RJ Younger
FOX Sports activities Nationwide School Soccer Analyst
Week 9 of the faculty soccer season is upon us, and as soon as once more, the Large Ten and the SEC are offering some extremely anticipated matchups this weekend that includes a handful of powerhouse applications all with the identical purpose in thoughts: a spot within the inaugural 12-team School Soccer Playoff.
Kicking issues off Saturday, No. 4 Ohio State is taking part in host to Nebraska on FOX’s “Large Midday Kickoff.”
The afternoon window is highlighted by No. 1 Oregon taking up No. 20 Illinois and No. 15 Alabama battling No. 21 Missouri. Then, No. 5 Texas hits the highway to tackle No. 25 Vanderbilt, adopted by No. 8 LSU going up in opposition to No. 14 Texas A&M.
This is extra on the highest 5 video games to observe this weekend:
Nebraska at No. 4 Ohio State (Midday ET on FOX and the FOX Sports activities app)
Nebraska Cornhuskers
NEB
Ohio State Buckeyes
OSU
Can Nebraska flip into Oregon in a single day? I doubt it.
It is not simply that Nebraska goes to lose its twenty seventh straight recreation in opposition to a Prime 25 opponent. It is that Nebraska is 0-5 when a win would grant them bowl eligibility within the Matt Rhule period. That is the definition of folding underneath strain.
That is what Indiana did to the Huskers protection — folded them right into a Ric Aptitude Determine 4 with 495 yards, 215 rush yards and 56 factors. And in a single fell swoop, a protection that many — together with City Meyer — believed to be elite appears to be like much less like Voltron and extra like getting zapped by Zarkon.
That is with an offense that has been inconsistent, dithering and incapable of scoring greater than 24 factors on a program that may make weight. I count on Ohio State to point out its energy with the energy of the Buckeyes’ empire flowing via its veins and their wrath felt. Nevertheless it is not the primary time a Matt Rhule Huskers crew obtained wrecked by a Large Ten title contender.
Michigan stomped a 45-7 mudhole in Nebraska final 12 months and walked it dry. “Final 12 months, it was Michigan, proper?” Rhule stated Monday. “Then, we rebound from that and get ourselves to 5-3 and simply can’t fairly recover from the hump.”
A loss to Ohio State places Nebraska proper there at 5-3 with 4 pictures left to earn a spot within the postseason for the primary time in eight years. The Buckeyes are a School Soccer Playoff crew, and they should present that in opposition to Nebraska.
You’ve constructed a roster and a workers to mirror an ambition to not simply make the event however to do the entire rattling factor proper right here, proper now. You have spent your bye week reflecting on a one-point loss to the No. 1 crew within the sport. Now these exact same carpetbaggers appear like gentrifying the joint? I say no, sir.
The Buckeyes are gonna bang via what’s left of their common season, reload the Benelli and go searching duck — however they’ve to begin with pummeling the Huskers. In 2020, Ryan Day apologized for not taking a knee within the Buckeyes’ 52-17 hammering of the Huskers. This 12 months he will not have that luxurious. The CFP choice committee wishes dominance the remainder of the best way from a crew and schedule like Ohio State. Nebraska simply occurs to be a stage OSU has to clear on the best way to the ultimate boss combat.
At problem in opposition to Nebraska might be Jim Knowles’ protection. Given the Huskers ranked ninetieth in scoring offense, 99th in speeding yards and 57th in passing yards, the scoreboard should not look rather a lot completely different for OSU than it did for Indiana final week.
No. 5 Texas at No. 25 Vanderbilt (4:15 p.m. ET)
Texas Longhorns
TEXAS
Vanderbilt Commodores
VANDY
Vandy is ranked. Vandy is nice. Vandy strikes. What’s going to Texas do?
Within the 2018 nationwide title recreation, Nick Saban began Jalen Hurts for the much less cell however higher deep ball passer in backup Tua Tagovailoa to make the most of a matchup Alabama believed it may exploit on the perimeter. Spoiler: Alabama received the nationwide title.
Within the 2021 version of OU-Texas, Lincoln Riley pulled seasoned starter Spencer Rattler for extra explosive and athletic Caleb Williams when the Sooners have been trailing 35-17. Spoiler? That labored too. Oklahoma received the Cotton Bowl, 55-48.
Steve Sarkisian noticed that unfold earlier than him in Yr 1 at Texas. He most likely noticed Saban do it first at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the place he coordinated the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons in 2018. He most likely locked that away and put that transfer in his again pocket for a second just like the one he was looking at with 4:43 left within the first half of a recreation the place Texas could not transfer the ball with out an armed escort. He pulled his seasoned and gifted deep ball passer in Quinn Ewers for the participant for the extra athletic and explosive playmaker in Arch Manning. Spoiler? It did not work.
He went again to Ewers on the depth chart. He gave the Longhorns the most effective probability to win, and he nonetheless does.
No. 20 Illinois at No. 1 Oregon (3:30 p.m. ET)
Illinois Preventing Illini
ILL
Oregon Geese
ORE
Oregon is the highest crew within the nation for the primary time in 14 years, and Dan Lanning’s response to that was, “Who cares?”
