CFP Rankings: Alabama barely hangs on, Miami on exterior trying in
There’s large motion within the remaining School Soccer Playoff rating earlier than the convention championships and Dan Wolken is right here to interrupt it down.
Sports activities Pulse
- The SEC lacks its tremendous squad or two that dominated the seasons of yesteryear, however the tremendous tribe endures.
And that tribe chants: S-E-C! S-E-C! - School Soccer Playoff turns into battle royale of SEC and Massive Ten tribes.
- Convention tribalism differentiates school soccer from NFL.
SEC soccer ain’t what it was once, however its convention tribalism stays undefeated.
Go forward, check the tribe.
Inform an Alabama or Tennessee or Georgia fan that their once-incomparable league is down this 12 months (and, in truth, it hasn’t worn impenetrable armor since 2020, so spare us the air of superiority). Say that, and put together to be known as a dumb Yank who wouldn’t know actual soccer if it slapped you within the face with a leather-based helmet.
The SEC lacks its tremendous squad or two that dominated the seasons of yesteryear, however the tremendous tribe endures.
Even after Georgia Tech pushed Georgia to the brink, after a median Southern California staff beat LSU, and Notre Dame beat Texas A&M, after Miami ran Florida out of its personal constructing, the SEC’s tribe circled the wagons and prepped the propaganda bazooka.
As a result of, you may beat ’em on the sector, however the tribe’s spirit gained’t break based mostly on one recreation, and even one season.
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SEC soccer tribe busted out propaganda machine
You had Nick Saban implying Mississippi, the SEC’s fourth- or fifth- or sixth-best staff would run roughshod over the Massive 12, as a result of being a part of the SEC’s tribe means defending the convention’s undefeated report in hypothetical matchups.
You had Texas followers chanting, “S-E-C! S-E-C! S-E-C!” as a result of the convention rookies acknowledged being a part of this tribe means embracing its tradition and traditions.
You had media sorts who cowl this advantageous Southern institution proclaiming that 11-1 groups from different leagues would wither taking part in an SEC schedule. (Playoff contender Ole Miss, by the way in which, performed 5 groups with successful information, en path to a 9-3 report.)
And, the followers? Whoa, buddy, that’s a hornet’s nest to not be examined by the faint of coronary heart. Attempt it, go on.
Fire up #VolTwitter. Inform them Ohio State deserved to be seeded larger than Tennessee, as a result of the Buckeyes constructed a greater 10-win résumé from contained in the Massive Ten than the Vols amassed from the SEC.
Outdoors of the SEC’s borders, members of the Massive Ten and ACC tribes fireplace arrows again throughout enemy strains, thirsty to pounce whereas the SEC’s crown sits askew.
Throughout the two strongest tribes, bitter rivalries exist and infighting happens, however being a part of your convention’s tribe positive beats being in that different tribe, that convention throughout the Mason-Dixon Line, as a result of wouldn’t that simply make you sick?
This, proper right here, separates school soccer from the NFL, and school convention tribalism survived a number of rounds of realignment and enlargement.
Think about Kansas Metropolis successful the Tremendous Bowl whereas Chiefs followers chant, “A-F-C! A-F-C! A-F-C!”
Think about the NFC launching its personal TV community, hiring a bunch – let’s name him Faul Pinebaum – of a four-hour every day speak present, and protecting the cellphone strains open in order that ravenous followers can holler, “These AFC groups ain’t performed no person, Fawwwwwwlll!”
Think about a committee filled with subjective people gathering every week at a suburban Dallas resort to determine whether or not a 9-8 staff from the AFC deserves a playoff bid over the 10-7 staff from the NFC.
The NFL boasts a advantageous product, with unmatched expertise, and a handful of fierce rivalries, however this interlocking convention tribalism grew to become distinctive to varsity soccer, and it continues strongest inside the SEC. Its tribalism expanded after the convention grew and purchased extra like-minded colleges the place soccer by no means rides within the backseat, irrespective of the information.
School Soccer Playoff turns into SEC vs. Massive Ten battle royale
There’s lengthy been a “my convention guidelines, your convention stinks” mentality inside school sports activities, however the debate acquired larger that means inside the 12-team playoff period, and it evokes feelings to the nth diploma.
Most years all through the four-team playoff period, the committee had it simple. The bracket snapped into place in a reasonably easy method.
One of the best staff from the SEC and Massive Ten superior to the playoff, the place they have been joined by one other convention champion or two or Notre Dame.
The SEC certified at the least one staff yearly of the four-team playoff. Solely twice in 10 years did it qualify a second staff. The Massive Ten missed the playoff solely simply twice and pulled off the two-bid as soon as.
For essentially the most half, debating whether or not the fourth-best staff within the SEC was higher than the second-best staff within the ACC or the fourth-best staff within the Massive Ten went no additional than speak radio.
Now, that debate grew to become significant rhetoric for groups making an attempt to make use of the ability of their tribe to shoehorn their means into the playoff or attain a better seed inside a bracket the place seeding determines home-field benefit within the first spherical.
“It’s ridiculous, the distinction of taking part in within the SEC and the ACC and Massive 12,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin stated lately.
“Take a few of these groups (from different conferences) which can be up there (within the rankings) that haven’t performed anyone and put them down within the SEC, they’re .500 groups.”
Kiffin’s quote mirrored the SEC’s ego and unflinching tribalism, even when the convention’s cloak of invincibility slipped only a bit amid the leveling results of NIL mixed with the switch revolution.
Simply as quickly as Kiffin completed politicking, Georgia Tech, an ACC staff barely above .500, took one-time SEC bully Georgia into eight overtimes.
Louisville, a superb however hardly nice ACC staff, clobbered Kentucky, a dreadful SEC staff that owns one convention win – in opposition to Kiffin’s squad.
A troublesome weekend for SEC soccer, however the convention tribalism persevered, undeterred, and as quickly because the video games completed, the tribe gathered the drums, and the beat appeared like S-E-C! S-E-C!
And with the drumbeat echoing, 4 groups from the South’s tribe retain playoff hopes, whereas 4 from the rival North’s tribe put together to fulfill them there, and there is nary a brilliant energy amongst them, except you take into account the 2 tremendous tribes themselves, which develop greater and stronger.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Community’s nationwide school soccer columnist. E mail him at [email protected] and comply with him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to learn all of his columns.
