Colleges

One goal remains in reach for Bulls

USF's loss to Rutgers does not derail hopes of winning a tightly packed Big East.

By GREG AUMAN, Times Staff Writer
Published October 20, 2007

TAMPA - Just how far No. 2 USF will fall in the polls after a 30-27 loss at Rutgers depends on how many other Top 10 teams fall today.

The Bulls became the third team ranked No. 2 to lose to an unranked team over the past three weeks. Southern Cal dropped from No. 2 to No. 10 after losing to Stanford on Oct. 7, and Cal made the same eight-spot drop after its loss to Oregon State on Oct. 13.

"Our goals have never had anything to do with rankings," USF coach Jim Leavitt said. "It's not something I think about because I have nothing to do with it. Our goal is to win the Big East."

USF debuted at No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series standings Sunday, ranked first by five of the six computer ratings, but Thursday night's loss at Piscataway, N.J., effectively takes the Bulls (6-1, 1-1) out of the national title hunt.

But as Leavitt said, they are still at the forefront of a chaotic start to the Big East season. In the first nine conference games, seven teams lost; the lone exception, Connecticut, is alone in first after defeating Louisville on Friday.

By the time the Bulls play at the Huskieson Oct. 27, there could be even more of a logjam atop the standings.

Rutgers hosts No. 9 West Virginia at noon Oct. 27. A Mountaineers win would leave USF, Rutgers and West Virginia, three of the league's top teams, 1-1 against each other.

Could parity be so widespread that the Big East champion has two conference losses? You don't have to go that far back to find a precedent.

In 2004, when the transitioning Big East had seven teams playing a six-game league schedule, four went 4-2, giving more than half of the league a share of the conference crown.

Leavitt acknowledged the possibility in this upset-filled season after Thursday's loss.

"You've got a shot with one (loss)," he said. "I don't know if you're going to get it done with two. But this is an interesting year. Everybody's pretty good. We're going to go back to work and focus on Connecticut. We know Connecticut will be the same kind of deal."

If the Bulls can get a win at Connecticut, which started the season 5-0 before losing by a point Oct. 13 at Virginia, they have their two toughest remaining games, against No. 23 Cincinnati (6-1) on Nov. 3 and Louisville (4-4) Nov.17, at Raymond James Stadium.

Their remaining road games would be against the league's only teams with losing records, Syracuse (1-6) on Nov. 10 and Pittsburgh (2-4) on Nov. 24.

[Last modified October 20, 2007, 00:02:04]