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As we speak in faculty soccer information, I’ve been handed one other novelty can of Pringles: Miller Lite Beer Can Hen taste. After all I’m gonna eat all of them, however I’d have by no means guessed they’re imagined to remind me of beer can hen.
Should Be Good: Every part’s arising Irish
Understand how folks prefer to complain about Notre Dame?
Wait, I have to be rather more particular. Understand how folks prefer to complain about Notre Dame nonetheless being an unbiased, many years after each different energy determined to affix one faction or one other?
“Their schedules are too straightforward!” First, their schedules are nearly at all times high-quality general. Second, anybody who’s involved with schedule inequality might’ve merely prevented being in conferences that added Oregon or Texas or no matter. Don’t blame Notre Dame for declining to chase any individual else’s upgraded issue (AKA cash).
“They don’t need to play a thirteenth sport like we do!” Once more, no one made your league resolve it appreciated convention title sport income greater than it appreciated having undefeated groups.
“I simply don’t like them, and I’ll gripe about something that applies extra to them than to my very own staff!” Legitimate. Honest. The way in which issues should be. Go nuts.
Most just lately, Notre Dame’s independence develop into much more necessary when the brand new 12-team School Soccer Playoff started awarding first-round byes solely to convention champions. Lastly, a solution to punish the Irish for his or her cussed methods! What a grand comeuppance this might be, when these boastful independents roll up with a No. 1 seed, then need to play within the first spherical agai—
Oh. There goes that concept.
After precisely one yr of that format, Notre Dame is now eligible for first-round byes. This week, the CFP administration committee introduced the bracket will now be sorted strictly by rankings.
South Bend, you owe a giant thanks to Arizona State and particularly Boise State for rating amongst final season’s prime 4 convention champs — and thus claiming byes that will’ve in any other case gone to Texas and Penn State.
Positive, that is largely about ensuring we don’t have one other situation like final yr, when No. 1 Oregon drew an on the spot rematch in opposition to a molten-hot Ohio State — whereas two-loss Penn State loved being a giant favourite till the semifinals. However after faculty soccer spent many years conserving groups like Boise out of the title image, as soon as the Broncos had been a staff that landed on a perch, this method felt much more instantly doomed.
Both means, right here’s a method to take a look at the scenario: The facility conferences so hated giving up a pair spots to semi-randos that they determined to surrender much more spots to Notre Dame. In any case, who’s going to swipe certainly one of these bids extra incessantly: the Irish, or groups like Boise State? Notre Dame would’ve claimed byes in 2012, 2018 and 2020 and been one spot away in 2021 and 2024. One of many nation’s most bankable bye-claimers, really.
Total, there are execs and cons about this up to date CFP.
Yay: The sphere can now be a lot fairer towards the groups that had the perfect common seasons, and yeah, that’s fairly important.
Ehh: However this may even tilt every part much more in favor of the Large Ten and SEC, who will now begin splitting so many byes amongst themselves. (Plus, I kinda appreciated how bizarre it was that freaking Arizona State stole a bye out of nowhere. School soccer must be bizarre. Ah nicely.)
Fast Snaps
💎 In all probability my favourite faculty sports activities learn of the week: Lindsay Schnell on how faculty softball turned a sport all about smashing a number of crowd-pleasing dingers. In hindsight, the most important spike in offense was as a result of … the colour of the ball. However there’s nonetheless much more to it than simply that.
👍 To completely zero shock: “Plans for a presidential fee exploring points in faculty sports activities have been paused, a supply accustomed to the plans confirmed to The Athletic on Thursday.”
🏈 “A Salt Lake Metropolis girl has accused BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff of sexual assault and battery, in accordance with a civil lawsuit filed Wednesday.” Information particulars right here.
✈️ Nashville tourism is a serious factor, however does any customer ever assume, “I can’t wait to go from one nation bar to the Vanderbilt sport to a different nation bar”? Luring explorers has lengthy been Vandy’s dream, however now the hassle contains classes taken from England’s Premier League, of all locations.
