South Florida @ Rutgers

Who says crime doesn't pay? South Florida has stolen enough recruits away from longtime powerhouses Florida, Florida State and Miami to soar to the No. 2 spot in the initial BCS rankings.

Coach Jim Leavitt's Bulls are looking to become the fastest program in Division 1-A history to play for a national championship. However, Rutgers could dash USF's historical run Thursday when the Big East rivals clash in front of a raucous crowd in Piscataway.
The Bulls' rise in some ways mirrors the rise of the Scarlet Knight's program. Rutgers was a Big East doormat for years before emerging on the national scene in 2006 by winning 11 of 13 games, including a Texas Bowl win over Kansas State.

USF, who moved to Division 1-A in 2001, has overcome every challenge scattered in its past thus far, but further tests await. The first comes Thursday against a Scarlet Knights team that will be looking to avoid losing three straight at home for the first time since 2003.
The game matches the 11th-best offense in the land against the 11th-ranked defense; Rutgers is averaging 489.7 yards a game, while South Florida is allowing an average of 284.3.
This Garden State showdown is as big a deal for the Scarlet Knights, who fell out of the Top-25 after back-to-back losses to Maryland and Cincinnati, as it is for USF.

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Rutgers is going to have to run effectively to keep Bulls quarterback Jim Grothe on the sidelines. Last season, Ray Rice gained 202 yards on 35 carries in a 22-10 victory against the Bulls. However, USF has gone 14 games since without allowing a runner to crack triple-digits.
Rice is not accumulating rushing yardage at the same pace he did last season, but he still has 818 yards rushing, only 81 fewer than he had after six games in 2006. He also has 17 receptions for 175 yards and is a ferocious pass blocker.
The Scarlet Knights defense will focus on containing Grothe, an elusive sophomore who leads the Bulls with 346 yards rushing.
The key to the game could boil down to the personal battle between Rutgers offensive tackle Pedro Sosa and USF defensive end George Selvie. Sosa, a fifth-year senior and three-year starter will be look to stop Selvie from harassing junior quarterback Mike Teel.
Selvie has been unstoppable in the Bulls' first six games, amassing 11.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss, school records in both categories.
USF won at Auburn on Sept. 8 as 7-point dogs, 26-23, proving it can thrive in a hostile environment. Conversely, Rutgers has failed to prove it can defend its home turf. The Scarlet Knights had won 13 of 17 at home and cashed six of nine until this season, when they dropped back-to-back decisions to Maryland and Cincinnati.
The Bulls are hoping lightning won't strike twice. Louisville came to Rutgers Stadium ranked No. 3 in the country last season on a Thursday night before a national television audience and left on the short end of a 28-25 score.
The Scarlet Knights have thrived against elite teams recently, cashing 12 of 14 and outscoring them by more than 10 points per game. They have also cashed 29 of their last 45 as underdogs. South Florida has 'covered' seven of its last 10 as favorites and six of its last eight against conference foes.
Most offshore books opened the Bulls as 3-point favorites.


Play: UNDER 52.5