You need to speak about storylines? Effectively, the approaching debut of the 12-team School Soccer Playoff this weekend has opened up an entire new set of postseason storylines as we enter a brand new period within the sport. 

For all you climatologists, we have now climate circumstances. For all you customers, we have now playoff soccer throughout Christmas week. A few of you customers would possibly actually have a robust determination to make: Jewellery on your spouse or a paying for a seat within the prime row at Notre Dame Stadium?

We could also be witnessing Quinn Ewers’ final sport. We could also be witnessing Arch Manning’s first playoff sport. On the identical day. 

Among the many eight first-round contributors, we are going to see six of the nation’s prime 10 defenses: Ohio State, Indiana, Texas, Tennessee, Penn State and Notre Dame. We’ll take pleasure in three of the highest 9 most correct throwers: Will Howard (Ohio State), Kurtis Rourke (Indiana) and Drew Allar (Penn State).

Notre Dame and Indiana are every profitable video games by about 4 touchdowns every. Will that sport, the primary between the 2 Indiana faculties in 33 years, be shut?

SMU is enjoying its greatest sport maybe ever. Ohio State is perhaps enjoying itself and its post-Michigan angst greater than Tennessee. Clemson is again! That, or the expanded playoff is right here to avoid wasting the Tigers, who’ve misplaced at the least three video games for the fourth consecutive yr. The final time that occurred was 2011.

Benefit from the motion this weekend. 4 video games, two days, on campus. And we’re simply getting began, so let the 12-team CFP period start! 

School Soccer Playoff first-round storylines

Climate: There are faculty soccer followers/climate honks dwelling above the fortieth parallel who cannot look ahead to Tennessee to come back to Ohio State, principally as a result of these type of street journeys to chilly climates rarely occur for SEC groups. Additionally as a result of the fortieth parallel passes proper by means of Columbus, Ohio. 

That is one other manner of claiming it should be chilly, within the 20s and cloudy for kickoff. The final time the Volunteers performed this far north it was 73 levels in Pittsburgh the day Tennessee beat the Panthers on Sept. 10, 2022. 

It will get worse at Penn State and Notre Dame. The temps for the SMU-Penn State sport shall be hovering round 30 for Saturday’s midday ET kickoff. The Mustangs’ common game-time temperature this season has been 72.6 levels. 

ND may have the worst/greatest(?) circumstances — a 40% likelihood of snow Friday night time for Indiana. If you happen to do not consider soccer within the snow is the perfect factor since a Bailey’s by the hearth, flip in your faculty soccer fan bonafides. 

It is comparative t-shirt and shorts climate in Austin, Texas, because the Longhorns welcome within the Tigers — 64 and sunny. 

A brand new Day? If Ohio State lays one other egg towards Tennessee, is there a transfer made in Columbus? I do know athletic director Ross Bjork stated Day would be the coach subsequent season, however is Day himself satisfied he would be the Buckeyes’ coach subsequent season? If issues go badly on Saturday, Bjork might have to point out his coach the door. How far more abuse can Day — 66-10 in his profession — take? Including to the angst, Ohio State hasn’t misplaced consecutive house video games since 1990. 

Elsewhere … 

• There is a fascination issue with Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, who shall be teaching his 167th profession sport Friday night time at three completely different ranges. His first School Soccer Playoff sport will undoubtedly be his greatest stage but. 
• If Texas is upset by Clemson, Steve Sarkisian shall be 0-2 within the playoff. That will tie him for the second-worst file all-time amongst CFP coaches with Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly. Lincoln Riley was 0-3 with Oklahoma. 
• If Penn State or Texas win, they’d face a crew ranked decrease within the CFP Rankings — No. 12 Arizona State, No. 9 Boise State — than the groups they misplaced to of their convention championship video games — No. 1 Oregon and No. 2 Georgia.
• Notre Dame has misplaced 10 straight bowls designated as the present New 12 months’s Six (Rose, Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Sugar). That is the longest such streak in historical past. 
• The Irish have additionally received six straight towards AP High 25-ranked groups, the longest lively streak. 
• Indiana’s one and solely win over a top-five crew was towards Purdue in 1967. In any other case, the Hoosiers are 0-70 in that class.
• Clemson is a double-digit underdog for less than the fourth time beneath Dabo Swinney. 
• Ohio State is enjoying a house sport in December for the primary time in its historical past. 

