ESPN Big East Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Saturday's game between South Florida and Central Florida likely will be the last meeting of the two schools for a long time.

If so, that's a shame. This short-lived rivalry is just starting to become fun.

The results have been lopsided. South Florida has won all three games, including last year's 64-12 beatdown.

Still, both programs are rising. South Florida has started to earn a permanent address in the Top 25, while Central Florida won Conference USA last year and plays in a new on-campus stadium. The two schools are separated by fewer than 100 miles on Florida's I-4 corridor.

But maybe most importantly, there appears to be some genuine bad blood between the programs, which always makes a rivalry game worth watching. South Florida players took exception to some comments made by Central Florida before last year's game, including UCF coach George O'Leary asking about the Bulls, "What league are they in -- the Big East?"

After last year's blowout win, Bulls quarterback Matt Grothe said, "I hope they like what happened because we weren't trying to run the score up on them. We're that much better than them."

USF defensive end George Selvie was asked on Tuesday what he hopes to accomplish on Saturday.

"Beat them bad," he said. "I just want to beat them bad."

South Florida cornerback Tyller Roberts said he views Central Florida as a major rival and this week is putting a little extra pep in his practice step.

"We read things in the paper that they say that I really think is ignorant," Roberts said. "I definitely look forward to this game every year. Hopefully this series will keep going, but you know, I have no control of that."

The four-year contract ends this year, and while Central Florida would like to keep playing, South Florida has shown little interest in reciprocating.

You can understand the Bulls' reasoning. As a member of a BCS league, they have little to gain by playing a non-BCS rival that recruits many of the same kids. They'd rather schedule guarantee games at home, and they're starting future series with Miami and Florida that will grant them far more exposure.

South Florida coach Jim Leavitt has declined to address the reasons behind ending the UCF series this week, saying he's already talked enough about it. Here's what Leavitt told Florida sportswriters in July 2007:

"Most people would say you are out of your mind playing Florida and Miami in the same year. And you think I want to play UCF also? I am concerned about playing too many Florida teams in the same year. We always want to play a big national BCS game.

"I don't want to make the schedule so strong where you are completely destroyed. It's emotional anytime you play anyone in Florida. We played FIU last year and were lucky to beat them. It's a different deal when you are playing a team from in state, and football is such an emotional game."

O'Leary on Tuesday re-iterated his support for continuing the game with USF.

"I think it is a natural game, but that is not my decision," he said. "I think that possibly once (conference) geography changes in a couple of years that it may be a game anyway. "

Players and fans generally seem to support the idea. The game at Raymond James Stadium last year drew one of South Florida's biggest home crowds in history, and Central Florida's Bright House Networks Stadium will surely be packed on Saturday.

"It is a great game," Selvie said. "The fans get into it. The offense always talks noise. We have T-shirts over in the bookstore that has a UCF fan serving food at a drive-thru. It's fun for me."

But not everyone is sad to see the series end.

"I think more of a rivalry for us would be West Virginia, Louisville or Cincinnati," Grothe said. "I'd rather have them as a rivalry than UCF anyways."

See, now those are just the kind of comments that could fuel future years of dislike. Too bad.