What we discovered in regards to the Faculty Soccer Playoff: SEC upsets, Massive 12 chaos, Indiana’s hopes

The weekend earlier than Thanksgiving usually feels just like the calm earlier than the storm in faculty soccer.

Saturday was completely different. The expanded Faculty Soccer Playoff turned it right into a tempest with postseason implications from the house of the Tremendous Bowl champion Chiefs in Kansas Metropolis to the Home that Ruth Constructed within the Bronx.

Ohio State improved to 2-1 in top-five matchups and confirmed all people’s favourite upstart — a minimum of all people outdoors of SEC nation — what life is like on the prime of the meals chain. The Massive 12 race continued its descent into insanity with the 2 groups that gave the impression to be answerable for the race now heading into the ultimate weekend of the common season needing assist to succeed in the convention title recreation.

And within the SEC, three CFP contenders misplaced on the highway to unranked groups.

What we discovered in regards to the Playoff in Week 13 is that enlargement to 12 groups is delivering precisely what was promised: extra significant video games and extra probabilities for mayhem.

SEC upsets

It has felt lately as if all the SEC and its propaganda machine had risen in opposition to Indiana in an try to discredit the Hoosiers as Playoff contenders.

Then the convention went out and did nearly every part it may to make sure the Hoosiers stayed very a lot within the race after they misplaced for the primary time this season.

First, Ole Miss (8-3) obtained walked to the again of the road by Florida.

The Rebels have what is likely to be the one most spectacular victory of the season in opposition to Georgia, however coach Lane Kiffin’s portal all-stars have misplaced three video games they have been favored to win, twice as double-digit favorites.

How’s this for irony: The coach who many thought of the most certainly candidate to exchange Billy Napier at Florida most likely was simply eradicated from Playoff rivalry by Napier’s Gators.

Life comes at you quick.

If Florida’s 24-17 over No. 9 Ole Miss was shocking, Oklahoma’s 24-3 victory in opposition to Alabama (8-3) was downright stunning.

Celebration prefer it’s 2000‼️ pic.twitter.com/TtwjYkY6zd

— Oklahoma Soccer (@OU_Football) November 24, 2024

The Sooners ran for 257 yards and picked off Alabama’s Jalen Milroe 3 times because the seventh-ranked Crimson Tide have been held with out a landing for the primary time because the 2011 Recreation of the Century in opposition to LSU, which the Tigers gained 9-6 in time beyond regulation.

“The group is extraordinarily dissatisfied, annoyed,” Tide coach Kalen DeBoer advised reporters. “We labored, I believed, extraordinarily onerous all week, placing a plan collectively. Guys had good vitality, excited to return right here on the highway. You realize, we simply gotta play higher. We gotta be higher in all methods.”

By the point Auburn knocked off No. 15 Texas A&M (8-3) 43-41 in quadruple time beyond regulation, the SEC title recreation was set however the variety of SEC Playoff contenders possible shrunk.

No. 10 Georgia (9-2) is again within the convention championship and can face the winner of subsequent Saturday’s first-ever SEC version of the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry.

There’s nonetheless no denying the SEC is prime to backside the strongest convention within the nation. The SEC would possibly nonetheless get as many as 4 groups within the 12-team area as a result of there must be 12 groups.

The SEC is usually a grind, and due to that, the choice committee has given its groups an additional mulligan and the good thing about the doubt within the rankings. There have been 4 two-loss groups within the committee’s prime 11 final week. All from the SEC.

Certain, enjoying on the highway within the SEC is hard, however Miami didn’t have a lot of a difficulty at Florida in Week 1, and Auburn wasn’t too scary for Cal again in September. Tulane went to Oklahoma earlier this season and in some way scored three touchdowns.

The strength-of-schedule numbers that SEC commissioner Greg Sankey posted on social media final week don’t lie. The convention has earned the preferential therapy it will get.

Fascinating to learn evaluation from others as they study “energy of schedule” in faculty soccer…it does appear there’s a pattern to be recognized… pic.twitter.com/pXSfxRMxvL

— Greg Sankey (@GregSankey) November 21, 2024

However at a sure level, it doesn’t look like an excessive amount of to ask these SEC groups to maintain enterprise in opposition to groups which have been wallowing on the backside of the standings if the convention needs to monopolize the at-large bids to the Playoff.

All odds in response to Austin Mock’s projections mannequin

Imperfect Hoosiers

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti was not having any of it.

“Is {that a} severe query? I’m not even going to reply that. The reply is so apparent,” Cignetti mentioned.

The query was, primarily, is No. 5 Indiana Playoff worthy after it obtained manhandled 38-15 at No. 2 Ohio State.

Cignetti goes to Cignetti, and he has each proper to defend his 10-1 group, which has gone from lovable underdog to CFP lightning rod for these whose arguments start and finish with “energy of schedule.”

Indiana’s schedule is a authentic downside for the Hoosiers, and whereas they didn’t have to beat the Buckeyes on the Horseshoe to show their worthiness, it might have been good to offer the choice committee greater than 151 yards of offense to chew on. Indiana did get loads of assist from the losses elsewhere, nonetheless, a lot in order that its Playoff probabilities truly rose from 79 % to 87 % in The Athletic’s projections by the top of the evening.

The Hoosiers’ first and, principally, final drives of the sport resulted in touchdowns, with hardly a peep in between. They touched the ball yet one more time late for a number of seconds after Ohio State punched in a landing with 35 seconds left to ship a message.

