The marathon has now turn into a dash. Three weeks stay within the common season and the chaos that has made this one of many extra intriguing school soccer seasons in latest reminiscence is ready to ship an exciting, probably chaotic remaining stretch.
Solely three undefeated groups stay — Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M have all confirmed to be not simply the cream of the crop however doubtless School Soccer Playoff shoo-ins, whereas behind them, a slew of groups are teetering on a skinny line between being in or out.
This week options 4 ranked matchups that would shift the playoff image dramatically. No. 9 Notre Dame’s margin for error is zero because it faces a 7-2 Pittsburgh staff that can be eyeing a playoff spot — or based on Pat Narduzzi, the ACC championship. Iowa had its goals dashed by Oregon final week, however now it will be USC which faces the No. 21 Hawkeyes in Los Angeles, understanding that if it wins out, USC will doubtless punch its ticket to its first CFP.
In the meantime, two-loss, No. 10 Texas has surged again into the playoff image, solely to be confronted with having to beat No. 5 Georgia in Athens this week. You may say the identical factor in regards to the two-loss, Eleventh-ranked Sooners; Oklahoma’s personal outdoors shot at a playoff would require a win towards No. 4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa this week.
Buckle up. — Paolo Uggetti
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Texas-Georgia | Key matchups
ACC title race | Quotes of the week
What have Texas, Georgia achieved nicely in convention play?
Texas: Texas and Arch Manning appeared to have discovered a groove within the play-action recreation, finishing 86% of such throws, on 12.1 yards per try with three TDs and no interceptions towards Vanderbilt versus 64% completion and seven.2 yards per play within the season’s first eight video games, based on ESPN Analytics. Manning has eclipsed 300 yards with three touchdowns in every of the previous two video games, turning into the primary Texas QB to try this since Sam Ehlinger in 2018.
Behind an improved offensive line, the Texas offense is rather more environment friendly, and coach Steve Sarkisian praised the expansion and maturity of Manning operating the offense. However the protection, in the meantime, has struggled as of late. After permitting simply 11.3 factors per recreation within the first seven video games, they’ve allowed 30 factors in back-to-back video games. The move protection has been significantly leaky, permitting 382 yards to Mississippi State and 365 to Vanderbilt. — Dave Wilson
Georgia: Georgia’s protection was its shortcoming earlier this season, however the Bulldogs have performed higher currently on that aspect of the ball. After struggling to get off the sector on third downs, Florida went solely 2-for-11 on third down in Georgia’s 24-20 victory on Nov. 1. Final week, after giving up a landing to Mississippi State on its opening possession, the Bulldogs settled down and had three sacks in a 41-21 win. Final season, Georgia defeated Texas twice: 30-15 in Austin within the common season and 22-19 in time beyond regulation within the SEC championship recreation.
Protection was the first cause the Bulldogs received each of these video games: That they had 13 sacks mixed and allowed the Longhorns to hurry for fewer than 35 yards in every recreation. The Longhorns have been solely 2-for-15 on third down within the first loss. Georgia must proceed to be disruptive on protection, shut down the operating recreation once more and get stress on Manning to get him out of rhythm. — Mark Schlabach
What’s at stake in every matchup?
Iowa-USC: Regardless of getting dominated on the bottom by Notre Dame to the tune of 306 yards in Week 8, USC has not gone away. It solely has one convention loss — a two-point heartbreaker towards Illinois earlier within the season — and now discover itself with a really clear mandate: Win out and the Trojans can all however assure this system’s first ever School Soccer Playoff look.
The primary impediment in entrance of them is Iowa, which involves Los Angeles after watching its personal Massive Ten and playoff possibilities evaporate in an in depth loss to Oregon. The Hawkeyes couldn’t be extra stylistically completely different than the Trojans and, like they did towards Oregon, will attempt to decelerate and muddy the sport to their liking. If USC cannot set up rhythm on offense, it should try to beat Iowa at its personal recreation.
