Hello All, Here are my updated Top 30 Rankings. Preseason Ranking in parentheses. Discuss. Enjoy. Link to the preseason thread, https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=725582 1) Wake Forest (1) 2) Maryland (10) 3) Saint Louis (3) 4) Connecticut (2) 5) UIC (13) 6) St. John's NR 7) Creighton (7) 8) Notre Dame (9) 9) SMU (12) 10) Northwestern (19) 11) California (25) 12) Indiana (15) 13) Akron (8) 14) Boston College (14) 15) Louisville (24) 16) North Carolina (16) 17) South Florida (15) 18) Dartmouth NR 19) Loyola MD (29) 20) Ohio State HM 21) UC Davis NR 22) UC Irvine NR 23) UCSB (5) 24) Duke (26) 25) NIU NR 26) NC Charlotte NR 27) Providence NR 28) Georgetown NR 29) Drake NR 30) Western Illinois NR
After watching both SMU and Tulsa play NIU over the weekend, I'm glad you dropped SMU down some, but disappointed you didn't give Tulsa some kudos. I think Tulsa was the better of the two sides this weekend. I know their record doesn't show it right now, but I don't think we have heard the last of them. They can play the game ! Tulsa will get a chance to prove something, they lock horns with SMU this weekend.
This is a very good Top 30, i just hate seeing Northwestern up there...I kept my mouth shut in the past because of my buddy David Roth (who happened to knock us out of the tourney with a 30 yard shot in the past) but now he's gone and I honestly have to say they are way overrated. But, we get them at Hermann in a bit so hopefully we can put them in their place...and I hope the boys at IU give them a good wake up call when they meet towards the end of the season.
Oh no question whatsoever that Northwestern has been overrated since they beat SLU in 2006. I likely have them overrated right now but you have to give them credit for piling up the W's. No question they are a good team. By the way best of luck with your recovery from injury...
I'm definitely a Tulsa fan. I hope they beat SMU senseless. At this point in the season they just don't quite have the record to get in. Plenty of time for them to make some noise...
Soccertom hit it on the head... You have to credit a team that is 7-0-1, a team that finds a way to get wins in college soccer. While Northwestern has been dogged by certain posters on this sight for "barely" beating Loyola (CA) and Princeton this weekend, they did just that - they won the games. Whether they barely won the match or outplayed the opponent, it still goes in the books as a W. Meanwhile, a SLU team "barely" ties LMU 2-2... it still counts as a tie, right? I usually give SLU a lot of credit for playing a tough non-con schedule. They do face Connecticut, Northwestern, and Creighton in this year's schedule, but the rest of the non-con schedule is nothing glamorous. Does 3-0-3 against teams with a combined record of 12-18-11 make them a Top 5 side? Will the A-10 schedule truly prove how good or bad SLU is? I am not sold yet. Then you look at the flip side, Northwestern having a soft non-con schedule to ease the pain of the always tough-sledding Big 10 schedule. NU has a 7-0-1 record against teams that are 18-28-7. Does this make them better or worse than SLU? Does it matter that Northwestern beat LMU while SLU tied them? Does it matter that Northwestern defeated St. John's in the preseason? I think the matchup NU has this weekend versus Ohio State and the trip down to St. Louis will answer a lot of questions. Just realize that your bias towards SLU, which you are entitled to, often impedes logical thinking towards other sides. We all know it affects you ability to truly comprehend SLU, but you don't have to let it label every team as overrated...
I will have to agree that SLU isn't a top 5 team in the country with their performances so far. I think they COULD be but I agree that 3-0-3 is not a top 5 record. You can't base rankings on what the teams potential is...which is why NU is top ten now (because they are doing well on the pitch) ...but you can call out a team being overrated, especially at this point in the season, because there is still a lot of season left to be played. If NU goes the entire season like they are now then I will not say they are overrated but right now they, as well as many other teams, haven't proven very much.
