Because the inaugural 12-team School Soccer Playoff prepares to kick off, it is time for an important individuals on every workforce to go away an indelible mark on the sport. It is win or go dwelling on maybe the grandest stage the sport has seen.
Listed here are an important individuals within the CFP first spherical.
Kevin Jennings | SMU quarterback
On paper, Saturday’s recreation (midday ET, TNT/MAX) between No. 6 Penn State (11-2) appears like a foul matchup for No. 11 SMU (11-2). Penn State will current issues SMU hasn’t seen this season.
However the Nittany Lions have not confronted a dual-threat quarterback like Jennings. Penn State head coach James Franklin has a scary comp for the SMU quarterback.
“[Jennings] can lengthen performs, could make large performs, does a very good job of conserving his eyes down the sphere. I believe that is his fashion of play,” Franklin mentioned, per Daniel Mader of Sports activities Illustrated. “I do not know if we’ve anyone else that we’ve performed this 12 months that is much like him, however his recreation actually jogs my memory a number of Lamar Jackson.”
Ryan Day | Ohio State head coach
Honest or not, Day is underneath intense scrutiny following No. 8 Ohio State’s disappointing loss to rival Michigan. Day has misplaced 4 in a row to the Wolverines and his management was questioned after the postgame melee at midfield. All eyes shall be on his Buckeyes (10-2) as they host No. 9 Tennessee (10-2) in primetime Saturday (8 p.m. ESPN/ABC). Day should win to hush the critics and show his workforce has moved on from the Michigan loss.
However former Ohio State AD Gene Smith, who employed Day in 2018, is bored with the criticism of the coach.
“You bought the second-winningest coach [by percentage] within the historical past of Ohio State, and you retain studying in regards to the strain,” he advised ESPN. “Properly, that is what you signed up for. However this win-or-lose-your-job mentality is totally ridiculous.”
Riley Leonard | Notre Dame quarterback
On Friday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), Leonard and No. 7 Notre Dame (11-1) will go towards the nation’s greatest speeding protection in No. 10 Indiana (11-1). In what is predicted to be snowy circumstances, Leonard should defend the ball. In his previous 5 video games, he has thrown for 10 TDs and two interceptions.
“He is bought nice mobility,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti mentioned of Leonard, per On3.com. “He can throw the ball nicely additionally. Backs are good. There could also be a little bit wrinkle that we have not seen but, however for probably the most half we have seen this type of stuff and seen it via the years.”
Texas RBs and offensive line
The No. 5 Longhorns (11-2) had been dreadful operating the ball within the SEC Championship Sport loss to Georgia, compiling 31 yards on 28 carries. Towards No. 12 Clemson (10-3) on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, TNT/MAX), they should be higher. Quarterback Quinn Ewers will undoubtedly transfer the ball effectively passing, however the floor recreation should return to type (164.4 yards per recreation in 2024) to maneuver on.
James Pearce | Tennessee defensive lineman
Pearce, the most effective edge-rushers within the nation, is projected to be a top-15 decide within the NFL Draft. Per Professional Soccer Focus, he has 104 QB pressures over the previous two seasons. Ohio State has a banged-up offensive line, so Pearce might wreak havoc for Tennessee on Saturday.
Dabo Swinney | Clemson head coach
With the Tigers within the CFP, the rumblings of discontent amongst Clemson’s fan base appear to have subsided. Swinney is certainly one of two CFP coaches (Georgia’s Kirby Good is the opposite) with a nationwide championship on his resume. However he’ll have to dig deep to discover a recreation plan that takes down Texas on the highway.
Per FanDuel as of Thursday, Clemson is an 11.5-point underdog. Per ESPN’s FPI, Clemson has a 1.1% probability to win the nationwide title — the bottom possibilities among the many 12 CFP groups.
The house crowds
The great thing about school soccer is the charged-up campus atmospheres that make sure locations so tough to play in for visiting groups. The stadiums of all 4 host groups — Ohio State, Penn State, Texas and Notre Dame — ranked within the high 25 of EA Sports activities’ hardest locations to play. It is time for followers of these groups to again up EA’s rating.
