It’s my unhappy responsibility to remind you all that the ultimate week of the school soccer common season is upon us.
These three months have flown by, and we’re left with only one final full slate of insanity.
However what a rivalry weekend it’s shaping as much as be, with loads of groups trying to lock up Faculty Soccer Playoff spots whereas others are searching for to emerge from convoluted tiebreaker eventualities to earn convention title recreation berths subsequent week.
Right here’s a take a look at the coaches and groups with essentially the most on the road this weekend:
Kalen DeBoer
Nick Saban set an unattainably excessive bar for his Alabama successor. And but, Kalen DeBoer has performed fairly properly filling these sneakers, with an 18–5 document over his first two seasons.
With a win over Auburn on Saturday, the Crimson Tide would successfully clinch their first CFP look underneath DeBoer — and their ninth in 12 years.
Alabama is definitely a significantly better staff than 5–6 Auburn. However DeBoer’s solely actual situation early in his tenure has been dropping to much less proficient groups. Look how poorly that opening loss to Florida State has aged. Final 12 months, losses to a pair of 6–6 groups in Vanderbilt and Oklahoma left the Tide as the primary staff out of the playoff.
Plus, Iron Bowls at Auburn all the time appear to get bizarre. Simply two years in the past, in Saban’s remaining season, No. 8 Alabama wanted a fourth-and-31 miracle to beat a 6–5 Auburn staff.
DeBoer completely can’t afford a slip-up this weekend — or he’ll enter Yr 3 with far fewer followers in his nook.
Miami
Aug 31, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes operating again CharMar Brown (6) reacts after scoring a landing towards the Notre Dame Preventing Irish through the third quarter at Laborious Rock Stadium. Obligatory Credit score: Sam Navarro-Imagn Photographs A powerful case might be made that Miami is being mistreated by the CFP choice committee.
Regardless of a head-to-head win over Notre Dame and an similar document, the Hurricanes sit three spots behind the Irish within the rankings. Notre Dame appears safely within the playoff with a win over Stanford, whereas it’s totally doable Miami finally ends up simply brief for the second straight season.
Miami nonetheless has a path — each for an at-large bid and a razor-thin likelihood to sneak into the ACC Championship Recreation — however every thing hinges on successful this weekend.
The Twelfth-ranked Hurricanes go to No. 22 Pittsburgh on Saturday, providing one other likelihood to strengthen their résumé. A convincing win may very well be the assertion the committee must lastly transfer Miami up.
Lane Kiffin
Nov 15, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin appears to be like on throughout heat ups previous to the sport towards the Florida Gators at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Obligatory Credit score: Petre Thomas-Imagn Photographs And eventually… the apparent one.
With a win Friday within the Egg Bowl vs. Mississippi State, No. 7 Ole Miss will make the Faculty Soccer Playoff with an 11–1 document — even with out a spot within the SEC title recreation.
However will their coach nonetheless be round to see it?
Ole Miss AD Keith Carter says an announcement on Kiffin’s future will come Saturday, as Kiffin has been closely pursued by each LSU and Florida.
That doesn’t sound promising for the Rebels. And but, it could be surprising — actually unprecedented — for a coach to go away weeks earlier than his staff competes within the CFP.
Ole Miss could make Kiffin’s resolution much more difficult by successful on Friday.
A loss, particularly from a staff coping with distraction, would make leaving that a lot simpler.