I fully credit Northwestern for their ability to win games regardless of the strength or weakness of the opposition. I haven't seen any dogging of NW by certain posters on this sight for "barely" beating Loyola and Princeton but perhaps I missed it. I'm still bitter about SLU's loss to NW in the 2006 NCAA's. That win launched NW and they are still riding the wave of momentum nearly two years later. Make no mistake SLU had the much better of the play during that match but NW got the win and the spoils of victory. NW haven't looked back since. NW may very well come into Hermann and walk away with another win. If so more power to them. As far as SLU's schedule I believe the expectation was for San Diego to have a better record than their current winless slate, same thing for UC Riverside. Portland was a good win for SLU and Portland seems to have recovered and is playing some good soccer since. Denver was picked second I think in the WAC and quite frankly Denver is a damn good team. I expect Denver will string some wins together. SLU scheduled 3 Top 10 Teams in UCONN, Creighton and Northwestern. I'm weary of reading posts about how SLU should win all their A-10 games like they are automatic wins are something. Heck a win is a win correct? No one is begrudging NW for piling up 7 wins vs less than stellar opposition are they? The facts are simple. If you play in a powerhouse Conference such as the Big 10 or ACC you may schedule some cupcakes to pad the win total (see NW Ohio State or Virginia. Consequently if you play in a non powerhouse Conference you need to schedule some top teams to pump up your RPI. Finally SLU plays a good A-10 slate of games against the likes of, Dayton UMASS Charlotte Duquesne Rhode Island Dayton, UMASS, and Charlotte have all been ranked in one poll or another this year. Charlotte has a very good team and UMASS is of course coming off a Final 4 season. Rhode Island is rebuilding but they brought in a very strong class.
Big game weekend! Wake vs. Maryland. I expect Wake will handle their bidness with Maryland. UCONN vs. St. John's. UCONN is due for a breakout game. Northwestern vs Ohio State. Northwestern should win. Louisville vs. Notre Dame. My Crystal Ball shows a Louisville win. Indiana vs. UCSB. Must win for UCSB. Basically a toss up. I see a tie or a OT win for either team.
Trending up: UIC Northwestern Louisville UNC-Charlotte Georgetown Trending down: Notre Dame SMU Boston College Huge games this weekend that could shake up the rankings. Clemson @ Home vs # 2 Maryland. Maryland lost last week vs Wake. Another loss will drop them to 9 or 10. # 4 Connecticut @ Home vs. West Virginia. UCONN should win. # 16 North Carolina @ Home vs. a rapidly improving Virginia team. Should be a barnburner. UNC needs to hold serve. A UVA win merits them as a ranked team. # 17 South Florida @ Home vs. a really athletic and improved Syracuse team. Should be another really good game. I won't be surprised with a tie or a 1 goal win by either team. # 12 Indiana @ Home vs. Michigan. Must win for Indiana. Will be a battle. # 15 Louisville @ Home vs. #6 St. John's. Louisville is big and strong. St. J's is skilled and quick. A St. John's win will validate their ranking big time. I think Louisville will win. # 25 NIU @ Home vs. # 13 Akron. Another big conference battle. Whichever team wins will gain a big boost of confidence. Something tells me that NIU will squeak one out by a goal or will hold on for a tie. #3 Saint Louis @ Home vs. #7 Creighton. Oh my this is a huge game for both teams. A win by either team will be a big signature win. You have understudy vs. mentor in Donigan and Warming. Whenever these two programs meet tempers flare. Should be a big crowd for this one as well. # 22 UC Irvine @ Home vs. # 23 UC Santa Barbara. A battle of the Cal's. I'll take Irvine since they are at home. UCSB really needs a win. # 8 Notre Dame @ Home vs. # 28 Georgetown a team on the rise. ND is coming off 2 straight losses. Can they afford a 3rd consectutive loss? This will be a close one. This is a pick-em game. I'll take GT just because I can. Washington @ Home vs # 11 California. Big Conference game. Washington is improving and Cal is sorta holding steady. Another pick-em game. A Cal win strengthens their ranking. A Washington win puts their season right back on track. I'll take Washington by a goal but a tie or Cal win wouldn't surprise me one teeny tiny bit.
For the trending down teams lets officially add, Maryland. Big game tonight vs trending up UNC-Charlotte Indiana. Big game tonight @ improving Butler. UCONN. Next game Wednesday @ Providence. I previously meant to add to the very quickly trending down list New Mexico...
so right ST, it has been a strange and unfortunate first 10 games and we find them "trending down" at 4-4-2. color me perplexed... i do believe they have a run in them in these last 9 games. I have to right? I'm a fan. BTW, thanks for taking the initiative with this thread and for maintaining it
It isn't too late for New Mexico to turn their season around. They just need to get healthy and get a few wins under their belt. In the remaining 9 games New Mexico will need to win at least 6 of them to make a strong case for a NCAA Bid... Of course it's one game at a time.
Calm down. My poll is released quarterly. This poll was released on September 23rd. As to whether or not Connecticut is among the top 4 Big East teams that is still to be determined. No? I meant that is why all the Big East teams play a Big East slate of games. Am I correct? Thanks.
Is it too early to make predictions on who makes the NCAAs this year. One question for everyone, how many auto bids are there? Thanks.
There are 22 automatic bids. ETA: The championship handbooks for each division and sport can be found here.