USF Football: Oh, How the (Sort of) Mighty Have Fallen

The University of South Florida Bulls are an interesting team. On the one hand, we have Matt Grothe, a standout star who doesn't just have a great arm, but can run the ball like few others.

Of the seven games the Bulls have played, they have won five. Not bad. A 5-2 record is something many teams would kill for. So why does it seem like the Bulls are such a big disappointment after Saturday's 24-20 loss to Louisville?

I attended the homecoming game vs. Syracuse the previous weekend, a 45-14 victory. My parents, older brother, his girlfriend, and my boyfriend donned our USF gear, tailgated, and generally boozed it up good. The homecoming game was the first game after the Bulls' first loss of the season, and, even though it was HOMECOMING, attendance was noticeably low.

This is what happens to the morale of the team and the fans when the Bulls lose one game: It nosedives.

The University of South Florida, founded in 1956, is the only school I ever wanted to go to since my middle school class took a field trip to the engineering building, for whatever reason. It's an amazing institution. A brand new student center just opened, and it's awesome. The Communication building is spectacular (though, I admit, I am biased). But the students there want victory from their football team, and, to them, that means being undefeated.

The football program is so young, and the meteoric rise to No. 2 last season was a shock for everyone. But when we fall from grace, our own fans are the first to go, followed by the team themselves. The morale of the boys in Green and Gold noticeably declines after a loss (which is usually a result of the crap-tacular performance of the "D").

The team collectively says, "We suck," and the fans think it, too.

We can't win 'em all. And 5-2 ain't nothin' to sneeze at. Keep your morale up, Bulls (fans and players, alike). Take a page from Jim Leavitt's book of enthusiasm and remember that you are lucky to be ranked No. 23 (or No. 24, depending on your source) after the devastating loss to Louisville Saturday.

I still believe in you, Bulls.