Tennessee football is all but eliminated from this year's College Football Playoff, but that doesn't mean Vols fans won't have a team to cheer for when the Playoff rolls around in December.
Former Vols offensive coordinator and current USF head coach Alex Golesh has the Bulls positioned perfectly to make a run at the CFP. They are ranked No. 24 in the updated CFP rankings, one spot behind the Vols.
Your South Florida Bulls are ranked #24 in @cfbplayoff poll! 🐂#ComeToTheBay | #StayInTheBay pic.twitter.com/FsKNFOsTKa
— USF Football (@USFFootball) November 12, 2025
Golesh left the Vols for his first head coaching opportunity with USF, where he is now in his third year in Tampa Bay. The Bulls went 7-6 in each of their first two seasons, with wins in the Boca Raton Bowl and the Hawaii Bowl.
The Bulls have taken off in year three and have already matched their win total from the past two seasons, with a chance to win double-digit games for the first time since 2017.
The 7-2 Bulls are three wins away from likely securing their first CFP bid since the expansion to 12 teams. USF is currently the only Group of 5 team ranked in the top 25 and has a pretty straightforward path to the AAC Championship Game and the Playoff.
Golesh is completely invested in building USF into a G5 power with the potential to join a power five conference like the ACC or Big 12 in the future.
He could also be positioning himself for a power five job, like a Florida, Arkansas, or even Oklahoma State. If he can make some noise in the CFP, he might become a popular name among hiring committees throughout the country.
As for now, the Bulls have Navy next on their schedule. USF will head to Annapolis, Maryland, to face the Midshipmen this Saturday in a game that could be a physical battle between two 7-2 teams.