With this victory, USF Bulls prove they've caught up to the FSU Seminoles

TALLAHASSEE — Somehow, it seems inappropriate to rush history. And so the coach forever in a hurry finally took a moment for reflection.

With his arms upraised and his fingers splayed in the shape of Bulls horns, University of South Florida coach Jim Leavitt stood and surveyed the thousands of fans cheering his program from the bleachers of another school's stadium. And, just like that, the years, the struggles and the sacrifices seemed to wash away in his tears.

There have been bigger upsets for USF. And there have been more highly ranked opponents. But for a school that has grown up in the shadow of someone else's glory, there has never been a moment quite like this.

On the final Saturday of September, in the 13th year of their existence, the Bulls caught up to Florida State. No, not in every way. Certainly not in terms of history or prestige. But, on this day at least, the secondhand recruits from the commuter college could finally claim to have the more impressive football team.

"I was in tears at the end of this game," Leavitt said. "When I looked up in that crowd and I saw how many people from South Florida were there, I about broke. The emotion was overwhelming. I just wanted to jump up into the middle of them. They deserved this."

Understand, it is no longer a rare achievement to beat Florida State. In recent years, it seems nearly half the teams on FSU's schedule have had the honor. But around Fowler Avenue this morning, that is merely a detail.

The grander picture is that USF's arrival in this state is nearly complete. Ten years ago, as Florida State was on the way to its second national championship, the Bulls were a Division I-AA team losing big to Hofstra and going to overtime to beat New Hampshire.

Now, USF is playing in a BCS conference and threatening to crack the top 25 rankings again. More important, the Bulls are proving there is no shame in playing for a program other than the state's traditional big three.

"There is so much respect — and there should be — for Florida, Florida State and Miami, as far as what their football programs have done," USF athletic director Doug Woolard said. "For us competing in this state for recruiting … I think this game changes the way everybody will look at this program and this university. They've always felt like this was an up-and-coming university, one that was on the rise and progressive, and this will certainly assist in the way everybody looks at us. That goes for legislators or fans or alumni.

"A win on the road at Florida State where there is so much tradition? I think history was made today."

This does not necessarily mean there is a big four in the state. It just means the big three may occasionally be interchangeable. Because it can be easily argued that Saturday's result says as much about FSU's decline as it does USF's ascension.

This was not a fluke. It was not a matter of the stars aligning for South Florida. The Bulls were the better team by a pretty sizable margin.

USF's defensive line completely manhandled the Seminoles. South Florida's receivers embarrassed FSU's secondary. And, in a game of penalties and turnovers, the Bulls were the more disciplined team.

"This is Florida State. They've got all the prestige and all the wins," USF defensive end George Selvie said. "To come up here and win as an underdog is like making history. It's not just the big three anymore."

The perception has long been that USF gets players Florida and Florida State pass on. And, to some degree, that is true. Take B.J. Daniels, for instance. The kid grew up on FSU's campus, where his father was a university housing director. Still, FSU had no interest.

You have to wonder if Jimbo Fisher is rethinking that decision today.

Of course, you do not join the college elite overnight, and you do not change a reputation in a single afternoon. There is only one way to climb the ranks in college football, and that is to step on the backs of the teams ahead of you.

The Bulls have been doing that for the better part of a decade. They have won on the road at Kansas and Auburn. They beat West Virginia when it was ranked No. 5 and Louisville when it was ranked No. 9.

And on Saturday, the Bulls stepped on, and over, Florida State.

John Romano can be reached at romano@sptimes.com.