Paul Finebaum has one of the largest platforms in college football. When he speaks on his wildly popular and entertaining daily show — carried by the SEC Network and ESPN Radio — millions of people watch and listen.
Here's what Finebaum said this week:
"I think USF is the story of college football so far this season. I have seen both of their games and I've been so impressed with every aspect.''
That aptly summarizes the early season reviews from college football's national media, which has been dazzled by USF's victories against the Boise State Broncos and Florida Gators, both ranked in the top 25. Many writers and broadcasters have recalibrated their expectations when it comes to USF football.
The name-brand reporters, television commentators and podcasters will again watch closely Saturday when the No. 18-ranked Bulls (2-0) seek to continue their momentum against the No. 5 Miami Hurricanes (2-0) at Hard Rock Stadium.
"My reaction to the start of the season is … wow!'' said Ross Dellenger, the national college football writer for Yahoo Sports. "But I cannot say I'm too surprised. Alex Golesh's teams the last two years have hung around with Miami and Alabama twice. The Bulls finally got over the hump and finished a fourth quarter against a power-league program.''
"Did I expect USF to dominate Boise State and then go into Florida and win? No. Am I surprised based on what I know about the program and what Alex Golesh has been building? Also no,'' ESPN's Andrea Adelson said. "We have seen glimpses at the possibilities since he revived USF in 2023. … But it is safe to say you'd be hard-pressed to find anybody outside Tampa that believed the Bulls could take down two Top 25 opponents to start the season.''
"For people who are fans of USF's program, I'd say one word — enjoy!'' said Rick Neuheisel, the former college head coach who co-hosts a daily morning show on SiriusXM Radio. "Enjoy because this is fun. And now you get the eyes of the nation on you once again. If USF was wearing a different uniform or logo (of an established powerhouse) — with those results — they'd be ranked in the top five. But USF has definitely put itself on the map and set up some exciting possibilities.''
Here's more of what national media members are saying about the USF Bulls:
Head Coach Alex Golesh
Adelson said she has long followed USF, working at the Orlando Sentinel before joining ESPN. She has chronicled the program's ups and downs, gaining perspective while conducting interviews in the offices of former head coaches Skip Holtz, Willie Taggart, Charlie Strong and Jeff Scott.
"USF had to get aligned behind football, and Alex had to get people to buy-in and believe the possibilities,'' Adelson said. "For more than a decade, I have heard about what should make USF a winning program. But saying it and actually doing it are two different things. Alex arrived with a plan. I think he has the right personality and coaching chops for this job.''
Finebaum, a Tennessee alumnus, said he knew Golesh was good from his two-season stint with the Volunteers.
"But he has now become one of the hottest young coaches in America,'' Finebaum said. "It's truly an amazing story.''
"I covered Golesh when he was offensive coordinator at Tennessee, and there's no question he was central to that program's turnaround in 2021 and its enormous success in 2022,'' said Joe Rexrode, a senior writer with The Athletic. "I had little doubt he would succeed at USF, despite what he was inheriting, but he has exceeded my expectations.''
"I knew of Golesh because his (Tennessee) offenses under Josh Heupel were so prolific,'' said Stewart Mandel, managing editor for The Athletic's college-football coverage. "He has led quite a turnaround already at USF. It's particularly impressive that they're doing it with a great defense rather than having to outscore people.''
Quarterback Byrum Brown
Rexrode was pointed in his assessment of Brown's two-game start.
"Byrum Brown has taken another step and should be getting Heisman mentions right now,'' Rexrode said.
Dusty Dvoracek, a co-host with Danny Kanell on SiriusXM Radio's early morning show, said he was bullish on Florida's College Football Playoff chances when the season began. Dvoracek also said he was a "massive'' fan of Gators quarterback DJ Lagway.
"Let's be honest, Byrum Brown outplayed DJ Lagway,'' Dvoracek said. "Byrum Brown is really good. He can throw. He can run. He has great size. I think he invokes confidence in that USF football team.''
