There are two groups within the Faculty Soccer Playoff prime 25 following Week 12 of the season that many outdoors their fan base wouldn’t have anticipated to see there this late within the season: the Louisville Cardinals and the Missouri Tigers.
Louisville sits at No. 10 with a 10-1 document. Missouri is only one spot forward of them at No. 9 at 8-2. And that rating bewildered ESPN’s Greg McElroy. The school soccer skilled, who was additionally a member of the Faculty Soccer Playoff prime 25 reveal panel, likes what he’s seeing out of Missouri this season however questions why they’re forward of a 10-1 Louisville crew.
“It’s been an important yr for Eli Drinkwitz. I imply, simply to exceptional, exceptional achievement to have this crew on the verge of a 10-win season,” mentioned McElroy. “However, I assumed there is likely to be a case to be made for Louisville to be forward of them this week. NC State jumped within the rankings; that’s one other good win for Louisville. So, I assumed perhaps they might leap Missouri, however with them nonetheless staying at 10, Missouri at 9, appears like Louisville has nowhere to go.”
Missouri does have yet another loss than Louisville on the season. Nonetheless, the committee has doubtless paid consideration not solely to who each packages have overwhelmed however to who they’ve misplaced to as effectively.
Missouri’s two losses this yr have come by the hands of two of the highest packages within the SEC this season, LSU and Georgia. Georgia is the highest crew within the land and is seeking to 3-peat as nationwide champions this season. And LSU is residence to the front-runner candidate for the Heisman Trophy this season, quarterback Jayden Daniels. Louisville’s lone lack of the season was in opposition to the struggling Pittsburgh Panthers. Pitt has had a troublesome go at it this season with a convention document of 2-5 and an total document of 3-8.
You can make the case both approach, for both Missouri or Louisville. However there’s nonetheless time left within the 2023 season to assist full the image and outline which program deserves the upper rating. For now, the committee sees Missouri because the extra full program of the 2. But when they each keep their place when bowl video games are introduced, there could possibly be a New Yr’s Six Bowl recreation that contains a showdown between these two shock packages of 2023.
