By JIM LOUK
GoUSFBulls.com
"That's pretty good, kid. What have you got for us this week?"
One of the interesting things about college football is that good or bad, you have to move on to the next game quickly. Celebrate a win for too long, or brood about a loss for too long, and the next week may not turn out the way you planned. Not only that, but a lot of people expect a lot of things from a team every week. The fans, the media, and pretty much everyone else want to see it all again, and soon.
The Bulls certainly raised the bar of expectations a bit last Saturday, didn't they?
I wrote last week that I thought the closeness of this team was exceptional. I think the maturity level is, too. Skip Holtz referred to the trip to South Bend as a business trip, and for those of us who had a chance to accompany the team, it was exactly that. The Bulls were under control from the moment they got on the plane in Tampa, through the moment they got off the plane in Tampa. The potential distractions of Notre Dame Stadium, unprecedented weather delays, a Top 25 opponent, and all the subtexts of Saturday's game never diverted the Bulls attention for a single moment.
That's pretty special.
The plane ride home after the game was quiet. Everyone was tired, certainly, and the weather didn't provide for a very smooth flight. But I think a fair amount of the folks on that late plane were already thinking about Ball State, not looking back to Notre Dame.
That's pretty special, too.
The Cardinals come to town with a 1-0 record, beating Indiana in a very solid performance last week. Ball State has made strides quietly. They are a talented team.
Please make sure you are there Saturday night. There's a great ticket deal in effect; 620 WDAE is offering upper deck tickets for $6.20.
Saturday will be a big night. We will honor our dear friend, Lee Roy Selmon. Then two good football teams will go toe to toe in the first of three consecutive USF home games.
Don't miss the chance to see the Bulls play.
This may turn out to be an exceptional team on the field. Off the field, I think they already are exceptional.
