The South Florida Bulls (4-1) head to Denton, Texas, to face the North Texas Mean Green (5-0) in a crucial Friday night showdown.
North Texas and USF have the third- and fourth-best odds to win the American Conference championship, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. PFSN gives the Mean Green a 13.1% chance to reach the College Football Playoff, while giving USF a 10.9% chance — the third- and fourth-highest percentages, respectively.
Both teams have taken drastically different paths leading up to Friday’s clash.
North Texas has played the 132nd-hardest schedule in the country through five games and has yet to face a Power Four opponent. USF, meanwhile, has played the nation’s 33rd-hardest schedule, opening the season with three straight ranked opponents and earning wins over Florida and Boise State.
North Texas is 5-0 for the first time since 1959. In the program’s 112-year history, the Mean Green have never started a season 6-0.
The stakes are high, and the North Texas administration is doing its part to create an atmosphere to match. University President Harrison Keller announced last week that all classes at noon on game day would be canceled to encourage students and staff to attend the game.
A raucous environment will be nothing new for the Bulls, who have already played on the road in sold-out stadiums against Florida and Miami. USF is 6-8 on the road under head coach Alex Golesh.
The Bulls enter the game ranked No. 24 in the AP poll, their second appearance in the rankings this season. USF is 25-14 all time in games when ranked, while North Texas is 2-44 against AP-ranked teams.
USF is coming off a 28-point win over Charlotte, though the Bulls were anything but satisfied. The Bulls committed 4 turnovers and allowed 19 second-half points in the game.
“Every win I’ve been a part of here, you go in the locker room and everyone’s excited,” Golesh said. “This one I walked in the locker room and it was a sight of disappointment, a sight of letdown, and I thought it was a pivotal moment in our program.”
Friday’s matchup is one of the most highly anticipated games in the Group of Five in 2025.
“We learned a really good lesson three weeks ago when it was incredibly hyped up — we were in the spotlight — and we went down to Miami and it didn’t look like what you’d want it to look like,” Golesh said. “If we didn’t learn anything, shame on us. I told them the only thing you have to worry about is us right now and straight business leading up to the game.”
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
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