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Ranked Teams Just Part Of Playing In Big East

Tribune photo by MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER

Stan Heath coached his 50th game with the University of South Florida on Saturday against Villanova.

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By BRETT McMURPHY

@tampatrib.com

Published: January 28, 2009

TAMPA - Earlier this season, University of South Florida coach Stan Heath joked that you could worry yourself to death by looking ahead to the number of ranked teams.

He wasn't kidding.

Tonight's game at No. 7 Louisville will be the 19th time the Bulls have played a ranked Big East opponent. That's 19 of their first 57 games in the Big East that have been against Top 25 teams. Basically, every third league game is against a ranked opponent.

This year, that percentage is even greater, with eight teams ranked in the Top 25 for most of the season. In this week's poll, however, there are only seven AP Top 25 teams - No. 2 Connecticut, No. 3 Pitt, No. 7 Louisville, No. 8 Marquette, No. 15 Syracuse, No. 21 Villanova and No. 25 Georgetown.

By the end of this season, USF's fourth in the Big East, the Bulls will have played 22 or 23 ranked opponents since joining the league in 2005.

By comparison, USF played only 29 ranked opponents in its previous 29 years in conference play while a member of Conference USA, the Metro and the Sun Belt. USF's degree of difficulty in conference play certainly has been turned up a few notches.

USF's Top 25 opponent breakdown by leagues: Big East (four seasons, 22 or 23 ranked opponents); C-USA (10 seasons, 17 ranked opponents); Metro (four seasons, eight ranked opponents) and Sun Belt (15 seasons, four ranked opponents).

How big of a challenge will it be at Louisville tonight? USF has lost 23 consecutive road games against Top 25 teams and is 2-39 all-time away from Tampa against ranked teams.

YET ANOTHER OC: With USF coach Jim Leavitt reassigning Greg Gregory from his offensive coordinator duties, the Bulls will have a fifth offensive coordinator under Leavitt in the fall.

The five offensive coordinators in the past 11 seasons is the second-highest turnover among the 11 Division I-A coaches who have held the same job since 1999.

Besides Leavitt, UConn's Randy Edsall and Troy's Larry Blakeney are the only other I-A coaches who are on their fifth offensive coordinator since 1999.

The only coach with more turnover since 1999 is Fresno State's Pat Hill, who is on his sixth offensive coordinator after losing his coordinator last month to a BCS school for a fourth consecutive year.

Leavitt's decision to make a change at offensive coordinator means USF senior QB Matt Grothe will be playing for his third offensive coordinator in four years.

ODDS AND ENDS: Gregory said he is "unequivocally not involved in any way, shape or form" with the South Alabama offensive coordinator position. A Mobile (Ala.) newspaper reported Monday that Gregory had interviewed for the job, but Gregory disputed the report. ... Former USF LB Stephen Nicholas, now with the Atlanta Falcons, will sign autographs today from 4 to 6 p.m. at Bulls Outfitter, 1809 E. Fowler Ave. Cost is $5 per autograph. Proceeds benefit Nicholas' Healthy Hearts Foundation. For information, call (813) 975-2855. ... USF's softball team, which opens its season Feb. 6 at home against UNC Greensboro, will participate in a celebrity slow-pitch game benefitting the Police Athletic League on April 25 at Legends Field against a team comprised of Tampa Bay Bucs and former New York Yankees.

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