Lincoln Riley’s staff has one of the efficient offenses within the nation, resulting in not less than 30 factors scored in all however one recreation this season. That occurred towards Nebraska a couple of weeks in the past, however USC was nonetheless capable of pull out a really Massive Ten win with its protection. Likelihood is, the Trojans can be compelled to do the identical this Saturday in the event that they need to preserve their playoff hopes alive. — Uggetti
Notre Dame-Pitt: Saturday’s showdown between No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 22 Pitt is, oddly sufficient, larger for the Irish than the Panthers. As Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi famous in his weekly information convention, Notre Dame can completely demolish Pitt, however Narduzzi’s squad will nonetheless have a prepared path to the ACC title recreation and, thus, a playoff berth. In fact, that is not a state of affairs price relying on, and a win for Pitt would do wonders to erase the stain of a September loss to West Virginia and prop up an ACC desperately in want of one thing optimistic to cling to.
For Notre Dame, nevertheless, the stakes are far clearer: Its previous two video games of the season are towards terrible Syracuse and Stanford groups, making this matchup towards Pitt all however a win-and-you’re-in contest for the Irish. The committee has Notre Dame safely within the discipline now, and it is arduous to check how a 10-2 Irish staff may fall down the playoff ladder, so that is most likely the one critical hurdle remaining. It’s a hurdle, nevertheless, significantly given Pitt’s distinctive move rush, and if the Panthers can pull off the upset, it might have the alternative impact on Notre Dame, doubtless ending the Irish’s playoff hopes. — David Hale
Oklahoma-Alabama: Championships and CFP stakes are on the road when the Sooners journey to tackle the Crimson Tide. However no one has to inform both staff that, significantly Alabama — which value itself an at-large berth within the CFP final season after a disappointing 24-3 loss in Norman. Throughout his information convention this week, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer mentioned he needs the gamers who performed in that recreation to recollect it as a result of “our experiences assist us be higher the subsequent time round.”
That definitely was the case earlier this 12 months when Alabama beat Vanderbilt and Tennessee — two groups it additionally misplaced to a season in the past. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson mentioned he has gotten some recommendation on this Sooners protection from good friend — Texas quarterback Arch Manning. Texas beat Oklahoma final month, 23-6, and Manning threw for 166 yards and a landing and ran for 34 extra. Alabama can clinch a spot within the SEC championship recreation with a win and losses by Georgia and Texas A&M.
As for Oklahoma, a win over Alabama for a second straight 12 months would solely serve to bolster its CFP résumé, significantly as a result of the Sooners stay on the surface trying in for an at-large berth as of now. Although they rank within the high 12, two convention champions — presumably the ACC and the highest Group of 5 staff — would take the ultimate two spots within the 12-team playoff. Oklahoma had an open date after its win over Tennessee to organize for Alabama, although coach Brent Venables mentioned there may be little carry-over from its outcome towards the Tide final 12 months.
“The season for each of us is impacted by the outcome on the finish of the evening,” he mentioned. “Who would not be excited to play Oklahoma-Alabama? Two of probably the most iconic applications in school soccer.” — Andrea Adelson
Why the street to the ACC title recreation is up for grabs
The ACC is a sizzling mess, and never within the enjoyable contestant on “Love Island” type of method. It is extra of the “Oh, no, what if Duke wins the convention championship they usually give the playoff berth to James Madison as a substitute?” type of method.
In different phrases, these are darkish instances for the convention.
Put aside that two of the most important manufacturers within the league — Clemson and Florida State — are floundering by means of misplaced seasons.
Put aside that its 4 highest-ranked groups have all misplaced to unranked foes prior to now two weeks.
Put aside the very actual risk that the eventual league champion might need a loss to UConn, West Virginia or Baylor.
Any a kind of gadgets can be dangerous sufficient. Nevertheless it’s the truth that they’re all occurring concurrently, that Miami is sabotaging itself once more and accidents upended Louisville and Virginia runs, and Pat Narduzzi is waxing poetic about Notre Dame scoring 100 towards Pitt — it is an ideal storm of dangerous outcomes, dangerous press and dangerous choices remaining for the ACC.
