USF-Alabama not the biggest game in USF's history but it could be most important

TAMPA — Maybe South Florida's Alex Golesh has got this right. Golesh's USF Bulls play Alabama here Saturday, and few if any games in the brief history of this program have generated as much interest in the community. Maybe that's because it is Alabama, and natiowide, when you think about excellence in college football, Alabama is one of the first teams that comes to mind, although the Crimson Tide has stumbled a bit recently.

Still, a number of things are converging to push this game to the forefront, and while it may not be the biggest game USF has ever played, it could be the most important. First of all, it's on network TV, and USF doesn't get to play a lot of games on network TV. The last time USF was on network TV was 2021, when it played Florida. The only other game on network TV at the same time as Alabama-USF is Georgia-South Carolina, so the Bulls have a chance to gain a lot of national exposure. Additionally, Sports Illustrated has given this game a lot of play.

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"For us, I don't know if it's just another game," Golesh commented. "There's going to be 65,000 people there. In terms of that, in terms of the environment, all those things, it should be a really cool game."

But Golesh also realizes he and his team cannot get wrapped up in all that. They have to prepare for this game the way they would for any other, even if it is Alabama. "It's our next game so it's the most important game, which is the way they all are," Golesh said. "I mean I don't think any of our kids are so naive they don't know we're playing a really good football team. It's a challenge. But again, I think these guys are aware of who we're playing and who's favored to win.

"Is it a challenge, yeah, but I think they're all a challenge. We've won four games in three years, so I'd say they're all a challenge. That's what we're trying to change, and to change that, you've got to rely on something other then a hope and a prayer. You've got to rely on a foundation and the thing I keep talking about is be the best version of us, which is play really hard, play really smart and execute at a high level on all three sides of the ball. When we do that, we'll earn the right to win football games."

And in point of fact, while this game seems to have mesmerized the USF community, it's not like South Florida hasn't played — and won — games like this before. During the Jim Leavitt era, South Florida compiled a truly amazing record in that respect.

From 2001 to 2009, when USF first moved up from the FCS to the BCS, Leavitt's teams were 23-25 against Power Five competition and 8-12 against teams ranked in the AP top 25. That included 2007, when USF, quarterbacked by Lake Gibson's Matt Grothe, rang up No. 17 Auburn at Auburn, No. 5 West Virginia at home and No. 25 Pittsburgh at home.

So it can be done. It's just that since Leavitt left, USF has rarely been able to do it. Now, Golesh wants to change that, and he might. But not Saturday. Alabama may be a little bit bruised, but it's still Alabama.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: USF-Alabama a challenge for Bulls and perhaps their most important game