Good news, the Bulls are paying attention and trying not to be concerned about the weather.

The Bulls have never played well in inclement weather, and the thermostat should hit no higher than the upper 30s at Pittsburgh. There is also the possibility of rain.

USF coach Jim Leavitt isn’t spending his time watching weather on the nines.

“We don’t play in a lot of cold weather, and I don’t want to bring it down here to practice in,” Leavitt said. “We are just mentally envisioning cold weather in practice. We have won in some cold games and lost in some cold games, so there’s nothing you can do.”

Quarterback Matt Grothe, who grew up in central Florida, said he would prefer something warmer than he will face today.

Even though the season actually turned into disappointment it is still a record setting season for USF.

The Bulls (8-3, 3-3 Big East) will try to tie their best record for wins in the regular season in today’s noon game.

More importantly, their senior class will have set the bar high in terms of most wins.

The 16 seniors have made history during their five years of buckling their chin straps and tightening their shoulder pads.

There’s the school’s first-ever national ranking – not to mention climbing the polls to the second spot in the college football world – coupled with big-time wins over highly ranked opponents. There’s the first bowl victory in the school’s 11-year program, followed by multiple sold-out games at Raymond James Stadium and several national television appearances.

Part of what had USF on its slide was that they had stopped letting anyone else other than Matt Grothe run the ball. They finally started getting back to giving the ball to the backs. Especially Mike Ford.

Despite getting 21 carries in the second game at Auburn, Ford’s playing time fluctuated until the past two weeks.

“Part of that is attributed to the development of a very talented freshman football player,” USF running backs coach Carl Franks said. “I think that’s what people tend to forget because he’s been out of high school for a couple of years – he’s a true freshman. He’s still learning what to do, how to run.

“When they come out of high school, they don’t run with the body lean you need to in college football. Now that he’s able to get his pads down, it’s made him a lot more effective.”

Bull.  That’s on the coaches not giving him the ball. Leavitt got very conservative as the team was winning. Trusting only Grothe on the offense. Unfortunately, they finally realized that teams were completely keying on Grothe and not even bothering with the tailbacks.

Not that Grothe can or will be ignored.

Grothe is second in the Big East in total offense (280 yards per game) and is the Bulls’ leading rusher (69.5 yards per game). He has accounted for 22 touchdowns (13 passing, nine rushing) and passed for 2,314 yards.

Pitt defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads said his team has prepared well for the Bulls (8-3, 3-3), but he will have to hold his breath and hope every time Grothe has the ball in his hands.

“What you have is a quarterback who is accounting for roughly 75 percent of the offense,” Rhoads said. “And the scariest thing is, as we have all seen firsthand, is the ability to defend something then have a quarterback that can ad lib and then you are just holding on and hoping someone gets him down and we stay in coverage.

“You could spend seven days and 20 hours each day preparing and still not defend that, and that is the unknown that you are hoping doesn’t take place too often for those three hours on Saturday.”

Now feeling like I should start drinking now.