Effectively, I do, Dan. I rank groups. I ranked yours. I’ve ranked yours No. 1 for the previous two consecutive weeks. However greater than that, it’s how we resolve who the most effective crew within the nation is. And for longer than I’d prefer to admit, of us like me voting on issues as unimportant to you because the quantity subsequent to your college designation on a rating bug was how we used to resolve who the most effective crew within the nation was. Though that nationwide title felt as awkward as the thought of a unicorn with two heads strolling round on its hindlegs, that’s what we did.
Now, we don’t. Now, it’s about seeding. It’s about you getting pole place firstly of a race. About an additional week of relaxation for you and yours to get wholesome and to do what all nice head coaches do at evening as a result of they don’t sleep. They scheme. You scheme. You scheme so properly that the NCAA was pressured to shut a loophole you knowingly or unknowingly exploited in a one-point victory in opposition to a Buckeyes crew aching to get you on a impartial website in simply over a month’s time.
However they’ll must sustain their finish — as will your No. 1-ranked Geese. And this Illinois crew is likely to be the most effective one you face the remainder of the best way. Penn State is undefeated as a result of they took care of this Illinois crew. They received by two touchdowns, and most of us aren’t bought on PSU as one of many three greatest groups within the sport. The Geese are favored by 21 and the road retains going up.
And Illinois? They’ve been trying ahead to Autzen Stadium. The Illini have their title beating up on ranked groups not named Penn State. It’s simply them and Tennessee who’ve overwhelmed three ranked groups this season. They know you’ve overwhelmed precisely one, and who’s to say for those who didn’t want a little bit home-cooking to get it carried out? The Illini haven’t overwhelmed a No. 1-ranked crew since 2007, however I assure in the event that they win you received’t have ask about who cares that Oregon is ranked No. 1 come Sunday — as a result of it received’t be you.
No. 21 Missouri at No. 15 Alabama (3:30 p.m. ET)
Missouri Tigers
MIZZOU
Alabama Crimson Tide
ALA
The following time Missouri beats Alabama would be the first time that’s occurred since 1975. Usually, I’d lean on Alabama having received the final 5 it has performed in opposition to Missouri right here and that’d be sufficient, however backs are in opposition to the wall right here, and Alabama has been something however predictable.
The identical crew that went up 28-0 in opposition to Georgia and knocked them off in a comeback win managed to get anchored down Vanderbilt because the No. 1-ranked crew within the nation. Alabama can’t afford to lose this recreation, because it has already misplaced two video games earlier than the month of November for the primary time since 2007.
A loss to Missouri not solely extinguishes any hope of the Crimson Tide making the CFP, even with it prolonged to 12 groups, however makes this season a worthwhile one for Mizzou followers who’re unfamiliar with beating SEC royalty away from residence.
Sure, Mizzou is 6-1, nevertheless it has been a rocky highway. The Tigers wanted to return again a 17-3 deficit final week to beat an Auburn crew that seemed just like the worst within the SEC. They’re 3-0 in one-possession video games, however think about their opponents: Boston School, Vandy and Auburn. Not precisely CFP groups. And the Tigers protection has been getting ravaged in SEC play, giving up 28.3 factors per recreation. A Heisman Trophy-worthy efficiency is likely to be wanted from QB Jalen Milroe to win this recreation, but when Alabama will get a Hyde one, there might be no hiding him.
No. 8 LSU at No. 14 Texas A&M (7:30 p.m. ET)
LSU Tigers
LSU
Texas A&M Aggies
TXA&M
LSU and Texas A&M make up the final two undefeated SEC groups in league play and can depart one in pole place to clinch a spot within the SEC Championship Sport with 5 matchups left to play.
The Tigers have received their previous six video games after dropping their season-opener to USC. And so they’ve carried out it behind an impressive passer in QB Garrett Nussmeier and a protection that is aware of how one can create havoc.
Nussmeier has thrown for no less than 300 yards in 5 of LSU’s seven video games this season. At the beginning of the season, which may’ve been out of necessity. The Tigers misplaced star tailback John Emery for the season in opposition to USC and lacked an elite presence at working again. Then, true freshman Caden Durham emerged, speeding for 101 yards with three touchdowns in LSU’s win at Arkansas. Nussmeier, averaging 317.4 yards per recreation, continues to be one of many SEC’s two greatest passers.
Regardless of dropping star linebacker Harold Perkins to a season-ending damage, the LSU protection has created a move rush able to punishing opponents. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s protection has notched 24.0 sacks this season and is permitting simply 15.3 factors per recreation over its previous three. EDGE Bradyn Swinson has already collected 7.0 sacks in seven video games.
Whereas proving formidable, Texas A&M followers is likely to be fast to level out the house crew on this sequence has received the previous seven video games in a row. And the twelfth Man is actual at Kyle Discipline. QB Conor Weigman hasn’t loved the most effective season — lacking video games as a consequence of damage — however he has been greater than able to working Collin Klein’s offense. That is very true when RBs Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels are capable of gash a protection. They’ve mixed for 1,091 yards from scrimmage with 13 touchdowns. Moss has averaged 107.6 yards from scrimmage and been liable for eight scores.
The No. 2 speeding offense within the SEC is one purpose Aggies head coach Mike Elko is off to the most effective begin by a first-year head coach at Texas A&M since 1917 when Dana X. Bible started the season 6-1. The opposite purpose is that the Aggies don’t give the ball away as a lot as they take it. Their plus-five turnover margin additionally ranks No. 2 within the league.
RJ Younger is a nationwide school soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports activities and the host of the podcast “The Quantity One School Soccer Present.” Comply with him at @RJ_Young.
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