It’s the penultimate week of faculty soccer’s common season, and I’ll provide you with 4 guesses as to which convention has probably the most ranked groups. I’d prefer to thank SEC followers for his or her fast response, however nope, it’s not them. Big Ten followers aren’t even chiming in as a result of one in all their two divisions doesn’t have a single group within the Top 25. It’s admirable that the Big 12 utilized, whereas the ACC’s texts went not solely unreturned but in addition unread.
If you’ve been counting, you’d know there’s just one convention left within the Power Five, and it’s the Pac-12. With half of its dozen groups at the moment ranked, it has probably the most ranked groups, and a degree of soccer that has gone missed all season. That’s most definitely as a result of some video games begin at 11 pm. EST time, and a majority of faculty soccer followers are drained, drunk, or each by that point.
That’s what makes the USC-UCLA recreation so essential. If the Trojans drop one other one, and the convention champion has two losses, nothing any Pac-12 program did this season could have cachet. It’ll simply be one other, “I told you (conference X) was trash,” and all people’s most irritating sports activities argument exterior of LeBron versus Jordan could have legs as soon as once more.
I’ve been intently following the resurgent (and supposedly resurgent) groups all season for the now 86’d Marty McFly Rankings. I’ve seen as a lot Caleb Williams as Hendon Hooker. If USC wins out, with the one loss on the highway towards at the moment No. 10 Utah by the margin of a two-point conversion as a result of the Utes didn’t need to go to OT, they need to be within the College Football Playoff.
Even although Paul Finebaum emits smugness on the similar fee that L.A. emits smog, I’ve an incredible quantity invested within the Volunteers. (When your girlfriend is a UT grad, and your group was one of many supposedly resurgent, a distraction/rooting curiosity is what will get you thru the season.)
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Still, if the school soccer gods deem it so, and Tennessee and the loser of the Michigan-Ohio State are ignored peering in as a result of the Big Ten winner, Georgia, and TCU are excellent, and Pac-12 champion USC’s solely blemish is a one-point loss to a prime 10 group, so be it.
If it feels just like the committee has biases, it’s as a result of they do. They’re human. Once a stance is agreed upon in that room, I think about it’s onerous to get them to waiver as a result of nobody likes to confess they’re fallacious. And I feel convention champions that seem like convention champions in among the best, albeit top-heavy, energy 5 conferences within the nation matter.
Despite Oregon’s credentials this century, USC is the largest model on the West Coast, with a historical past of their finest being greater than ok towards the game’s blue bloods. It’s conceivable that they belong as a result of we’ve seen it semi-recently.
The similar goes for the coach. Lincoln Riley produces Heisman Trophy winners and CFP appearances. Add in a win over Chip Kelly this weekend, a W over a ranked Notre Dame group subsequent week, and a victory in both a rematch with Utah or a showdown with Oregon within the convention title recreation, and the recency bias we need to say doesn’t exist within the committee will push USC excessive, if the standard of these wins doesn’t.
Throwing your eggs in USC and Riley’s basket is safer than endorsing Josh Heupel as a result of he’s by no means made them look silly. I’m not saying Heupel will; it’s simply the concern of the unknown, no convention title, and the Georgia recreation that makes the Vols a riskier proposition.
This pro-USC logic may apply to Clemson if the Tigers didn’t simply get waxed by the Golden Domers, performed in a greater convention, and most significantly had a transcendent quarterback. Williams and Riley completely maintain sway in a variety room that’s most likely crammed with the identical shitty pastries and refreshments we’re all accustomed to.
Gary goes for the danishes and lemonade, Beth prefers a croissant and low, and Paul hovers over the beignets and tells you that they’re one of the best breakfast ever, and also you’re silly in the event you suppose in any other case. Yet, there are catered choices that everybody can agree on, and it’s most likely a fucking omelet station, however that’s inappropriate.
The CFP panel loves Alabama as a result of the Tide repeatedly checks the packing containers they worth and constantly makes them look sensible. A 12-1 USC group wouldn’t have the ability to depart the interview room with out a minimum of three uncomfortable Bobs-in-Office Space advances.
Once the pool of groups extends to 12, followers will have the ability to poke holes in any line of reasoning the panel presents with a lot ease it’ll result in literal meltdowns on ESPN. Right now, the factors are barely finite sufficient to justify a prime 4.
And with a win on the Rose Bowl on Saturday evening, the Trojans’ résumé will probably be one step nearer to the CFP stamp of approval.