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Georgia will start its drive for an unprecedented school soccer championship three-peat because the No. 1 crew in The Related Press preseason Prime 25.
The Bulldogs acquired 60 of 63 first-place votes within the ballot launched Monday to simply outpoint No. 2 Michigan, which acquired two first-place votes and has its finest preseason rankings since being No. 2 in 1991. The Wolverines’ Huge Ten rival, Ohio State, is No. 3 with one first-place vote.
Two extra Southeastern Convention groups be a part of Georgia within the high 5. Alabama is No. 4, the Crimson Tide’s lowest preseason rating in additional than a decade, and LSU begins at No. 5, its finest preseason rating since 2016.
The Bulldogs have gained the final two nationwide titles whereas going 29-2, however this will likely be solely the second time in program historical past they’ve been preseason No. 1. The primary was in 2008.
Georgia began the 2021 season No. 5, earlier than occurring to win its first nationwide title since 1980. The Bulldogs adopted up with an ideal season in 2022 after being preseason No. 3.
The Bulldogs have had 25 gamers drafted by NFL groups the final two years, together with quarterback Stetson Bennett and All-America defensive deal with Jalen Carter this previous April. Coach Kirby Good has constructed a program to rival Nick Saban’s Alabama dynasty so voters are actually giving Georgia the Crimson Tide remedy.
Alabama had been preseason No. 1 every of the final two seasons, and 5 of the earlier seven. Clemson was preseason No. 1 within the different two seasons, making Georgia the primary crew apart from the Tide or Tigers to be preseason No. 1 since Ohio State in 2015.
Alabama can be the final crew to win back-to-back main school soccer nationwide championships, doing so in 2011 and ’12.
No crew has gained three straight nationwide titles through the AP ballot period, which dates to 1936. For the file, Minnesota, the primary official AP champion, was retroactively topped champion for the 1934 and ’35 seasons by a few organizations.
Coach Bernie Bierman’s Gophers from way back are the closest factor main school soccer has to a three-peater.
“We’ve not addressed that with them,” Good mentioned throughout SEC media days of chasing school soccer historical past. “We’ve definitely checked out some three-peat eventualities of groups just like the Bulls and totally different sports activities groups that they may really find out about. No offense to the Minnesota 1935 crew, however I don’t know if it’s going to resonate with my viewers.”
The Bulldogs are reloading on the defensive entrance and at quarterback, however don’t lack for stars. Tight finish Brock Bowers is among the nation’s finest gamers; linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson was a second-team All-American; and heart Sedrick Van Pran anchors one of many nation’s most gifted offensive traces.
Rounding out the highest 10 is Southern California at No. 6, which is the Trojans’ finest preseason rating since 2017, adopted by Penn State, Florida State, Clemson and Washington.
The Seminoles are again within the preseason rankings for the primary time since 2018, and within the high 10 for the primary time since 2017.
STARTING ON TOP, STAYING ON TOP
Beware, ‘Dawgs.
For the reason that AP preseason ballot began in 1950, 11 groups that began No. 1 additionally completed No. 1. Solely two of these have occurred since 2000: Southern California in 2004 and Alabama in 2017.
“The risk for us is complacency,” Good mentioned. “The very first thing you need to do is acknowledge that it’s a risk. Like in the event you acknowledge the complacency is a risk, it’s step one in the direction of stomping it out.”
TIDE’S OUT … OF THE TOP THREE
For most faculties, a preseason No. 4 rating would really feel fairly good.
For Alabama, it seems like an indication of decline. The final time the Crimson Tide had a decrease preseason rating was 2009. That was Yr 3 for Saban in Tuscaloosa, and Alabama went on to win the primary of six nationwide championships throughout his unprecedented run.
This preseason ballot is the primary since 2015 through which the Tide didn’t obtain at the least one first-place vote.
The Tide did run its file streak of top-five preseason rankings to fifteen. Subsequent finest in ballot historical past is 11 for Florida State in 1990-2000. Ohio State has had 11 top-five preseason rankings since 2009.
CONFERENCE CALL
Over the past three years, faculties have been redrawing the convention maps.
This yr, the Huge 12 has 4 new members, the American Athletic Convention has six and Convention USA has 4.
The actually flashy strikes are available 2024.
This season would be the final with Texas and Oklahoma within the Huge 12 ( earlier than shifting to the SEC ) and perhaps the final with a Pac-12 in any respect. USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington will play within the Huge Ten subsequent yr whereas Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah transfer to the Huge 12 as main school soccer strikes towards sprawling tremendous conferences.
Heading into this season the breakdown by convention of groups within the Prime 25:
SEC — 6 (Nos. 1, 4, 5, 12, 22, 23).
Huge Ten — 5 (Nos. 2, 3, 7, 19, 25).
Pac-12 — 5 (Nos. 6, 10, 14, 15, 18).
Huge 12 — 4 (Nos. 11, 16, 17, 20).
ACC — 3 (Nos. 8, 9, 21).
American Athletic — 1 (No. 24).
Unbiased — 1 (No. 13).
If sorted by subsequent season’s convention alignment the breakdown appears like this:
SEC — 8 (Nos. 1, 4, 5, 11, 12, 20, 22, 23).
Huge Ten — 8 (Nos. 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 15, 19, 25).
Huge 12 — 3 (Nos. 14, 16, 17).
ACC — 3 (Nos. 8, 9, 21).
Pac-12 — 1 (No. 18 – counts Oregon State as a Pac-12 crew).
American Athletic— 1 (No. 24)
Unbiased — 1 (No. 13).
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