School Soccer Playoff first-round picks, preview

(10) Indiana at (7) Notre Dame: The identical coach who misplaced to Stanford, Northern Illinois and Marshall out of the blue has long-term safety with a contract extension. That is one other manner of claiming Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman is able to let it rip. 

Notre Dame undoubtedly has the protection and floor sport to make a run. Meaning quite a bit with the Preventing Irish headed to their fourth BCS/CFP berth since 2012. They’re winless in these video games, nonetheless, as a part of the 10-game streak talked about above. However what do Jeremiyah Love and Riley Leonard care? This sport has the matchup really feel of Indiana’s solely loss at Ohio State, and the identical street obstacles will apply Friday. 

That stated, when questions arose through the season about Indiana’s playoff viability, nicely, they should not have. What the Hoosiers lacked in schedule power they made up for in dominance. Solely Notre Dame had a bigger common margin of victory. That is historical past in primetime with ND internet hosting its first playoff sport. That additionally means strain for the reason that Irish are internet hosting an in-state crew they barely admit exists. The applications have not met since 1991, whereas Indiana hasn’t crushed the Irish since 1950. Decide: Notre Dame 34, Indiana 17

(11) SMU at (6) Penn State: Regulate your thermal heaters accordingly, Mustangs. That is arguably SMU’s greatest sport for the reason that 1983 loss to No. 2 Texas the place, had the Mustangs received, they doubtless would have superior to the Cotton Bowl with a shot on the nationwide championship. That is solely step one of a doable 4 wins to a nationwide championship. SMU continues the perfect year-to-year ascension from Group of 5 to Energy 4 in historical past. 

Penn State is on prime of its sport, at the least offensively, after operating up 515 yards towards Oregon. Quarterback Drew Allar is settled in after saying this week he’s returning for the 2025 season. Watch CBS Sports activities All-American Abdul Carter terrorize SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings. The Mustangs offense might have a protracted day as a result of 106,000 individuals jammed into Beaver Stadium for a playoff sport won’t be ignored. Decide: Penn State 33, SMU 19

(12) Clemson at (5) Texas: As a school soccer fan, I need to see Arch Manning enter the sport and save the day. If you happen to’ve seen Manning, he has extra upside than the NFL-bound Quinn Ewers. In actual fact, Texas’ greatest likelihood within the playoff would possibly in the end be Manning having to inserted in some unspecified time in the future. My colleague Tom Fornelli agrees, however differently. I simply do not assume Ewers has sufficient of the “it” to information the Longhorns by means of 4 playoff video games. It takes a quarterback village. 

The Tigers, in the meantime, simply received the ACC regardless of critics slamming Dabo Swinney’s philosophy on using the switch portal. So, how onerous can a visit to Austin, Texas, be? All of the strain is on the Longhorns, who shall be enjoying for type factors in entrance of a discerning fan base. And somebody inform me who precisely Texas has crushed. Michigan was a 7-5 crew. Oklahoma is 6-6. Perhaps Texas A&M? Nonetheless … Decide: Texas 26, Clemson 17

(9) Tennessee at (8) Ohio State: What is the over/beneath on boos reigning down from Ohio State within the second collection? That’s, if the Buckeyes proceed to bathroom down offensively. Let’s not neglect, that is the way in which issues ended towards Michigan. So this is not only a playoff video games, it is a referendum on the whole program. That is why Ohio State cannot win by sufficient … if you recognize what I imply. Attempt to be held to that normal the place it is not simply sufficient to triumph, it’s essential to dominate the competitors. 

Thankfully for the Buckeyes, this seems just like the outcome. Tennessee will lean on its protection and SEC main rusher Dylan Sampson. Any mixture of occurrences that places the sport on Nico Iamaleava’s arm is an effective factor for Ohio State. For at the least one sport post-Michigan, the Buckeyes will come out totally loaded, motivated and coached. Decide: Ohio State 27, Tennessee 13

SportsLine’s confirmed laptop mannequin is looking for 10 outright upsets throughout faculty soccer’s bowl and playoff season. Go to SportsLine now to see all of them, plus get unfold picks for each sport from the mannequin that simulates each matchup 10,000 instances.