🎭 This week in “Survivor: UNC”:
On Tuesday, a giant article on Invoice Belichick included a number of hanging particulars, together with that Jordon Hudson had “demanded she be granted content material approval and partial possession” of “Exhausting Knocks,” a present that’s nearly precisely as previous as she is. (I didn’t embody this New York Occasions hyperlink in Wednesday’s publication as a result of I hadn’t seen it on the time, largely as a result of I used to be in the midst of touring to our conferences at … the New York Occasions.)
“Belichick’s relationship with Hudson began gaining nationwide consideration round April 15, together with The Athletic’s Matt Baker writing a narrative about Hudson’s function with North Carolina on that day. BetMGM advised The Athletic that amongst all bets on North Carolina’s 7.5 win complete earlier than April 15, 79 % of bets had been on the over. Since April 15, nevertheless, a whopping 89 % of bets on North Carolina’s 7.5 win complete at BetMGM have are available on the underneath.” Extra right here on the general public very a lot not believing in UNC.
Rankings! High 25s from 2000 onward
As famous on Tuesday, this week, The Athletic’s faculty soccer workers paid tribute to the primary quarter century of the 2000s by using CFB’s most honored quantity. I’ve already linked to a few these top-25 lists, however listed here are all 5 in a single spot:
Stewart Mandel ranked the 25 finest groups of this period. I’d go 2019 LSU at No. 1, however he put much more work into his 2001 Miami-led record than I put into mine. My record was only one staff.
Bruce Feldman has the highest 25 gamers, and it’s genuinely surreal to agree there’s a reputation forward of Reggie Bush and Ndamukong Suh. How might anyone however Barry Sanders himself be higher in school soccer than these two had been? Inform your grandkids about Cam Newton.
Chris Vannini dealt with the record of the highest 25 coaches, the place Lincoln Riley is perhaps the toughest name. Positive, issues look somber in the meanwhile, however I agree “three Heisman winners in six years” nonetheless carries sufficient weight to make the lower. For now.
Perhaps the funnest record is David Ubben’s of the 25 finest video games. I can affirm a number of folks have voiced IRL grievances along with his dealing with of 2007 Appalachian State-Michigan. Once more, surreal to appreciate there have been arguably no less than two video games higher than the Kick Six.
Rounding it out is Stewart once more with the highest 25 packages, not simply single-year groups. First, I’d like to notice Washington pretty makes the record regardless of going 0-12 that one time. Additionally, you’re most likely assuming Alabama seems at No. 1 right here, however keep in mind this time interval begins eight years earlier than Nick Saban arrived at Bama. I’d completely go together with the Tide up prime, however Ohio State has certainly been elite nearly actually the whole time.
Extra Rankings! Sooners again within the nationwide image
And eventually, circling again to this one: yet one more Mandel prime 25, this time an up to date record of 2025 groups, with spring and portal stuff within the books.
The highest 5, now that we’ve additionally all had rather more time to review these groups than we’d had again in January, when Stewart posted his first prime 25 of the yr:
Texas (up from No. 2)
Penn State (down from No. 1)
Clemson (up from No. 5)
Ohio State (up from No. 6)
Notre Dame (down from No. 3)
The most important gainer: No. 14 Oklahoma, up from No. 25. The Sooners just lately added RB Jaydn Ott (Cal) and OG Jake Maikkula (Cal’s ACC archrival, Stanford) to their completely overhauled offense. Additionally making a giant bounce is No. 19 Texas Tech, which has most likely signed like 38 extra gamers since I began writing this text.
Greatest tumble, all the way in which out of the record: No. 13 Tennessee. I nonetheless really feel OK concerning the Vols regardless of all that portal turbulence. In post-spring SP+ rankings, they’re No. 13.
Stewart’s up to date prime 25 is right here, with explanations for every staff included. And that’s a wrap for this week. Holler at me: untilsaturday@theathletic.com.
