USF Football: 2018 Bulls are reloading, but still dangerous

2018 USF Schedule and Predictions

You can’t ask for a much better schedule than this. The Bulls’ first seven games include a whopping zero games against teams that went bowling in 2017, and while Georgia Tech and Illinois figure to be improved in 2018, they’re more or less low-pressure measuring sticks for a young team before conference play begins. A 6-1 record through the end of October is very much on the table.

From there, things get a little hairier. The Bulls will likely be underdogs against Houston and UCF, and back-to-back road trips to Cincinnati and Temple seem treacherous. Still, the backloaded slate will give an inexperienced team some time to gel before they play for their conference title hopes down the stretch.

Prediction: 8-4

It’s tough to imagine USF being better in 2018 than they were in 2017, but it doesn’t take a terrible amount of mental gymnastics to imagine them having a better season. Unless the Bulls stumble mightily in conference play, they’ll likely get a shot to play for the division title once again in the War on I-4. And from there, who knows?

But for now, there are too many uncertainties within this team to bank on a smooth conference slate, much less an upset of UCF. The Bulls could have answers at quarterback or defensive tackle, and perhaps even work out the kinks in the offensive play calling, but assuming all three is a sizable leap of faith.

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At any rate, expectations will be much lower for USF this season than they’ve been over the past two years, and I doubt Bulls fans will find this unpleasant. There’s a possibility, however faint, that the house comes crashing down without Flowers, but it seems more likely that the Bulls return to the postseason, reload, and open a new window of opportunity for an AAC title in 2019. Anything more is gravy.