The USF Bulls have been the surprise story of the college football season so far, opening with back-to-back wins over ranked opponents, including a major upset over the Florida Gators in The Swamp in Week 2. With an incredibly tough stretch of games to start the season, Alex Golesh’s teams will have another opportunity to shock the world in Week 3 as they take on No. 5 Miami (FL).
While many may be counting out the Bulls as 17.5-point underdogs, that was also widely the case in the first two games. They’re led by dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown who is back after missing most of last season due to injury, but if you somehow haven’t heard already, Brown was the only quarterback besides Heisman winner Jayden Daniels in 2023 to throw for over 3,000 yards and rush for more than 800.
With Byrum Brown behind center and a talented roster surrounding him, the Bulls look like a legitimate team for the first time in years. Alex Golesh has done a phenomenal job in his short time in Tampa, taking over a program that had won just four games combined in the three seasons before his arrival. What makes USF so dangerous in Week 3 though, is that they’ll be playing with nothing to lose.
With two ranked wins already under their belt, USF currently has the strongest resume in college football. This likely means that even if the Bulls lose to Miami on Saturday, as long as they take care of business in the American Conference and win the conference championship, they’re all but guaranteed the Group of Five spot in the College Football Playoff. Now this team has to be due for a let down spot at some point after such a hot start, but this may not be the time. A team like USF that has to be loaded with confidence and is also playing with nothing to lose is about as dangerous as it gets.
The Bulls are certainly outmatched from a talent perspective against Miami, especially in the trenches, but they showed they could hold their own against Florida. Notably the defense, which has been a major issue in recent years, has really shown improvement. Through two games, USF has allowed just 23 total points, forced three turnovers, and stepped up when it matters most with a 66% third-down stop rate.
Now facing a Canes offense led by Carson Beck at quarterback behind one of the best offensive lines in the country will be a massive test, but I am sure they will be up for the challenge considering what they have accomplished so far. In addition, the Bulls will have the biggest difference-maker on the field in Byrum Brown. His ability to create explosive plays and single-handedly impact a game is key, especially when going up against a superior opponent.
No matter what happens on Saturday, USF will remain on the radar for the rest of this season, and being a team that has nothing to lose makes this an even more intriguing ranked matchup in Week 3.
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