Faculty soccer rankings: Clemson debuts, Oklahoma State sinks additional into Backside 25

Clemson’s descent into the Backside 25 started on its first offensive collection of the season, because the Tigers went backwards on a three-and-out that ended with a sack. There’s been no stabilization since. A group ranked No. 4 within the AP preseason ballot has floundered aimlessly to a 1-2 begin.

The Tigers’ lone victory got here in uninspiring vogue throughout Week 2 towards a Troy group jumped out to a 16-0 lead. It will be one factor if Troy was one of many Solar Belt’s premier squads. However the Trojans circled and produced simply 112 yards of complete offense throughout a 28-7 Week 3 residence loss to Memphis.

In the meantime, Clemson dropped its ACC opener at Georgia Tech. The Tigers will now be compelled to run the desk to be able to attain the Faculty Soccer Playoff. A Week 4 residence sport towards a mediocre Syracuse group ought to assist the Tigers emerge from their funk, however Clemson proved itself greater than worthy of Backside 25 designation in the course of the season’s opening three video games.

An offense that ranked No. 11 nationally at 451.9 yards per sport final season now ranks at 109th at 319.3 yards per contest. A vaunted protection can be struggling to satisfy preseason expectations. The excellent news for Clemson is that the Tigers have loads of firm from the ACC this week.

This 12 months’s Backside 25 components has been tweaked to make sure honest illustration from throughout the game. Every of the Energy 4 leagues will get an computerized bid to the Backside 25 every week, and a complete of 10 Energy 4 faculties should be represented.

Backside 25 Rankings

^ Joined Backside 25 this week

The ACC tier

Boston Faculty’s sport with Stanford was a Backside 25 play-in sport. The Eagles could not cling onto a 17-6 lead and fell 30-20. However can you actually blame them for faltering within the second half? The sport began at 10:30 p.m. Jap. What number of BC followers stayed up till 2 a.m. native time to see the conclusion?

25. Clemson^
24. Duke^
23. Colorado^
22. Northwestern (22)
21. Boston Faculty^

Fast descent

Florida started the season ranked No. 15 within the AP ballot, whereas Kansas State got here in at No. 17. They’re a mixed 2-7, and the 2 victories are towards FCS competitors. The 5 groups on this tier have a mixed zero victories over FBS competitors, and Oregon State is winless because it heads for a drubbing at No. 6 Oregon.

20. Florida (24)
19. Kansas State^
18. Oregon State^
17. Coastal Carolina^
16. Georgia State (4)

Firing on no cylinders

You realize issues are going poorly when the coach will get fired in mid-September. Such is the case for UCLA, which is 0-3 with two losses towards Mountain West groups led by first-year coaches. If the Bruins do not win at Northwestern subsequent week, 0-12 is on the desk.

15. Central Michigan^
14. Arkansas State^
13. UCLA (19)
12. Center Tennessee (6)
11. Ball State (3)

Predictably poor

Issues are trying up for not less than one group on this group. Georgia Southern picked up its first in Week 3 by outlasting Jacksonville State 41-34 with a 10-0 fourth quarter. The Eagles have been picked to complete second within the Solar Belt East and will nonetheless aggressive of their league after surrendering 101 factors in season-opening losses to Fresno State and USC.

10. Kent State (9)
9. Western Michigan (16)
8. Louisiana-Monroe (13)
7. Georgia Southern (2)
6. San Jose State (14)

Uncommon suspects

It isn’t unprecedented for a Energy 4 group to often slip this far. However Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State aren’t the applications you anticipate to see right here. The traditionally proud Hokies and Cowboys are a mixed 1-5, with Oklahoma State’s 27-7 Week 1 victory over FCS foe Tennessee-Martin standing because the lone win. Oklahoma State was off in Week 3 however fell anyway because the 4 groups beneath it both received or had respectable showings. The aftertaste of a 69-3 Week 2 loss at Oregon remains to be lingering on the Cowboys’ breath.

5. Virginia Tech (7)
4. Jap Michigan (11)
3. UMass (8)
2. Akron (1)
1. Oklahoma State (5)