School Soccer Playoff picks after Week 7

We walked into Saturday anticipating a shakeup, and that is what we bought.

Tennessee’s victory over Alabama means for the primary time this season, ESPN’s voters may have a change of their high three.

A unanimous choice all season, Alabama didn’t obtain any votes after shedding to the Vols, a sport which noticed the Crimson Tide penalized 17 occasions for 130 yards, essentially the most accepted penalties within the Nick Saban period (earlier was 15 penalties earlier this season at Texas). Alabama allowed 52 factors, the fourth most in program historical past and most since 1907 vs. Sewanee (54 factors).

As an alternative of the Tide it was Tennessee that turned a unanimous choice. Simply how a lot of a breakthrough was the victory for the Vols? In keeping with ESPN Stats & Data analysis, Tennessee had misplaced 28 consecutive video games in opposition to AP Prime 5 groups. Its final win earlier than Saturday was Sept. 26, 2005, in opposition to No. 4 LSU. The Vols entered Saturday 1-28-1 all-time in opposition to Prime-5 ranked Alabama groups with its solely win approaching October 16, 1982. Saturday was Tennessee’s first win over an AP Prime-5 opponent at house since beating No. 2 Florida on Sept. 19, 1998.

Ohio State and Georgia at the moment are the one season-long unanimous choices. The Buckeyes have been on a bye, and the Bulldogs breezed previous Vanderbilt, 55-0.

Elsewhere, Michigan’s definitive victory over Penn State vaulted the Wolverines into the voters’ No. 4 spot. Michigan rushed for 418 yards in opposition to the beforehand unbeaten Nittany Lions in garnering its most votes of the season.

This is a take a look at how ESPN’s faculty soccer reporters see the present playoff image.

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Andrea Adelson: 1. Georgia 2. Tennessee 3. Ohio State 4. Michigan
Blake Baumgartner: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Tennessee 4. Clemson
Kyle Bonagura: 1. Georgia 2. Michigan 3. Ohio State 4. Tennessee
Invoice Connelly: 1. Ohio State 2. Georgia 3. Michigan 4. Tennessee
Heather Dinich: 1. Ohio State 2. Georgia 3. Tennessee 4. Michigan
Chris Low: 1. Tennessee, 2. Ohio State, 3. Georgia, 4. Clemson
Harry Lyles Jr.: 1. Ohio State 2. Georgia 3. Tennessee 4. Michigan
Ryan McGee: 1. Georgia, 2. Ohio State, 3. Tennessee, 4. Oregon
Adam Rittenberg: 1. Ohio State 2. Tennessee 3. Georgia 4. Michigan
Alex Scarborough: 1. Ohio State 2. Tennessee 3. Georgia 4. Clemson
Mark Schlabach: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Tennessee 4. Clemson
Paolo Uggetti: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Tennessee 4. Michigan
Dave Wilson: 1. Georgia 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. Tennessee