Ranked groups in school soccer are by no means protected.
Unranked foes lurk round each nook. Upstarts and upsets abound. Insanity lives right here in school soccer. Loopy is the norm. Wacky is the way in which.
So, in some ways, school soccer’s Week 6 delivered precisely what we’ve come to count on. And, maybe, then some.
4 top-11 ranked groups misplaced to unranked foes: (1) Vanderbilt’s historic win over No. 1 Alabama; (2) Arkansas’ fourth-quarter comeback in opposition to No. 4 Tennessee; (3) Washington’s revenge win in a nationwide title rematch in opposition to No. 10 Michigan; and (4) Minnesota’s wild — and dangerous — fourth-down goal-line gamble that beat No. 11 USC.
It’s the primary time since 2007 that 4 groups ranked so excessive misplaced to unranked opponents on the identical day. It’s the primary time in historical past that two top-five SEC groups misplaced to unranked convention opponents. And it’s the primary time that Vanderbilt beat a top-ranked crew in 61 tries.
Six undefeated groups misplaced, together with these two top-five squads in addition to Duke (to Georgia Tech), Missouri (at Texas A&M), UNLV (to Syracuse) and James Madison (to UL-Monroe). It has left us with 12 unbeatens in all of FBS, two of whom meet subsequent week (Oregon-Ohio State).
Military and Navy are 5-0 for the primary time for the reason that Nineteen Forties. Iowa State is 5-0 for the primary time since 1980. Indiana is 6-0 for the primary time since 1967. Pitt is 5-0 for the primary time since 1991.
Past the upsets, there was loads of different insanity.
How about Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty? The Boise State working again ran for a 63-yard landing on the primary snap Saturday and broke the 1,000-yard mark for the season on his ninetieth carry and within the fifth sport of the 12 months.
Who would’ve thought the Texas A&M Aggies and first-year coach Mike Elko would sit atop the SEC standings at 3-0? And that Texas, 5 weeks into the season, could be the one undefeated crew in its new league?
In the meantime, there was loads of distress. Kansas misplaced a fifth straight sport after main within the fourth quarter; Auburn and coach Hugh Freeze misplaced a 3rd straight; Mack Brown’s Tar Heels fell to Pitt for a 3rd consecutive defeat; Florida State dropped to 1-5; and USC is now 22-10 in 12 months 3 below $10 million-a-year coach Lincoln Riley.
The wild Saturday produced a reasonably wild Prime 10. Keep in mind that we don’t think about preseason rankings or outcomes past this season into our ballot. The Prime 10 leans closely on power of schedule and high quality wins. Get pleasure from!
1. Penn State Nittany Lions
This week: beat UCLA 27-11
Subsequent week: at USC
Shocked that the Nittany Lions sit atop the rankings? Don’t be. They’ve bought two good wins — a highway victory at West Virginia and at house to a ranked Illinois crew. On Saturday, they bought a ho-hum win over the Bruins. Fantastic displaying from the offense. Nice displaying from the protection. James Franklin’s crew didn’t overlook one LA crew for one more. A win at USC subsequent week would remove the Trojans from playoff competition and thrust Penn State into place for an at-large or automated berth.
2. Oregon Geese
This week: beat Michigan State 31-10
Subsequent week: vs. Ohio State
The Geese began the season with lackluster performances in opposition to Idaho and Boise. Since then, they’ve outscored Oregon State, UCLA and Michigan State 114-37. Dan Lanning’s group is buzzing with the Buckeyes on deck for a Massive Ten showdown on Saturday night time. Can RB Jordan James (269 yards within the final two video games) maintain tearing it up?
3. Texas Longhorns
This week: Bye
Subsequent week: vs. Oklahoma (Dallas)
The Longhorns ought to get again a wholesome (or principally wholesome) Quinn Ewers simply in time for his or her annual rivalry conflict with the Sooners on the outdated Cotton Bowl adopted by a most anticipated sport in opposition to Georgia in Austin. That win at Michigan is trying much less spectacular and there’s actually not a lot else (thus far) on the resume.
4. Ohio State Buckeyes
This week: beat Iowa 35-7
Subsequent week: at Oregon
The Buckeyes — lastly — make their debut within the Prime 10. And if you happen to’re questioning why it took so lengthy, simply have a look at their early season schedule (Akron, Western Michigan, Marshall). Blowout wins over Michigan State and Iowa is sufficient to get them into the rankings every week forward of the showdown in opposition to the Geese, the place a query lingers: Can freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith make it three straight video games with a one-handed landing catch?
5. Miami Hurricanes
This week: beat Cal 39-38
Subsequent week: Bye
Down 25 factors late within the third quarter, the Hurricanes wanted a wild fourth-quarter comeback for a second straight week. QB Cam Ward led the cost, working for a 24-yard rating, finishing an 18-yard landing cross after which hitting his favourite goal, Xavier Restrepo, for 77 yards to place the Canes in place for the game-winning landing with 26 seconds left.
6. BYU Cougars
This week: Bye
Subsequent week: vs. Arizona
You might query a top-five BYU, however the Cougars have two good wins (Kansas State and SMU), sit atop the Massive 12 standings and have one of many nation’s finest defenses. Twin-threat QB Jake Retzlaff is averaging 272 yards in whole offense.
7. Georgia Bulldogs
This week: beat Auburn 31-13
Subsequent week: vs. Mississippi State
After Georgia’s loss at Alabama final Saturday, Nick Saban says he texted Kirby Sensible a message: “This isn’t the worst factor that ever occurred. Most of our greatest groups misplaced a sport someplace they usually responded the appropriate means,” Saban stated he wrote to Sensible. Nicely, every week later, the Bulldogs principally coasted to a victory at Auburn, maybe the primary in an extended line of them?
8. Clemson Tigers
This week: beat Florida State 29-13
Subsequent week: at Wake Forest
Because the 31-point, season-opening loss to Georgia in Atlanta, Dabo Swinney’s Tigers have received 4 straight by a median of 28 factors. The trail to 11-1 and a bid into the ACC championship sport may be very actual. At present, none of Clemson’s seven remaining common season opponents are ranked.
9. Iowa State Cyclones
This week: beat Baylor 43-21
Subsequent week: at West Virginia
The Cyclones are 5-0 for the primary time since Donnie Duncan coached on the college (that 12 months, 1980, they misplaced 5 of the subsequent six). For his or her sake, hopefully this 5-0 ends in another way. And it ought to. Matt Campbell’s crew had a 100-yard rusher, 100-yard receiver and QB Rocco Becht almost hit the 300-yard mark.
10. Notre Dame Combating Irish
This week: Bye
Subsequent week: vs. Stanford
The Irish don’t but have any actually nice wins (although that one in Faculty Station is actually trying higher), however we’re working out of groups to place within the Prime 10! Saturday’s mayhem induced an entire shuffling of the rankings, with three groups falling out. And so right here we sit, with a crew that misplaced to Northern Illinois ranked No. 9!
Dropped out: Alabama (1), Tennessee (2), Miami (5), Missouri (10)
