With simply 12 regular-season video games on the schedule, each Saturday carries important weight within the school soccer season.
Two weeks of the 2024 marketing campaign are full, and after Week 3, most applications will likely be 1 / 4 of the best way via their schedule.
The pattern measurement offers some perception, with optimistic momentum evident for the most effective groups within the nation. Others had been tripped up on the best way to the center of the schedule in October and November and are flying into the hazard zone except they’ll flip it round instantly.
10. Maryland
Opening Large Ten play at dwelling towards a Michigan State workforce that’s in a substantial rebuild may have been a springboard for Maryland. As a substitute, the Terps continued final season’s vexing development of dropping one-score convention video games — three of their 5 defeats had been by a landing or much less in 2023.
It’s time for the Terps to sweat. They’re in an early gap with a street journey to Indiana subsequent on the Large Ten docket, USC visiting on Oct. 19, and a treacherous November of Oregon, Iowa and Penn State to complete.
9. Michigan
It’s no shock the reigning nationwide champions had been going through some appreciable roster turnover heading into 2024 — not the least of which was changing head coach Jim Harbaugh. Dropping in a high 10 matchup to fellow 2023 School Soccer Playoff workforce Texas may not have been so stunning, given all of the Longhorns returned for 2024.
Nevertheless, the Wolverines endured their worst defensive efficiency for the reason that 2022 season—Michigan’s Fiesta Bowl loss to TCU—en path to a 31-12 defeat that was extra lopsided than the ultimate rating. Michigan can’t afford one other loss if the Large Ten title and School Soccer Playoff stay the aim.
8. Arkansas
Coming off of a 4-8 end, Sam Pittman wanted a bounceback to a minimum of bowl-eligible standing in 2024. The Razorbacks face one of many nastiest schedules in school soccer, making six wins a tough benchmark to achieve.
Dropping a two-overtime choice on the street to a high 20-ranked opponent, which occurred to Arkansas in Week 2, isn’t problematic in a vacuum.
However with the Razorbacks squandering a two-touchdown lead towards the Cowboys, they let a essential likelihood slip via their fingertips. Lifeless forward is a stretch of perilous video games, together with Auburn on the street, Texas A&M on a impartial area, and Tennessee earlier than Arkansas attracts its bye.
These three video games seemingly make or break Arkansas’ season — and Pittman’s future in Fayetteville.
7. Notre Dame
Combating Irish coach Marcus Freeman described Notre Dame’s first two weeks as “from the best of highs to the bottom of lows” following a 16-14 loss at dwelling to Northern Illinois. The beautiful defeat got here on the heels of a 23-13 win at Texas A&M.
Each video games provide trigger for concern in South Bend.
With quarterback Riley Leonard but to throw a landing cross, he may be on the recent seat instantly.
What’s extra, Notre Dame’s upcoming schedule lacks marquee-win alternatives for the Irish’s Playoff resume — a resume already in deep trouble after shedding to the MAC guests from DeKalb.
6. Texas A&M
Taking part in a tough schedule locations a premium on dwelling video games.
The Aggies had home-field benefit and the assist of the twelfth Man however misplaced to Notre Dame within the opener.
A&M opens SEC play in Week 3, visiting a determined Florida workforce that should make good on its dwelling area. This opening stretch is a mirrored image of the Aggies’ schedule usually, with the extra beatable opponents like UF, South Carolina and Auburn on the street and the marquee opponents — Missouri, LSU and Texas — at Kyle Discipline.
5. Auburn
Auburn’s controversial rent of Hugh Freeze was made with the hope that he may rejuvenate a long-struggling offense. Earlier than his scandalous exit from Ole Miss, Freeze oversaw the fast emergence of a once-moribund program into an offensive juggernaut that helped change the complexion of the SEC final decade.
The Tigers averaged 26.2 factors per recreation in 2023 however scored 21 factors or fewer towards seven power-conference opponents. That development of stacking up factors towards overmatched opponents then struggling towards a more durable protection continued: Auburn racked up 73 factors towards Alabama A&M, solely to be stymied for 14 factors in a loss Week 2 vs. Cal.
4. NC State
The Wolfpack struggled, placing away Western Carolina — a Southern Convention opponent that misplaced the subsequent week to Campbell—within the opener. NC State’s stunning defensive points towards the Catamounts paled compared to a tough exhibiting towards Tennessee final week.
The Wolfpack gave up 460 yards within the 51-10 loss, when the Vols averaged 6.9 yards per play. Whereas NC State is unlikely to see an offense as prolific as Tennessee’s the remainder of the best way, the schedule doesn’t let up: Clemson and all of the sudden related Northern Illinois—sure, the Huskies will likely be riled as much as beat NIU’s former coach, Dave Doeren—loom on the finish of September.
3. Florida
A pivotal yr for the Florida program underneath coach Billy Napier opened with a powerful thud. The Gators’ 41-17 loss in Week 1 to Miami could have made Napier’s destiny inevitable.
Nevertheless, the upcoming five-game stretch is the distinction between the 2024 season providing some promise or being a traditionally rotten one in Gainesville.
The Gators draw Texas A&M at dwelling in Week 3, UCF for a non-conference date with in-state bragging rights on the road, and journey to Mississippi State in between. Something worse than 2-1 seemingly relegates Florida to a different sub-.500 end.
2. Colorado
A 28-10 loss at Nebraska in Week 2 that was extra lopsided than the ultimate rating suggests dropped Colorado’s report to 2-9 since final yr’s 3-0 begin and Prime 25 rating. The hype that originally surrounded Deion Sanders’ rent as head coach and subsequent undefeated begin in 2023 has turned to a palpable malaise.
A program with only one above-.500 end in every full season during the last 18 years would welcome merely attending to a bowl recreation. The identical points that plagued the Buffs in Sanders’ first season, a 4-8 marketing campaign, stay evident in Yr 2. And if CU can’t recover from the hump with potential first-round draftees like Sheduer Sanders and Travis Hunter, this system’s long-term outlook is grim.
1. Florida State
The Seminoles entered the hazard zone 9 months in the past when their exclusion from the School Soccer Playoff set off a series of misfortune. A 60-point loss to Georgia within the Orange Bowl preceded appreciable roster adjustments. The brand new-look lineup is 0-2 after anemic offensive performances towards Georgia Tech in Week 0 and Boston School in Week 1.
Compounding Florida State’s first two losses is that each got here in convention video games. The Seminoles don’t have any margin for error within the ACC.
There isn’t a signal of life from FSU’s anemic offense. Switch quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei is 40-of-69 passing for 465 yards; no ballcarrier has 50 dashing yards in eight quarters of soccer and alternative choices provide little optimism.