Columns

Team of destiny hands over control as chances slip away

By JOHN ROMANO, Times Columnist
Published October 19, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Ted McLaren | Times] USF quarterback Matt Grothe picks up a first down before being wrapped up by Rutgers' Glen Lee.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The maturation of South Florida football has come at a frantic pace.

They learned quickly how to scheme and how to dream. They figured out how to turn empty seats into hysteria, and to create history where there was none. They discovered, remarkably, the swiftest path to the top of college football.

And, today, they have learned of heartbreak.

Given a shot at glory, the Bulls now understand its cost. For the only thing worse than having no hope at all, is understanding that you let it slip away.

For the first time all season, the Bulls were going against the tide at game's end. When the final whistle sounded and Rutgers had completed a 30-27 upset of No. 2 USF, a parade of red-clad students raced toward the middle of the field as the Bulls made the slow walk in the opposite direction.

"What do you think they'd be like?" USF coach Jim Leavitt said, when asked the mood of his players. "They're not jumping up and down. They're disappointed, certainly."

They have lost other important games. They have left other fields knowing they missed an opportunity.

But never before have the Bulls understood what it means to fall from on high.

South Florida was halfway toward completing what may have been the most improbable championship season college football has ever known. The Bulls were halfway to re-shaping the balance of power in Florida.

Instead, they will spend the rest of this season trying to prove to the rest of the country that their No. 2 ranking was not some fluke of circumstance and good fortune.

"This had nothing to do with being the hunted instead of the hunter," Leavitt said. "This was just Big East football. Rutgers is a pretty good team, and they already had one loss in the Big East. They couldn't afford another.

"Now, we're in the same position they were. We can't lose again, not if we want to have a shot at winning this thing."

For the past month, everything about USF has felt too good to be true.

And on Thursday night, it finally was.

The lack of a running game became a glaring weakness. The mistakes on special teams cost the Bulls too many points. And, this time, the defense was not able to bail USF out as it has done before.

The Bulls will fall in the rankings, and they will fall hard. Too many people were already skeptical about USF's ascension, and a loss to an unranked team will be all the proof needed to write this team off as an incidental interloper.

"Our goal has never had anything to do with rankings. That's not something I even think about," Leavitt said. "Our goal has always been to win the Big East. And we took a hit tonight. That's for sure."

When the day began, the Bulls were a contender for the national championship. By night's end, they were not even in control of their own destiny in the Big East.

Even if USF wins all of its remaining games, it could still finish behind Rutgers in the conference. And if the Bulls are in a multi-team tie for first place, they could be shut out of a major bowl because the highest-ranked team in the BCS standings would get the Big East's invitation.

This heartache will not be easily forgotten, but the Bulls should eventually put it in perspective.

They are more than halfway through the season, and are still in contention for the conference title. The only way USF truly loses is if it allows this disappointment to become the story of the season by moping unnecessarily.

If they are honest with themselves, the Bulls will understand they had been tempting fate for too long.

They needed a last-minute drive to force overtime against Auburn. They needed a last-minute defensive stand to hold off West Virginia. They needed more time than necessary to put away Florida Atlantic.

They have been tenacious and, yes, they have been fearless. But the Bulls have also been fortunate. And that is not something you can count on forever.

This time, it was the other team that saw the breaks go its way. This time, it was the other team that capitalized on opportunities and converted all of its gambles.

Rutgers turned a fake punt into a field goal, and turned a fake field goal into a touchdown.

As for the Bulls, they turned a real opportunity into a major disappointment.

John Romano can be reached at romano@sptimes.com.

[Last modified October 19, 2007, 01:36:27]