Welcome to school soccer, the place the complete dialog a few program can shift in per week. There aren’t any better examples than the scenes in Lexington, Ky., and South Bend, Ind., final Saturday, which lays the muse for this week’s version of overreaction or underreaction.
“There was a notion about our group this week, nevertheless it wasn’t actuality.” — South Carolina coach Shane Beamer
One week in the past, Beamer’s seat appeared to be heating up after a lackluster 23-19 win over Previous Dominion. Then, as 10-point highway underdogs, the Gamecocks thumped Kentucky 31-6. Now, ESPN’s “School GameDay” can be in Columbia this week for the Gamecocks’ matchup with LSU, which after two tough weeks isn’t what many perceived it to be in the beginning of the season. South Carolina would be the underdog as soon as once more, however with a rejuvenated fan base, a assured group and a nationwide highlight, something can occur. And the notion round South Carolina’s season drastically can change with one other win. If that occurs, the Week 1 outrage will really feel like a distant reminiscence.
“We’ve been right here earlier than. Now it’s time to get it mounted.” — Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman
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Notre Dame has quite a bit to repair after its 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois as a close to 30-point favourite. As Freeman identified, Notre Dame being in these conditions has change into the norm: an in depth name in opposition to Toledo in 2021, losses to Marshall and a 3-9 Stanford in 2022 and this previous Saturday, after all.
The dialog about Freeman’s tenure at Notre Dame is for one more day. Proper now, the query of overreaction or underreaction facilities round the remainder of the Irish’s season: Did the NIU loss sink Notre Dame’s season, or is there nonetheless hope?
Shane Beamer’s South Carolina Gamecocks are 2-0 after their win on Saturday at Kentucky. (Jordan Prather / Imagn Pictures)
On the overreaction facet, it may very well be stated that dropping at residence as a 30-point favourite to a MAC group is proof sufficient that Notre Dame isn’t a official School Soccer Playoff contender. The underreaction facet would argue that an 11-1 document, which many noticed for Notre Dame anyway, remains to be in play, and that must be sufficient to get the Irish in. Whereas that’s true, there’s quite a bit much less religion on the market that this group can reel off 10 straight wins, and a few video games on the schedule like Florida State look quite a bit much less resume-defining than they did a couple of weeks in the past.
No matter facet you’re on, you’re justified. And that’s the fantastic thing about all of it. Listed below are 5 extra issues we’re overreacting about, not reacting sufficient about and completely reacting to — all sides equally wanted within the discourse of this nice sport.
We’re overreacting to … the variety of prime groups that struggled on Saturday.
Notre Dame was the one highly-ranked group to lose as a giant favourite, however there have been a number of shut calls, together with Penn State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Alabama, LSU, Kansas State and Arizona. However let’s not go into panic mode … a minimum of not but. Alabama is aware of this case firsthand. This time final yr, South Florida pushed the Tide to the brink in a 17-3 Alabama win, just for the Tide to run off 12 straight wins en path to the Playoff. Typically, early season adversity isn’t the worst factor.
Penn State, off a giant win over rival West Virginia, met Bowling Inexperienced with a bye week on the opposite facet, Arizona’s sport in opposition to Northern Arizona is the precursor to a giant sport in opposition to Kansas State on Friday. Equally, Alabama has a giant sport this week at Wisconsin. These groups could also be who we thought they have been however fell sufferer to the treacherous entice sport.
LSU and Oregon are deservedly getting extra criticism after two sub-par performances in a row, nevertheless it’s an equally honest query of why Boise State was a close to 20-point underdog to start with. It’s a group that acquired a ton of Playoff buzz within the preseason and performed as much as that customary. LSU nonetheless feels prefer it’s reeling from the USC sport in Week 1, however a win on Saturday in Columbia to begin the SEC slate 1-0 can treatment some issues.
We can provide mulligans to the opposite groups talked about as an early-season blip, for now. We’ll verify again in a couple of weeks.
We’re underreacting to … the indisputable fact that the perfect freshman in America might be in Columbia, S.C.
Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, Georgia’s KJ Bolden, Alabama’s Ryan Williams and extra have captured the nationwide highlight as freshman contributors early. However it’s time to begin keying in on South Carolina edge Dylan Stewart. The previous five-star prospect was everywhere in the area in opposition to Kentucky, very like he was in opposition to Previous Dominion. If there’s anybody play that stakes his declare because the nation’s greatest freshman it’s this: What number of freshmen are getting triple-teamed by SEC gamers and nonetheless making the play?
Dylan Stewart is a TRUE FRESHMAN pic.twitter.com/ux8OcLmyDG
— Pointless Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) September 7, 2024
It has been solely two weeks, however Stewart’s 2.5 sacks, two compelled fumbles and a flurry of quarterback pressures have put him among the many greatest edge defenders within the nation metrics-wise. Subsequent up: a matchup with LSU tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr., two presumed first-round NFL draft picks. Saturday may very well be a launching pad.
We’re overreacting to … any debate about convention supremacy.
Within the greatest nonconference video games of Week 2, Texas and Tennessee traveled: Texas to Michigan and Tennessee to a impartial web site in Charlotte (in opposition to NC State), they usually thumped their respective opponents from the Huge Ten and ACC by a mixed 82-22 margin. These resounding wins introduced the SEC’s document in opposition to Energy 4 nonconference opponents this season to … 5-6.
Let’s see how the opposite conferences are doing via two weeks: ACC (5-5), Huge Ten (4-4), Huge 12 (5-5). Insert the Spiderman pointing meme.
There are nonetheless matchups to be performed, and information will change, however any followers claiming their convention is mightily superior to the others or that one other one is overrated are simply speaking at this level. The truth is that this early-season stretch has produced true parity and competitiveness among the many conferences. It’s not as enjoyable as trolling, however that’s the case. However that may change.
What’s one of the best ways to find out the perfect convention? Convention document in opposition to one another? Playoff bids? Bowl document? Variety of draft picks? No matter it’s, it received’t be settled in Week 2.
We’re underreacting to … Kyle McCord and Syracuse.
Across the nation, transfers are making impacts on their new groups, however maybe none greater than what McCord has executed for Syracuse within the early season. Forged apart by Ohio State, McCord has been lights out for the Orange via two weeks: 69.4 completion proportion, eight landing passes to only one interception and a win over ranked Georgia Tech final weekend. There have been robust defensive portal performers for Syracuse too, Fadil Diggs amongst them, however McCord’s affect has been large.
Syracuse head coach Fran Brown on Kyle McCord:
“I ought to ship Ryan Day a bottle of champagne for permitting us to get Kyle McCord.”
(h/t @BarstoolTate) https://t.co/70l717h5ll pic.twitter.com/gEGmHGLlD3
— On3 (@On3sports) September 1, 2024
Mixed with lackluster begins by Florida State and Clemson, there’s actual optimism about Syracuse’s potential as a top-half ACC group this season: reaching 5-0 earlier than a highway sport in opposition to NC State on Oct. 12 is an actual chance. The primary yr of the Fran Brown period has generated good vibes within the first few weeks, largely due to McCord’s arrival.
We’re reacting completely to … the stage of disdain there may be for the focusing on rule.
Lastly, one thing we are able to agree on. We hate how the focusing on rule is known as and enforced. Alabama linebacker Justin Jefferson was the newest case examine from this previous weekend: A traditional “appeared worse than it was” deal with resulted in a penalty and his suspension for the primary half in opposition to Wisconsin subsequent week. You be the choose.
Disgrace on the @SEC officiating crew for calling this textbook deal with focusing on and the @NCAA for permitting an ideal deal with like this to be taken away on account of a really flawed name and rule. Whereas additionally taking 3 quarters away from a participant that did completely nothing flawed.
THIS IS A… pic.twitter.com/m23Fiir46U
— First Class Prospects (@FCProspects_) September 8, 2024
The spirit of the rule is honest and logical, however simplifying it to “crown of the helmet” is means too broad. There needs to be malicious intent, and the place was that intent in Jefferson’s deal with? There are numerous different examples of a defender making a bang-bang play and ending up with a penalty for making a play. At a sure level, gamers can be compelled to go low to keep away from a penalty, which might result in harmful penalties.
This rule doesn’t want any extra regulation to complicate it, however the focusing on rule is damaged and desires fixing. Sadly, it received’t be till subsequent season.
(High picture: Michael Clubb / USA As we speak)
