Columns

There are so many reasons to end series

By JOHN ROMANO, Times Columnist
Published October 14, 2007

TAMPA - Have you Bulls had enough yet?

Because Central Florida can give you more of where that came from.

If need be, these Knights can wheeze until sunset. They have spleens galore, and bruises yet to be discovered. So c'mon, you USF sissies, stick around and take your medicine.

Or, as the Black Knight of Monty Python fame once claimed after being dismembered:

All right, we'll call it a draw.

This is the rivalry Central Florida was so desperate to start? This is the game one university spent years lobbying to get? And have the rest of us completely missed the boat on masochism as a major?

In the latest installment of the Snore on I-4, the Bulls made their most concise argument yet to end this series as soon as the final whistle blows in next year's game. After three meetings, the average score has been somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-14, which is sort of like Britney Spears' rivalry with intelligence.

"A rivalry is a game that goes back and forth. You have to beat somebody to say it's a rivalry," cornerback Mike Jenkins said. "We've played them three times and they haven't beaten us yet. Maybe in the future, if they get a win, you can call it a rivalry. But not yet."

Yes, this has been a one-sided affair. Not just on the scoreboard, but in the ante.

USF put its reputation on the field on Saturday. Its No. 5 ranking, too. The Bulls put their hard-to-believe-it-could-happen shot at the national championship game on the line.

And all UCF could wager was its pride.

Woo-hoo, now that's a pot worth winning.

At this point in their development, the Knights have nothing substantial to offer South Florida. They've never been a ranked team. They play in a weaker conference. They are nothing but an upset waiting to happen. Which makes UCF a risk that probably isn't worth taking.

You play some teams because they can boost your profile - which is why the Bulls have Auburn on the schedule.

And you play some teams because they will offer little resistance - which explains the season-opener with Elon.

What you don't often do is play a team that has enough talent to be a threat, but not enough prestige to make it worthwhile. And I mean that in the nicest way possible.

"I guess they enjoy it. For me, its just another team," said tackle Walter Walker. "They're a great team, but we want to build our rivalries with phenomenal teams. I want to have a rivalry with Miami, a big-time game."

So, for USF, this is the right time to walk away.

This way, it doesn't appear as if the Bulls are ducking UCF. Nope, they're just tired of slapping the Knights around.

Once they get past next season's game, the two teams are not scheduled to meet again. USF has future games against Miami and Florida, and is in no hurry to draw up new contracts with UCF.

"We're just trying to look at our schedule and see what makes sense from both a home and an away standpoint and then look at what options may come available," USF athletic director Doug Woolard said. "We've had some people call us about some TV games, and some neutral site games. So we're looking at all of that as we move forward."

In other words:

Beat it kid, you're bothering me.

Oh, I suppose you could make a strong argument that UCF is a highly attractive game for USF fans. That playing a school 100 miles down the road generates interest and boosts attendance.

Except USF doesn't necessarily need that hook anymore. If all goes according to plan, the Bulls will have built-in buzz because, most seasons, they'll be challenging for the Big East title and a major bowl.

And UCF is not going to help with that plan.

Is that a Machiavellian attitude? Sure. But the Bulls are not yet in a place where they can afford to be magnanimous about their schedule. The program has had unprecedented growth in a short amount of time, and it cannot afford too many missteps in the future. It's not as if USF's current ranking is guaranteed beyond the next few days.

The Bulls need to continue being aggressive, but they also need to be smart. If they are putting something on the line, they need to make sure there is adequate return on the other side.

Lose a non-conference game to Florida, and you can still claim cache.

Lose a non-conference game to UCF, and you've got some explaining to do.

The bottom line is Central Florida wanted this rivalry because it wanted a chance to measure itself against USF.

And, at this point, the Bulls are more interested in measuring themselves against the nation.

On a positive note

UCF was able to make a dent in USF's record books in Saturday's 64-12 loss. Among the records set by the Knights:

11 Tied most punts by a USF opponent

226 Most kickoff-return yards by USF opponent

[Last modified October 13, 2007, 21:39:22]