USF Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2017
By Zach Bigalke
Final Standings: 13-0 (9-0 AAC)
There is little reason to think that South Florida can’t win throughout their schedule in 2017 and finish undefeated. The team is experienced, the new coaches should bolster an already talented crew’s football knowledge, and the schedule really isn’t that difficult.
As long as the Bulls manage to cope with the fact that they A) play a lot of games really early in the season and then B) backloaded their toughest contests toward the end, they should run the table. After coming close but falling short last season, South Florida will finally win a conference title for the first time in the program’s history.
The question then becomes where Charlie Strong’s crew goes bowling. The College Football Playoff selection committee will certainly take a long look at the undefeated Bulls. It all comes down to how well other Group of Five conference champions have fared throughout the year.
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POSSIBLE BOWL MATCHUP: Peach Bowl vs. Louisville
While the Bulls will have played a rather easy schedule, that unblemished record will be too tough to deny. The AAC champions will head to the Peach Bowl and take on Louisville. While Lamar Jackson is unlikely to win the Heisman Trophy a second straight season, the Cardinals will still be a top team in the ACC. The scoreboard might explode in Atlanta when these two offensive juggernauts with dueling dual-threat quarterbacks meet in the New Year’s Six battle.