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5 potential college football Cinderella stories in 2017

By Charles Rahrig V

Dec 28, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; Northwestern Wildcats quarterback Clayton Thorson (18) throws the ball during 2nd half of The Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Northwestern defeats Pittsburgh 31-24. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; Northwestern Wildcats quarterback Clayton Thorson (18) throws the ball during 2nd half of The Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Northwestern defeats Pittsburgh 31-24. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 29, 2016; Birmingham, AL, USA; South Florida Bulls future head coach Charlie Strong looks on from the sidelines during the second quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the 2016 Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2016; Birmingham, AL, USA; South Florida Bulls future head coach Charlie Strong looks on from the sidelines during the second quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the 2016 Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports /

3. South Florida Bulls

With Willie Taggart leaving to coach the Oregon Ducks, the South Florida Bulls picked up the best possible option for them with Charlie Strong. There are still some who believe that the Longhorns were close to turning the corner with Strong and that he should have been given another year.

However, the bad loss to Kansas and the inconsistencies with the Longhorns led to his ouster. Still, it’s hard to find a coach that fans and players respect more than Strong. He does a great job of getting players to buy into his system and he’s stepping into a team that already has plenty of existing talent too.

While Texas might not have been his calling, he’s proven that with smaller schools he can excel. South Florida is the perfect place for him to go as he’s stepping into a good situation and can continue to build upon a great football team.

It might be hard to call South Florida a Cinderella team simply because they’re coming off of an 11-2 season. If they’re able to pull a Western Michigan and make a major bowl game, then yes they would definitely qualify.

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