We’re in a little bit of a gradual interval for college football, so let’s empty the mailbag.
Within the newest episode of my podcast, “The Joel Klatt Show,” I answered a number of listener questions from social media, tackling a number of soccer and non-football subjects.
Let’s showcase a number of of them right here as all of us look ahead to the return of soccer.
Joel, what are the highest 5 most underrated venues or environments in school soccer? – @MrDunaway
I’ve accomplished comparable lists earlier than, rating my high venues, but venues are driven by environments, which are driven by matchups. So, in plenty of instances, it actually is determined by what sport you are going to see (or in my case, name). There have been some venues the place I performed or known as video games which might be so iconic and that I knew have been so unbelievable. The previous Cotton Bowl for the Pink River Sport, for instance, is a type of. I received to play on the previous Orange Bowl Stadium once I was at Colorado. That was unbelievable.
These stadiums had historical past, however I am fascinated by the underrated half. I will simply concentrate on the venues because the environments are matchup-based. An incredible underrated venue is Iowa‘s Kinnick Stadium. It is a terrific venue to observe a sport. Folsom Subject at Colorado is underrated. It feels just like the followers are proper on high of you. This system has gotten issues going there the final couple of seasons, and the scholar part is rocking once more. Washington‘s Husky Stadium is a extremely stunning venue. That stadium can be very loud. The setting and redo are nice.
Oregon‘s Autzen Stadium additionally would not get its due as a result of everybody talks about night time video games at LSU, The Shoe (Ohio State), the Large Home (Michigan), Bryant-Denny Stadium (Alabama) or Sanford Stadium (Georgia). These locations are nice, however they’re actually not underrated. Autzen will get actually loud for a stadium that seats perhaps 60,000 folks.
If I needed to decide probably the most underrated, although, I would have to choose Kinnick Stadium. That is a extremely cool venue.
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Who do you assume can have an SMU-type season (exterior the highest 25 within the preseason and get within the Playoff), and who’s almost certainly to have an FSU-type season and let lots of people down (perhaps to not the extent FSU did this 12 months although)? – @JoeyTheaker24
There are some glorious candidates to copy what SMU and different sleeper groups did in 2024 in 2025. First, I wish to level out that I feel parity has actually arrived in school soccer, so I feel we will get surprises yearly, and that is nice. Simply final 12 months, we had SMU, Indiana and Arizona State. So, it wasn’t simply SMU who had a shock season. In reality, Arizona State was picked to complete final within the Big 12 earlier than the season, and Indiana was picked to complete second-to-last within the Big Ten. In fact, SMU was a number of factors away from profitable the ACC in its first 12 months.
As for subsequent 12 months, there is not any doubt we’ll have groups like that. The dispersion of expertise in school soccer is larger than what it has been just lately. The opposite motive, although, is because of the extreme imbalance of schedules inside conferences because of the measurement of the leagues. You will get skilled groups who get the good thing about the correct schedules, and you will have one other Indiana or SMU-like staff subsequent season.
There are a number of attainable contenders who may have a shock 12 months subsequent season. Illinois might be a sneaky staff subsequent 12 months. It is coming off a 10-win season, and it beat South Carolina in its bowl sport. Quarterback Luke Altmyer is again with your entire offensive line. Bret Bielema-ball has been working in Champaign. There’s the expertise, however here is the kicker: Illinois has a good convention schedule. I feel most individuals would say Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon and Michigan are the 4 faculties that run the Large Ten. Nicely, Illinois would not play three of them and hosts Ohio State. I feel Illinois is subsequent 12 months’s Indiana or SMU.
I’ve received my eyes on Baylor within the Large 12. It’s going to in all probability get extra hype than Kenny Dillingham’s squad did at Arizona State this previous season, however Baylor may have a extremely stable 12 months. The Bears have been 2-4 this previous season earlier than completely turning it round, profitable their final six video games of the common season earlier than dropping to LSU of their bowl sport. Head coach Dave Aranda, who has a terrific historical past of calling defensive performs, went again to being Baylor’s defensive playcaller final season, and I feel that helped the Bears fairly a bit. Quarterback Sawyer Robertson received issues going within the second half of the season, throwing for over 3,000 passing yards and over 30 complete touchdowns.
As for the FSU a part of this query, I do not assume we’re ever going to see a season like that once more. We have by no means seen it earlier than. There is likely to be a top-10 staff that does not play properly, however these are actually exhausting to foretell as a result of they’re ranked this excessive for a motive. If I believed a type of groups was going to fall off, I might preemptively put them down within the rankings. Keep in mind, FSU was the primary staff ranked within the high 10 of the preseason AP ballot to lose 10 video games in a season.
I’ve had an argument with a buddy who says NIL would be the finish of school soccer as a result of the identical packages will win yearly. I counter that there have at all times been 6-8 high packages any 12 months that may win the [national championship], and NIL hasn’t modified that. Any ideas? – @libermaniac11
I like this query, however you are lacking part of it. Title, picture and likeness (NIL) and the switch portal are driving parity within the sport. I believed any variety of groups may’ve received the nationwide championship this previous season. Clearly, Ohio State changed into a supernova, and it had a terrific roster to win the nationwide championship.
However take a look at what we noticed within the Faculty Soccer Playoff. Arizona State took Texas to the brink. Notre Dame took down Georgia. We have had back-to-back non-SEC championship winners with Michigan and Ohio State taking dwelling the crown. Oregon was the No. 1 seed within the event — a West Coast staff. Penn State appears prefer it’ll be nice. Notre Dame is not going anyplace. SMU made the CFP out of nowhere. Indiana received a roster to make the postseason.
The purpose being, I truly assume we’ve extra parity within the sport than we have ever had earlier than for 2 major causes. There isn’t any extra sitting if you happen to’re a star participant, which suggests you possibly can’t stockpile. If a participant needs probably the most cash attainable by NIL, you need to play and begin. You are not going to get that sitting behind somebody at a blue-chip program. These packages cannot stockpile expertise like they used to. Now, there’s extra expertise throughout the spectrum. The nice packages have change into slightly bit worse, and the nice packages have change into slightly bit higher. We’re seeing the boats even out within the harbor, and I feel there are 15 to 17 groups that may win the nationwide championship subsequent 12 months.
We’re within the daybreak of the golden age of school soccer as a result of we will say that many groups have an opportunity at profitable a nationwide title. NIL has made school soccer higher from a parity standpoint.
Joel Klatt is FOX Sports activities’ lead school soccer sport analyst and the host of the podcast “The Joel Klatt Show.” Comply with him at @joelklatt and subscribe to the “Joel Klatt Show” on YouTube.
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