Have a look at NC State, a staff that is caught navigating a disappointing 5-4 marketing campaign through which it misplaced to woeful Virginia Tech, but in addition has delivered brutal blows to each Virginia’s and Georgia Tech’s playoff hopes and will add Miami to that listing this weekend. There are not any winners right here!
There’s an argument that a lot of that is only a narrative difficulty, that when the SEC beats up on itself, it is a testomony to the convention’s depth, however when the ACC does it, it means everybody stinks. There’s some reality in that argument. However the outcomes nonetheless inform a bleak story. Coming off a 2-11 bowl season in 2024, the ACC now has six losses outdoors of the Energy 4 and a worse file in Energy 4 nonconference wins than the American Convention. No marvel the ACC does not get the advantage of the doubt.
So now we peer into the longer term and marvel what comes subsequent. Georgia Tech has the perfect odds of successful the league, based on FPI, at 35%. However subsequent up is Duke at 20%. The Blue Devils have losses to Illinois, Tulane and UConn, and in the event that they have been to win all of it, there is a good likelihood the ACC will get handed by a second Group of 5 champion — one thing the Allstate Playoff Predictor offers a 26% likelihood of occurring. The identical could be true if SMU wins it. The Mustangs have the third-best odds at 19.5%, adopted by Virginia (13.6%) and Pitt (4%). The very best-ranked ACC staff, Miami, has the bottom title odds of groups with an opportunity to nonetheless win it, and has a greater likelihood of constructing the playoff than the ACC title recreation.
In different phrases, the ACC Wheel of Future is again in motion, Coastal Chaos has unfold all through your entire convention, and the subsequent few weeks will both see a real favourite emerge or make sure the ACC is probably the most derided energy league in latest reminiscence. — Hale
Quotes of the week
“Completely not,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi mentioned when requested if Saturday’s go to from Notre Dame is a “must-win” recreation for the Panthers. “It is not an ACC recreation. Glad you introduced that up. I might gladly get beat 103 … or 110-10 in that recreation. They will put 100 up on us so long as we win the subsequent two. Once more, our focus is on Notre Dame and getting as many wins as we will.”
“This staff did not beat Texas,” Georgia’s Kirby Good mentioned of his Bulldogs, who swept Texas throughout two conferences in 2024. “And Texas hasn’t performed this staff of ours. So, two fully completely different groups in my view. I believe it has zero impact on it.”
Texas A&M’s Mike Elko on South Carolina’s 2025 schedule, which ranks fourth in energy of schedule nationally, per ESPN’s School Soccer Energy Index: “I do not know what they did to the scheduling gods to get the schedule that they have.”
“I used to be advised about it. I have not heard it,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables mentioned of Clemson’s Dabo Swinney mimicking his voice over the weekend after Venables visited this system in Week 11. “He is acquired me down. He is acquired about all people down. He is good on the impressions.”
Dabo Swinney channeling his inside Brent Venables is pure gold pic.twitter.com/LwRQtAc4Nh
— Jordan Woodson (@Jordan_Woodson) November 9, 2025
“I’ve truly received a championship and we’ll do it once more,” Florida State’s Mike Norvell mentioned in a passionate protection of his monitor file and the Seminoles’ trajectory. “We will do it right here. That may piss individuals off. So be it. They will be celebrating once we’re hoisting a trophy, and it will likely be the idea that I see from our gamers, the idea that I see from our coaches, the expertise that I do know that our gamers have, and the blokes which can be coming to be part of this.”
“Preparing for Wake Forest, that is all I acquired this week,” mentioned North Carolina’s Invoice Belichick following questions on potential curiosity within the New York Giants head teaching job.
“Look I have been down this street earlier than,” Belichick continued. “I am centered on Wake Forest, that is it. That is my dedication to this staff. This week it is Wake Forest, subsequent week it is that opponent and so forth. I am right here to do the perfect for this staff.”