By JIM LOUK

GoUSFBulls.com 

A home game!  A noon start!  Eggs and bacon for the media meal!

You have your tailgate food, I have my media food.

Breakfast aside, I've always liked noon games, home or road.  Even in the early days of USF football when we weren't on TV much and we could schedule virtually every home game Saturday nights at 7, I wished for early starts.  It's a great feeling to get up early, work in the sunshine, and get a good broadcast behind you in time to watch the Saturday evening games.

Of course that only works if the right team wins.

I'm often asked about the balance of our broadcast; about whether it's good to be a "homer" or whether it's good to be perfectly and sometimes brutally objective.  My answer is both. 

I think anyone who listens to a USF broadcast knows I want the Bulls to win.  I have an interest in the happiness and success of the student-athletes and the coaches.  The games are generally more fun and exciting when the home team wins, and it leads to greater recognition of the broadcasts and more opportunities to speak about the program as the year rolls on.  Anyone who covers a team week in and week out and tells you they are unaffected by how the team performs isn't telling you the truth.

That said, hoping the home team wins doesn't go as far a being deceitful about what is going on during the game.  Failing to paint a proper and accurate word picture for listeners is the fastest way to lose credibility on a permanent basis.

Part of my weekly game preparation is listening to the broadcast of the prior game, and enduring six hours of tape of the bitter loss in Hartford last week wasn't terribly fun.  At various times I sounded frustrated, hopeful, angry, jubilant, and resigned.  We remain objective at all times, but often the emotions in the broadcast booth aren't much different from your emotions in the stands.

So Bulls fans, I'm right there with you.  This is a big one Saturday.

During the week, Skip Holtz used the word "determined" to describe the mood of the team in practice.  Players and coaches do not need me or anyone else to tell them how important Saturday's game is.  Cincinnati comes in 5-1 and 1-0 in the Big East.

USF has two losses in the Big East. 

So did Connecticut last year when it went to the Fiesta Bowl. 

It's homecoming and there are lots of ticket deals.  Find one, get a ticket and get out to Raymond James Stadium.  Let's enjoy the great weather, being home, and a team that is ready to play. 

And eggs and bacon, of course.

GO BULLS!