6 School Soccer Playoff takeaways from bracket reveal

On Sunday, the School Soccer Playoff Choice Committee launched the first-ever 12-team school soccer playoff bracket.

As you would possibly count on, it was not with out controversy.

With a number of groups in competition for at-large bids, and solely seven such spots obtainable, there was no query {that a} workforce or two could be left on the surface trying in. Who would that be? An Alabama Crimson Tide workforce that defeated the Georgia Bulldogs? An SMU Mustangs workforce that superior to the ACC Championship Sport and misplaced on a final-second, 56-yard discipline purpose to the Clemson Tigers? A two-loss Miami Hurricanes workforce that was shut out of the ACC title battle between Clemson and SMU?

Now that the 12 groups have been introduced, it’s time to dive in. Listed here are SB Nation’s key takeaways from the inaugural 12-team school soccer playoff bracket.

SMU (11-2) will get in over Alabama (9-3)

This was the largest query heading into Choice Sunday.

Would the Committee reward Alabama for defeating Georgia earlier within the season and navigating a troublesome SEC schedule? Or would the Committee punish them for some stunning losses, together with a loss on the highway to Vanderbilt?

On the opposite aspect of the coin, how would the Committee take a look at SMU, who entered Convention Championship Weekend ranked inside the highest ten and misplaced within the ACC title sport to Clemson on a last-second, 56-yard walk-off discipline purpose? Would a loss within the ACC Championship Sport bounce the Mustangs out, and doubtlessly give groups pause relating to championship video games sooner or later? As well as, what a few resume that lacked a win over a Prime-25 workforce?

Alabama may additionally level to their Sixteenth-ranked schedule (in distinction to SMU’s Sixtieth-ranked schedule) and a greater report towards groups over .500. Whereas SMU completed 5-2 towards such groups, Alabama completed 5-1.

Ultimately, the Committee rewarded SMU for advancing to the title sport, and for combating again late towards Clemson. After falling down 24-7 the Mustangs stormed again, scoring 17 factors within the fourth quarter to tie the competition at 31-31.

Solely Clemson’s late discipline purpose denied SMU the title.

Was this the fitting name? As Rece Davis mentioned within the choice present, there are not any proper solutions right here. Nick Saban raised the problem following the bracket launch that this bracket — and the choice to place SMU into the sector over Alabama — would possibly lead groups away from scheduling powerful non-conference video games sooner or later.

However as Saban identified, every workforce managed their very own future, and hard losses by Alabama towards groups like Vanderbilt and their late-season 24-3 loss to Oklahoma, doomed their possibilities at moving into the sector.

Notre Dame (11-1) earns an in-state house sport towards Indiana

Indiana at Notre Dame ought to present probably the most electrical environment of spherical one. The 2 in-state rivals sq. off with an opportunity to face No. 2 Georgia within the subsequent spherical.

There was a thought that Notre Dame would slide into the No. 5 spot, because the Committee ranked them No. 5. However with each Texas and Penn State slotted forward of them, the Combating Irish dropped to No. 7.

That also provides Notre Dame a house sport, however they may face a feisty 11-1 Indiana workforce, who made it into the sector because the No. 10 seed.

No surprises on the high with Oregon (13-0) and Georgia (11-2)

There have been no surprises to be discovered on the high of the bracket.

Oregon capped off an unbeaten common season with a win Saturday night time within the Huge Ten Championship Sport, defeating No. 3 Penn State 45-37. The Geese had been examined on just a few events this season, together with a win over then-No. 2 Ohio State, and an early-season win over one other playoff workforce, Boise State, and can roll into the playoffs with an unblemished report and holding a first-round bye.

Georgia definitely helped themselves Saturday night with an extra time win towards second-ranked Texas, the second time in as many conferences this 12 months that the Bulldogs knocked off the Longhorns. Whereas there might be questions concerning the well being of beginning quarterback Carson Beck — who was changed for the second half by Gunner Stockton however did return for one play, the game-winning handoff, in extra time — Georgia tackled a troublesome schedule this 12 months and got here away with simply two losses.

The Committee rewarded Georgia for that powerful slate.

Boise State (12-1) and Arizona State (11-2) earn the opposite byes

With Georgia and Oregon slated in because the top-two groups within the bracket, the subsequent huge query targeted on who the Committee would slot in because the No. 3 workforce: Boise State or Arizona State?

The Solar Devils gained their first convention title since 1996, coming of their first 12 months within the Huge 12. Not solely was it a powerful season from Arizona State, however nobody picked Arizona State to place collectively a 12 months like this.

In spite of everything, they had been picked to complete final within the Huge 12 media ballot forward of the season. Additionally they completed with a 4-1 report towards FBS groups above .500, and had key wins over Kansas State, BYU, and Iowa State within the Huge 12 title sport.

As for Boise State, the Broncos have a Heisman contender in Ashton Jeanty, a 5-1 report towards groups over .500 this 12 months, and wins over UNLV (twice) and Washington State, in addition to a three-point loss on the highway to Oregon earlier this season.

Clemson’s case for a first-round bye? Of those three groups they performed the hardest schedule — ranked thirty fifth within the nation when in comparison with Boise’s schedule (81st) and Arizona State’s (62nd) — and likewise gained a convention championship sport, towards then-eighth-ranked SMU on Saturday night time.

However the Tigers had been additionally 2-3 towards groups over .500 this season.

That may have been what doomed Clemson ultimately. Whereas Boise was ranked No. 9 and Arizona State No. 12, they got first-round byes.

Boise State was the choose at No. 3, and Arizona State the choose at No. 4. Two groups that perhaps weren’t anticipated to safe byes when the season started, watching the First Spherical together with the remaining us.

Clemson (10-3) will get in at No. 12, however will get an intriguing highway

Shut out of the first-round bye dialog, Clemson fell to the ultimate spot within the bracket at No. 12, and so they tackle Texas (11-2) on the highway.

Ought to they survive in Austin, they’d then tackle Arizona State.

It’s an intriguing pathway to the Semifinals, and one which Dabo Swinney and firm are doubtless grateful for proper now.

The Committee ranked Clemson No. 16, however by advantage of profitable their convention, they’re within the discipline. Just a few weeks in the past the Tigers gave the impression to be on the surface trying, and a loss to South Carolina final week put them squarely on the bubble, however Syracuse’s win over Miami put the Tigers into the ACC Championship Sport.

Texas (11-2) will get rewarded for 2 powerful losses with No. 5

The Longhorns misplaced a pair of video games to Georgia this season, first at house again in October, after which Saturday within the SEC Championship Sport.

The Committee appeared kindly on that schedule, and valued these two losses to a Prime-5 workforce extremely, as Texas was rewarded with the No. 5 seed — the top-ranked non-conference championship workforce — and a house sport towards Clemson within the First Spherical.

Right here’s the total School Soccer Playoff bracket

That is going to be a lot enjoyable.