard enough about the word character to last a lifetime after his resume debacle. There's very little tolerance for missteps at UCF. When he arrived, he kicked off so many players UCF wasn't able to field a spring game. When the season came, he had players playing both sides of the ball to make up for the lack of personnel. He went 0-11 that year, but damn it, they had the highest GPA in the NCAA.

One school has taken a fast paced, high octane route, while the other has made a choice to build up in a traditional, conservative manner. Two conflicting views, both with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. It's hard to deny Leavitt anything when he has his program in the top 5, but maybe it's the Orlando in me -- I prefer George's way even if it means we're shooting for the Liberty Bowl.

Is USF going to find similar feelings amongst fan bases from FAU and FIU? How about Miami or Gainesville? Not likely. I'm sure they would all be great games, as all in-state games are, but it'll never have that feeling of playing the town-down-the-road. David Whitley did some quality investigative reporting proving that the feeling is indeed mutual between UCF and USF students.

All of this adds up to one conclusion -- this game needs to be played, and it needs to be played often.I'm positive that USF will dodge UCF for as long as they can once this contract ends. I'm sure they will kick and scream and piss themselves with anger if UCF ever comes up for BigEast membership. In fact, I think we'll see a completely different BCS structure before USF votes for UCF inclusion. But none of that, absolutely none of it, will affect the behavior of the fans. Fans want this game, communities want this game, players want this game and the local economy wants this game.

The only people who seem to not want this game are Leavitt and all the USF internet dorks. It's a shame that they're more concerned with winning and rankings than they are with students, fans and the communities. The economic benefit, the entertainment enjoyment and the chance to start another proud Florida tradition will suffer because of it.

Can't wait for the game tomorrow. Here's to a fun, injury free one. (cheers)

When I first saw a thread on UCF rivals instructing people to poke the other teams QB, I paid no mind. This week, with USF QB Matt Grothe, I again passed up the opportunity. But, after reading this quote on tampabay.com, I think it's time I join in the fun:

"On Facebook, they have this stupid, ridiculous thing called Poke the Opposing Team's Quarterback," said Grothe, likely prompting much, more poking in the next four days. "I've probably been poked three or four times by other schools all year. I've probably been poked about 6-million times this week."

So there you have it. Sweet, sweet acknowledgment... Poke away ;)

UPDATE: Hah! Here are a few more players (thanks to Lisa on the rivals board): George Selvie, Amarri Jackson, Carlton Mitchell, Jessie Hester, Cedric Hill

ECU stomped UCF in greenville and won by two touchdowns. It wasn't quite a "rout," which was the headline the Sentinel ran with, but it certainly was convincing. UCF had 5 turnovers in the third quarter. You can't do that on the road against a team that was a popular pre-season pick to win our division (along with USM). It's easy to look at ECU's record and write them off, but with injuries and suspensions, last night was the first real game they've had with close to everyone on the field. My guess is ECU wins out. For our sake, let's hope they lose one more and we find a way to win the rest of our conference games. My expectation for UCF at the beginning of the season was to be bowl eligible. I stand by that. Three more wins knights, four for good measure.

You know who else had 5 turnovers? USC. All is right in the world when the media darling finally drops a game. To Stanford no less. Prior to the game, Jim Harbaugh, the coach for Stanford, called this year's USC the greatest college football team of all time. Stupid fantasy time zone and their cute little conference. Maybe they've been sleeping through noon kickoffs.

Cal on the other hand, might be the real deal. After the shakeups yesterday (when they had a bye week), where do you put them? #2, #3? #1 is obvious, of course. Good teams find ways to win, and LSU did that over a young gator team. The question there is what to do with UF. Do you keep a 2 loss gator team in the top 10? Being that they were already #9, I'd say that's a giant negative. Certainly top 15 though. At least until the South Carolina game.

Ohio State over Purdue. Finally, normalcy in college football.

Illinois over Wisconsin. Sorry Greg. That Ron Zook sure can coach, though.

Did anyone actually watch the USF game? I highly doubt it and I bet the polls will reflect it. FAU had the game in hand until a couple of Big East ref's blew a call on a fumble recovery. FAU punts the ball, two USF players run into each other and fumble. FAU recovers right outside the endzone, Big Easy ref's call interference on FAU. ESPNU announcers, who I believe were borrowed from the local high school press box, acknowledge the error and then immediately go back to blowing smoke up USF's ass. Sooner or later, someone's going to expose this team. For the Big East's sake, they better hope it's not in a bowl game blowout.

Rice over Southern Miss. Memphis over Marshall. Utah over Louisville (hah!). Tennessee over the Dawgs. OK over Texas. Kansas over Kansas State. South Carolina over Kentucky. Maryland over Ga. Tech (go terps).