"Byrum Brown is playing his tail off,'' Kanell said. "He really can do it all. He's one of the best quarterbacks in America, no doubt.''
"We knew a healthy Byrum Brown could be electric,'' Adelson said.
He has been just that.
South Florida Defense
Dvoracek, a former All-American linebacker at Oklahoma, said USF's defensive effort and execution has been inspiring.
"Oh my gosh … that USF defense,'' Dvoracek said. "They just beat Florida on the line of scrimmage. They were dominant against Boise State. It's the USF defensive line and the offensive line, too. The Bulls are running to the ball and playing together.''
"USF was not afraid of Florida in any way,'' said Taylor McHargue, a college-football color analyst for CBS Sports. "USF matched up well with Florida on the defensive and offensive lines and that bodes extremely well for them in league play. In the American Conference, in my opinion, only Tulane and Memphis in the trenches will be able to bang with USF.''
USF's defense, under coordinator Todd Orlando, has been a pleasant surprise for the national pundits who already were well-versed in the exploits of Brown and USF's skill-position players.
"For all of the attention on the offense and the stars on that side, it's the USF defense that has really jumped out to me,'' said Chris Vannini, a senior college-football writer for The Athletic. "They look really fast and deep. That has been evident in the results.''
"The victory against Boise State was eye-opening, especially on the defensive side,'' said Bill Bender, a columnist for The Sporting News. "Jhalyn Shuler is an All-American caliber linebacker.''
"USF's swarming, connected defense is what really stands out to me,'' Rexrode said. "I've been very impressed with the two games and I've watched them in full. As of this moment, USF has the best pair of wins in all of the sport.''
So what does that mean?
South Florida's Playoff Chances
In mid-September, before most teams have even begun conference play, coaches usually cringe over premature speculation on who can qualify for the 12-team College Football Playoff.
But writers, broadcasters and fans thrive on speculation, projections and debate. What are USF's possibilities for making history and earning a spot in the CFP? It's a natural — and expected — part of USF's story.
According to national media members, the Bulls have put themselves in a great position.
"I feel comfortable saying USF will make the CFP if it wins the American championship,'' Vannini said. "Obviously, winning your conference is a prerequisite. While the Bulls are the frontrunner, it won't mean much if they reach the league title game and get upset. The good news is they don't play Tulane (in the regular season). It's early, but it's possible USF-Tulane could be a conference championship game with a CFP spot on the line.''
"Win or lose against Miami, I can't imagine another (Group of 5) team will have a better non-conference resume,'' Mandel said. "But obviously, USF needs to win its conference to make the CFP.''
"It won't be easy, but this USF team has made enough of an impression that if they win the American Conference title, the path to the College Football Playoff should be wide open,'' Bender said. "UNLV is the team to watch in the Mountain West Conference with Dan Mullen. That could be a season-long development.''
"Even if Miami routs South Florida — and I don't expect that — USF should be far and away the Group of 5 favorite to make the CFP after three weeks of football,'' Rexrode said. "A team challenging itself to this degree (in the non-conference schedule) should be rewarded. If USF pulls off another upset (against Miami), there's actually some cushion earned for the rest of the season — or there should be.''
The speculation is interesting and fun. USF fans are dreaming big.
But it all reverts back to what Golesh constantly emphasizes. Establishing an identity. Emphasizing the day-to-day process instead of chasing an outcome. Working hard. Not getting ahead of yourself.
"It is early in the season and the Bulls have to stay healthy, continue to be aggressive and not get complacent,'' Adelson said. "There will be adversity that arises along the way. Alex will have to do a great job keeping his team level-headed with the early success — and I think he will. We now see what USF looks like with everything clicking into place. Now that we have seen what the Bulls are capable of, it will be no surprise if they end up in the College Football Playoff.''
–#GoBulls–
