Barstool founder Dave Portnoy shared his opinion on USF ahead of their game against Miami this weekend. He posted on X saying, "If USF beats Miami this week they should be #1 in the country. End of story." Some fans might think that may be too high of a jump (USF did start the season unranked) but it goes to show how absurdly strong USF’s September resume would look if the Bulls topple No. 5 Miami on the road after already beating two ranked teams.
If USF beats Miami this week they should be #1 in the country. End of story.
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) September 8, 2025
USF Bulls resume so far
The Bulls hammered then–No. 25 Boise State 34–7 in the opener and then stunned No. 13 Florida 18–16 in Gainesville on Nico Gramatica’s walk-off field goal. That's two ranked wins to start the season, including a top-15 road win, and a defense that has been dominant.
There's some momentum building for USF. On Sunday, USF debuted at No. 18 in the AP Top 25 — its first time in the poll since 2018. USF is also just the fourth team since 1936 to begin a season unranked and win its first two games against ranked opponents. If they were to win against No. 5 Miami, they would become the fifth team, and first since Miami in 1987, to open the season with wins over three ranked opponents.
Now, this is still a hypothetical. Going on the road to beat No. 5 Miami at Hard Rock is something Notre Dame was unable to do. Also, Miami will not be caught off guard by the Bulls this weekend. With all of the buzz around USF, the Hurricanes don't have to worry about looking ahead to next week.
Would a win make USF No. 1?
History — and the top of this week’s poll — say probably not, even if some first-place votes would be justified. Ohio State already beat preseason No. 1 Texas in Week 1 and sits atop the AP with 57 first-place votes. While USF would certainly be deserving of another major jump, that might be too much to ask for, even if the Bulls deserve it. Now, if USF blew the doors off Miami at Hard Rock then we might have a different story. But, the most likely AP Poll outcome after a win would be the top five and a handful of No. 1 nods.
The last time USF rocketed this fast up the national ladder was 2007, when the Bulls climbed to No. 2 in mid-October. If USF wins at Miami, the Bulls’ resume would be as strong as anyone’s, and they might just be right around the top of the rankings again.