“We mentioned go away little doubt… We wished to complete it the proper method and be sure that all people is aware of that that is The Ohio State Buckeyes.”@JennyTaft speaks with @OhioStateFB‘s Ryan Day after a dominant win over Indiana ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/dHDNqKBMPp

— FOX Faculty Soccer (@CFBONFOX) November 23, 2024

“We mentioned go away little doubt,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day advised Fox after the sport. “We wished to complete it the proper method and be sure that all people is aware of that that is the Ohio State Buckeyes.”

The actual fact is, 38-15 felt proper. Ohio State led 14-7 on the half, however a few empty red-zone journeys had saved Indiana inside a rating.

Ohio State nonetheless has to maintain enterprise subsequent week in opposition to Michigan and snap a three-game dropping streak in opposition to the Wolverines to get again to the Massive Ten Championship Recreation for a rematch in opposition to No. 1 Oregon.

“It’s been robust. It’s robust what I needed to see (Day) undergo,” Buckeyes defensive finish Jack Sawyer advised reporters. “There’s nobody I need this win extra for than him and his household and the brothers I am going to battle with on daily basis. The stuff that we’ve needed to undergo the final three years is nonsense. We are able to’t wait to get on the market and play this subsequent week.”

No. 4 Penn State can nonetheless slip into the Massive Ten title recreation with an Ohio State loss and victory in opposition to Maryland subsequent week. The Nittany Lions managed to keep away from the upset bug that swept by SEC nation, gutting out a 26-25 victory in Minnesota with the assistance of a faux punt and two extra fourth-down conversions to expire the clock on their closing drive.

“On the finish of the day, our group discovered a method,” coach James Franklin mentioned.

New favorites

The perfect group within the Massive 12 proper now is likely to be Kansas, which has gained three straight in opposition to ranked convention opponents after hammering No. 16 Colorado 37-21 at Arrowhead Stadium.

Alas, there isn’t a path to the convention title recreation for the Jayhawks (5-6), who nonetheless have to win at Baylor subsequent week to get bowl eligible.

3 STRAIGHT RANKED WINS 👏@KU_Football turns into the first group in FBS Historical past with a dropping document to win 3 straight video games vs. ranked opponents 🔥👀 pic.twitter.com/8EFsr6zKgV

— FOX Faculty Soccer (@CFBONFOX) November 24, 2024

Keep in mind when No. 14 BYU and Colorado have been on a collision course to fulfill in Arlington, Texas, for the Massive 12 title? Now there’s a four-way tie atop the league, with No. 21 Arizona State and No. 22 Iowa State becoming a member of BYU and Colorado.

The distinction is the Solar Devils (9-2), who handed BYU its second straight loss, and the Cyclones (9-2), are actually in win-and-in mode. The Cougars (9-2) and Buffaloes (8-3) will want some assist.

Arizona State will get struggling rival Arizona within the Territorial Cup. Iowa State hosts Kansas State in Farmageddon.

Final week, Boise State was ranked forward of the highest-ranked Massive 12 group, placing the Broncos in place to obtain a first-round bye as Mountain West champions.

Ashton Jeanty and Boise State saved on rolling by the convention Saturday, although their journey to Wyoming was a lot more durable than anticipated. It will likely be attention-grabbing to see if the Broncos’ struggles in Laramie assist the highest-ranked Massive 12 group — whoever that is likely to be on Tuesday evening, most likely Arizona State — push previous Boise State within the rankings.

Irish rise?

After Indiana’s loss and Penn State’s shut name, how excessive can Notre Dame climb within the rankings?

The sixth-ranked Combating Irish (10-1) will head to the West Coast for his or her annual rivalry recreation in opposition to USC on a nine-game profitable streak after burying a beforehand unbeaten service academy group for the second time this season.

Notre Dame’s 49-14 victory over No. 19 Military at Yankee Stadium was in some ways much more dominant than its 51-14 win over Navy at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey final month.

“They’re actually athletic and well-coached. They outclassed us,” Military coach Jeff Monken mentioned.

As an impartial, the Irish can’t earn one of many first-round byes reserved for convention champions, however they need to be well-positioned to host a first-round recreation and perhaps be as excessive because the fifth seed.  Actually, with all of the upsets within the SEC and Massive 12, Notre Dame may have some leeway to stumble subsequent week in opposition to the Trojans and nonetheless make the Playoff.

It could be finest if the Irish didn’t tempt destiny, however in response to The Athletic’s projections, Notre Dame now has a 98 % probability to make the sector and a 72 % probability to host a recreation.

ACC at-large?

The SEC’s loss might be the ACC’s acquire. With the losses piling up within the SEC, instantly a matchup of one-loss groups within the ACC Championship Recreation may earn the convention two playoff spots.

No. 8 Miami (10-1) and No. 13 SMU (10-1) continued to roll towards a showdown in Charlotte, N.C. SMU clinched a berth within the ACC title recreation in its first season within the convention with a rout at Virginia.

The Hurricanes nonetheless should maintain enterprise subsequent week at Syracuse to get to the title recreation. A loss sends No. 17 Clemson to Charlotte. Talking of the Tigers (9-2), the Palmetto Bowl in opposition to No. 18 South Carolina (8-3) obtained much more attention-grabbing on Saturday.

In case you squint you may see Playoff implications for the Gamecocks, too. Within the pecking order of three-loss SEC groups, South Carolina must be behind each Ole Miss and Alabama after dropping to every. The Gamecocks could be forward of Texas A&M, however the Aggies can nonetheless win their method in by an SEC title.

Obtained it? Good.

(Photograph: Brian Bahr / Getty Pictures)