South Florida Would Like Tom O'Brien to Remember Where He Coaches

Like any blogger, I like a little smack talk between teams. Both the intended, and unintended. Either way, it generally makes for a good post game interview because someone always loses. But what I don't understand is why Tom O'Brien thought he needed to take a shot at South Florida's defense.

USF's defense took a shot from N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien last week when he told reporters he saw no reason to consult with the Bulls about stopping the spread offense...

"Did you watch them against Oregon?" O'Brien asked, referencing the Ducks' 56-21 trouncing of the Bulls in the Sun Bowl in El Paso. "Go look at that game. That was the spread that they were defending. I'm not saying anything about South Florida's defense, but if they're the gurus, we'd better go somewhere else."

Is he right? Kind of. Something did happen to the South Florida defense toward the end of the year. They weren't nearly the same unit that was shutting down Auburn and West Virginia at the beginning of the season when they faced Oregon. But the fact still remains that they did have a lot of success last year before the wheels feel off. Another fact that they would like everyone to remember is that Tom O'Brien and NC State were watching that game because they didn't make a bowl last year.

"Here's the way I feel about it: He's right. We're not gurus," Burnham said. "On the other hand, we try to handle things professionally and not say anything ... with class, not say anything about anyone else's coaching staff. He can say what he wants to. The other thing, I forget what bowl game they were in. That's all I've got to say."-USF defensive coordinator Wally Burnham

Zing! A look at the schedule says these teams do in fact play this weekend. Maybe O'Brien would like his quarterback to know George Selvie a little better. I can't imagine why, but you can bet something bad is going to happen in this game. I don't expect anything dirty out of South Florida, but a goose egg for the home team might be in store.