Rating the Group of 5 Groups Combating for the Ultimate School Soccer Playoff Spot

There’s a very actual universe wherein the ACC misses the playoffs, and two non-power-conference groups sneak in. In most years, I’d like to stay in that world, however I don’t assume there are two groups that may compete within the playoffs this 12 months.

For this train, we’re going to assume that Virginia takes care of enterprise, and the Group of 5 is taking part in for the twelfth seed. Three groups are combating for one spot, so I’m going to rank these groups by who I feel is one of the best guess to make the playoffs. UNLV technically isn’t eradicated but, however I’d be shocked in the event that they had been capable of leap over JMU or both workforce combating out of the AAC.

With these pointers out of the best way, let’s get into the rankings.

JMU +130

Of the three Group of 5 groups with an actual shot at making the playoffs, JMU has the bottom odds to make it. Nonetheless, I feel they’re one of the best guess as a result of they’re 23.5-point favorites of their convention championship.

North Texas and Tulane are taking part in an elimination sport towards one another, and if neither of them impresses — and JMU can blow out Troy — that may make a superb case for the ultimate playoff spot.

Exterior of a simple convention championship, the Dukes have a really strong résumé. Their solely loss is to an excellent Louisville workforce, with whom they had been tied going into the 4th quarter. They beat six bowl-eligible groups, they usually have the best power of file of the three groups. Hopefully, the committee ignores their weak power of schedule on this situation.

North Texas -135

There’s nothing that folks love extra in school soccer than a terrific story, and North Texas has simply that.

If you happen to haven’t heard by now, Drew Mestemaker by no means performed a varsity snap as a quarterback in highschool, walked on at North Texas, and is now the FBS chief in passing yards. It’s a narrative Disney wouldn’t even attempt to write as a result of it sounds so ridiculous.

North Texas has by far one of the best offense within the Group of 5. I want when a Group of 5 workforce leans on their offense as a substitute of their protection, as that performs higher towards stiffer competitors.

The one cause I don’t have them as my primary workforce is that their odds aren’t nice, they usually bought blown out in one in all their two conference-play challenges towards USF. Additionally, North Texas’s power of schedule will go up after they play Tulane, however for all this discuss of JMU taking part in such a simple schedule, North Texas really has a decrease power of schedule as of now.

I simply don’t see how they’re at present the favourite.

Tulane +115

I’ve Tulane in third as a result of they’ve two losses. On the finish of the day, the committee is made up of people, and having two losses on their schedule makes issues an uphill battle. Nonetheless, Tulane is the one workforce right here to schedule difficult out-of-conference video games and win them.

They beat Duke, who may win a convention championship, and Northwestern, who’s taking part in in a bowl sport. Nonetheless, the losses are tough. Ole Miss utterly outclassed them, and UTSA ran them out of the Alamodome.

We’re nonetheless ready to see if the committee respects high quality wins or amount of losses extra — that’s why I’m unwilling to guess on them to make the dance.