A Look Ahead at USF's 2012 Football Schedule...in Meme Form!

We're now closing in on 10 weeks until football season. It still seems like an eternity, but we're trying to keep ourselves busy until the Bulls kick off against UT-Chattanooga. If you're a blog reader, chances are you're also well-versed in internet memes. Well you're in luck, because here you'll get both! After the jump, I'm going to associate a meme with every game on USF's schedule this year. And don't worry, I won't misuse them.

UT-Chattanooga: Okay.

Poor UTC. Every year, every worthwhile FBS team pays some DI-AA team a large amount of money to come to town and play. And most of the time, it doesn't end well for the latter. In the past three seasons, USF has hung an average of 58 points per game on FCS opponents in four games, while allowing a total of 38 points. Chances are, things won't be changing this year. The Moccasins went 5-6 last year including a 40-7 loss to Nebraska. Maybe they'll give us a first quarter run to wake up the team a bit, but it'll likely be smooth sailing for the second half.

Nevada: Troll Face

Nevada isn't one of those top mid-major teams that everyone thinks should have a shot at the BCS. But their biggest achievement is keeping Boise State out of the BCS. The Wolfpack didn't have an incredible year in 2011, but they're capable of doing damage. USF should know not to sleep on Nevada, especially since they're going away to play them. This game is a pretty good recipe for an early-season bummer, so don't assume we'll be 2-0 right away.

Rutgers: Angry Guido

Just to clarify, I did not pick this meme specifically because Rutgers is in New Jersey and the person depicted happens to be a Jersey Shore cast member. But you have to admit, it's pretty appropriate. We're coming off our first two games of the season, one being against an FCS opponent, and now we're getting into games that actually count. Not to mention that it happens to be the team that seems to have our number every year. On top of that, We'll only have had four days to recover from the Nevada game before game day. The only bright side is the fact that they'll be in pretty much the same boat, except their games are reversed. I expect a win just because Schiano was a pretty good coach and got a lot out of his kids.

Ball State: Good Guy Greg

To put it bluntly, Ball State isn't really that good of a football team. There was a time a couple years ago that they shocked the world and dominated their schedule and ended up ranked in the top 10. Those days are gone. USF pulled apart the Cardinals last season at home, and in a nice scheduling break, USF doesn't have to pay them a bunch for it, because Ball State is getting a home game out of it too. Expect more of what you saw last year. It'll be a nice win coming into the FSU game. The biggest task is to stay healthy after this week.

Florida State: Butthurt Dweller

Have you ever actually talked to a Florida State alum/fan about the first meeting between the Bulls and the Seminoles in 2009? They'll have no problem admitting that they lost and USF just outplayed them all game long, but they'll always validate themselves by making sure they mention that it was a down year for them and they were just not a well-organized team that season and there's no way that USF is the superior team. Well, here's their chance to prove it. The Seminoles are coming down to Tampa, probably ranked at least in the top five, to get what I'm calling Osceola's Revenge. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised to stay in it. All I can ask is that USF fans buy as many tickets as possible so we at least outnumber them in the stands.

Temple: Bad Luck Brian

Sorry, Temple. One day, you're in an interesting mid-major football conference and another equally interesting mid-major basketball conference that you have equally decent chances of winning, and the next day you're a member of the Big East. A conference that, in football, is one good team away from losing its BCS status anyway, and in basketball, is extremely competitive and even the bottom teams are starting to bulk up. In both cases, your chances of winning the conference is equal to about zero. Anyway, Temple's first Big East game will be a home game against USF. Despite a decent record last year, I expect a Bulls win, but I won't put a stamp on it just yet because it is in October.

Louisville: Ridiculously Photogenic Guy

Obviously Louisville isn't the sole reason that the Big East is still a BCS conference. But I can't find anything bad to say about the Cardinals. Their coach is good, their quarterback is good, their defense is good. If USF has a team to worry about, it's Louisville. They beat us last year on Thanksgiving weekend in Tampa, and now they'll be at home, and likely improved. The battle between Charlie Strong and Skip Holtz is going to be what decides the outcome of this game, and quite possibly the Big East champion.

Syracuse: Condescending Wonka

What sucks about Syracuse isn't that they're not that good at football. It's that they don't seem to care. Especially now that they know this is their last year in the Big East. After this year, they can just cruise on over to the ACC where they already know there's no shot at winning the football title and start focusing on playing basketball with some real competition. They'll come to Tampa, lose to the Bulls, and then stick their noses in the air while they walk off the field, knowing that we're still stuck here while they move on to a much better conference. Well screw you, Syracuse.

Connecticut: Forever Alone

UConn applied to the ACC, but were left in the dust when the conference picked up Pitt and Syracuse instead. The Huskies sort of pissed off the rest of the Big East by going 8-4 in 2010 and embarrassing the conference in the Fiesta Bowl. Last year, they were still not that good, and still they beat USF. This year, the party is coming back to Tampa, and we can only hope USF can handle them this time around.

Miami: Scumbag Steve

In general, I'd have Miami as a Scumbag Steve meme anyway, but what they did last year really makes them jerks. Obviously it's our fault for not winning, but they declined bowl invitations as if they thought that would make the NCAA come down a little easier on them. Anyway, they lost a bunch of key seniors from last year, including QB Jacory Harris and WR Travis Benjamin. Miami usually doesn't have a hard time recruiting and grooming players, but it could be a big factor in this matchup. USF might just grab one more win over in the Hurricanes' house before the home-and-home contract expires.

Cincinnati: Zoidberg

Every year, Cincy starts out with pretty high expectations. Most of the time, those expectations are reasonable. I'm not saying they should expect to win the conference this season, but they should definitely be in the running by the time this game comes around. The strange part of it all is that no one really expects them to finish on top. This is another game that could be what decides the conference champion. 

Pittsburgh: Lazy College Senior

Pitt already has one foot out the door. They had a terrible year in basketball and an average year in football in 2011. But who cares what the Big East thinks of them? They're moving on to a much better league in 2013 anyway, so why bother with this now? USF has a chance for payback after Pitt body slammed them out of the rankings last year at Heinz Field. It's USF's last game of the season, so it could be the most important game of the year for the Bulls, as they could be a win away from a Big East title. Hopefully USF won't be counting on its last game to get into bowl eligibility again this year.