Wake Forest, Cincinnati on roll; Gary Barta’s ridiculous request

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The School Soccer Playoff choice committee did not rectify the principle criticism with final week’s rankings: that Michigan was forward of Michigan State regardless of the Spartans’ 37-33 win in late October.

Actually, the committee did not do a lot on Tuesday evening, largely sustaining the established order and counting on this coming weekend’s crowded slate of video games to offer the premise for a late November shakeup of the High 25.

This would be the first and solely time the committee will have the ability to hit copy and paste. Saturday’s slate consists of Michigan State at Ohio State, Wake Forest at Clemson, Arkansas at Alabama, SMU at Cincinnati, Baylor at Kansas State and Oregon at Utah, with every sport carrying monumental playoff and postseason implications.

Shakeups exterior the highest 9 of the rankings lead the record of this week’s largest winners and losers:

WINNERS

Wake Forest

Baylor was projected to take over at No. 10 after Saturday’s 27-14 win towards Oklahoma, which dropped to No. 13 and third amongst groups from the Huge 12. An alternative choice was Ole Miss, which put collectively a really robust win towards Texas A&M; the Rebels got here in at No. 12, a three-spot transfer from final week’s rankings. No. 10 belonged as an alternative to the Demon Deacons, who rebounded from a shootout loss to North Carolina with a shootout win towards North Carolina State and might clinch the ACC Coastal by beating Clemson on Saturday or Boston School on Nov. 27.

The larger deal for Wake Forest is the assertion this makes concerning the workforce’s odds of reaching the highest 4, which appeared practically lifeless within the water final Tuesday. However at the least two of the three Huge Ten groups greater within the rankings are assured so as to add a second loss this month. The Deacons may have the possibility to complete with extra general wins and practically double as many wins towards bowl groups as Notre Dame, to not point out a Energy 5 convention championship.

If Oregon and Cincinnati lose, Wake may very well be sitting at 12-1 on Dec. 4 and be firmly on the radar for the fourth spot within the subject.

Cincinnati

Cincinnati receiver Tre Tucker (7) celebrates his first-half touchdown against South Florida.

Cincinnati receiver Tre Tucker (7) celebrates his first-half landing towards South Florida.

The Bearcats profit from Houston touchdown at No. 24. The Cougars ought to rise after video games towards Memphis and Connecticut, if solely because of losses from Energy 5 groups greater within the rankings as an alternative of the committee really placing inventory in two meaningless wins. With SMU not within the rankings after a pair of current losses, getting a ranked win towards Houston within the American championship sport could be vastly important for Cincinnati’s playoff resume.

LOSERS

Gary Barta

There was this nonsense from the committee chairman and Iowa athletics director in reference to the talk between the Spartans and Wolverines: “Put aside watching the video games, although that’s definitely part of it,” Barta stated on Tuesday evening. “However statistically in nearly each class, offensively and defensively, Michigan comes out on high over Michigan State.”

To ask the remainder of school soccer — gamers, coaches, followers, media — to “put aside the video games” is probably the most ridiculous request within the format’s historical past. Barta stated the quiet half out loud: Inside that committee room, eye assessments, reputations and helmets carry extra weight than tangible outcomes.

Texas-San Antonio

Moving into final week’s rankings was the best second in program historical past. One week later, it is changing into extra apparent that UTSA just isn’t going to symbolize the Group of 5 in a New 12 months’s Six bowl with out important assist. If not within the high 4, unbeaten Cincinnati will seize that bid with none shut competitors. If Houston wins out in November and beats the Bearcats, the Cougars will get into the New 12 months’s Six with room to spare. And with San Diego State as much as No. 19 after win towards Nevada, the Aztecs will hold the Roadrunners at bay by ending 12-1 with a Mountain West championship.

Comply with faculties reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg.

This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: School soccer playoff rankings winners and losers for Week 11



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