Ryan McGee, ESPN Senior Author
Inspirational considered the week:
So put me within the floor
Put me six foot down
And let the stone say
“Right here lies the woman whose solely crutch, Was loving one man just a bit an excessive amount of”
When you go earlier than I do, I am gonna inform the gravedigger that he higher dig two
Dig two
— “Higher Dig Two” — The Band Perry
Right here at Backside 10 Headquarters, positioned within the medical tent the place the neck braces are saved to assist Joey Galloway heal from whiplash after total Saturdays of quickly turning his head to go “WTH?” after each level made by Dan Mullen, we all know that the faculty soccer seasons make the clubhouse flip into the again 9, the room the place we stay can turn out to be a quickly emptying place.
In the beginning of every autumn, coaches like to remind us that each staff within the land is starting the season with a zero within the loss column. However by no means do they dare undergo the Backside 10 trying glass and permit themselves to be reminded that each staff within the land additionally kicks off with a zero on the opposite aspect of that hyphen, or sprint, or no matter it’s, within the win column.
So, whereas those that declare to like the sport proceed to rely and recount the dwindling variety of FBS packages that stay undefeated, we right here, who actually adore this sport on a deeper degree, wish to remind everybody of the opposite countdown of data. These groups who’re nonetheless in search of their first victory of the autumn.
The room of undefeateds continues to be in double digits, a whopping 10. So, what is the level in applauding that? Right here within the Backside 10 Cinematic Universe, we’re all the way down to solely two winless squads. The unbeaten room is so crowded we’re going to name the hearth marshal. Our room, the crushed room, school soccer’s most unique membership, solely wants a fireplace extinguisher.
With apologies to Deuce McAllister, David “The Deuce” Palmer, Duce Staley, Rob Base and Steve Harvey, listed below are the post-Week 8 Backside 10 rankings:
The Golden(plated) Flashes misplaced their sixteenth straight recreation, to four-loss Boiling Inexperienced after dropping a Pillow Struggle of the Week to four-loss Baller State and now they face three-loss Western Not Jap Or Central Michigan, who sit atop the #MACtion standings. That is superior in case you’ve ever dreamed of seeing somebody fall up a flight of stairs.
The New Owls on the Block (NO²TB) got here off their bye week and resumed their chase of Kent because the nation’s solely remaining oh-fer groups. Now Kennesaw Mountain will spend Wednesday night time touring to Liberty Mountain, the place the undefeated Flames open each recreation with a prayer earlier than leaving opponents with out one.
The Eagles makes an enormous leap/fall in these rankings, thanks partly to being the primary FBS program to fireside its head coach and likewise as a result of they discovered a possible Enjoyable Belt dancing accomplice for a possible season finale Pillow Struggle of the Week of the Yr of Century, or PFOWYOC, pronounced “puh-fow-yok,” which can be what Will Corridor angrily known as everybody within the entrance workplace as he was escorted out. And who’s that PFOWYOC towards?
The East Coast Trojans, who’ve charged into the highest backside 4 after three straight Enjoyable Belt losses and now face the Fightin’ Butches of Arkansaw State, the identical staff that simply ended Will Corridor’s tenure in Hattiesburg.
A yellow flag was thrown on the sector. Then Horns followers threw a bunch of stuff onto the sector. Then the flag was picked up off the sector. Then the trash was picked up off the sector. However … there was by no means one other flag thrown due to the stuff thrown on the sector?
The excellent news for the Blazers is that regardless that they maintain dropping, nobody can see it as a result of the complete state of Alabama is shrouded in thick white smoke from the dumpster hearth on the Plains and the panic assaults in Tuscaloosa.
The Different Different Aggies proceed their 2026 Pac-12 Admittance get together by taking part in like a 2022 Pac-12 staff, falling to 1-6 after dropping New Mexico’s non-Aggies. Now, whereas we had been obsessing over present #MACTion PFOWYs and future Enjoyable Belt PFOWYOCs, Utah State is hitting the highway for a showdown that has snuck up on us, towards …
The Chowboys knew the way in which to San Jose, however sadly, Spartans wideout Nick Nash knew the way in which to the top zone for the seventh straight recreation. If Wyoming goes to meet its dream of three-peating as Arizona Bowl champions, it may’t lose once more this season.
New Duke head coach Manny Diaz has now efficiently crushed the coach who embarrassed him at Texas, UNC’s Mack Brown, his alma mater FSU, and in two weeks has an opportunity to break the 12 months for the varsity that fired him three years in the past, Miami. The final time somebody went by way of ACC nation like this, they had been carrying orders from Sherman.
The Buttermakers are 1-6 and 0-4 in convention play. After an open date, they host Northworstern, which is 3-4 and 1-3 within the convention. With all of the modifications in school soccer, particularly within the Massive Ten, this recreation is like being wrapped up in an previous blanket out of your grandma’s home. Positive, it must be washed and it smells like a health club sock dipped in kitty litter and VapoRub, however at the least it is acquainted.
Ready record: UMess, FI(notA)U, UTEPid (aka the staff that simply beat FIU), Temple of Doom, Dwelling on Tulsa Time (aka the staff that simply misplaced to Temple of Doom), Whew Mexico State, Me-dle Tennessee, Fa-la-la-la-la La-la-la-Tech, Baller State, Miss Sus Hippie State, Snore Eagle, Akronmonious, flopping.
