There's a broader perspective at play among the sole occupant of second place in the American Athletic Conference's East division, wider than the gaze of even its most idealistic fans.
USF's big picture stretches beyond Tropicana Field or Miami. The Bulls don't merely want a bowl game, they want a title game.
"We can either talk about one win, or we can talk about three more wins for a really big goal," Coach Willie Taggart said in the wake of Saturday's 22-17 triumph at East Carolina, putting USF (5-4, 3-2 AAC) on the cusp of bowl eligibility for the first time in a half-decade.