USF (7-3, 4-2) at No. 10 Louisville (8-1, 3-1)When: Sat., 7:30 p.m.Where: Papa John’s Cardinal StadiumTV/Radio: ESPNU, 970 AM

According to the football team and its coach, last year was last year no matter what happened on Sept. 24, 2005 – the date of the Bulls’ biggest upset in team history.

But the players have put it behind them and their quarterback, who is well on his way to becoming the Big East Rookie of the Year, didn’t even play in the game last season.

“It hasn’t been that difficult (not thinking about last year’s upset),” linebacker Pat St. Louis said. “Last year was last year, and this year is this year. … We can’t even think about last year in the conference, and we have to focus more on what we need to do this year.”

So not much more can be said about Saturday’s game. The Cardinals have that high-powered offense that coach Jim Leavitt said “they will use to try to overwhelm you.”

Leavitt might be right, since

Louisville is ranked No. 2 in total offense and No. 6 in scoring offense, averaging 467 yards and 38 points per game, respectively.

Give the Bulls credit though; they started thinking about Louisville seconds after they beat Syracuse 27-10 on Saturday. And just like before last year’s 45-14 upset, most don’t have faith USF can win at Louisville.

“I don’t think that there are many people that think we’re going to win,” Grothe said. “We’re something like a 16-and-a-half point underdog or something, which … whatever. Because our biggest thing (holding us back) is our turnovers, and if we stop that we have the best chance.”

Grothe has a point. USF has had seven turnovers in the past two games, though still came out the winner. But there is yet another factor: the cold weather.

Gametime temperature is set to be in the high 30s, and as many know, the Bulls usually don’t fair well in temperatures that low. With the temperature at 40 degrees or below, USF is winless (0-3).

However, the Bulls aren’t buying into those factors. There’s only one thing they are buying into and thinking about, and it’s not which bowl game they will be playing in.

“I know how I come up here every week and talk about how good the teams are we play,” Leavitt said at Tuesday’s media luncheon. “Sometimes you buy into it with me, sometimes you don’t, but I don’t think there isn’t anyone here not buying into it this week.”