When Marcus Freeman leads Notre Dame against host Ohio State on Saturday, Sept. 3, he will do so knowing his team is No. 1, not Alabama.
I’m not talking about the Associated Press Top 25, I’m referring to the US News & World Report 2022 rankings of national collegiate institutions.
Of the Top 25 college football teams, Notre Dame’s No. 19 ranking made it the highest rated by U.S. News. This includes all the teams in the “Also receiving Votes” category. In actual football, The Fighting Irish are ranked No. 5 in the AP poll.
Before any Crimson Tide faithful get upset with me, I’m just sayin.’
No. 1 Alabama is in a tie at No. 148. As a reference point, Missouri is tied at No. 122 with several schools including the University of Kansas.
No. 2 Ohio State is at a very respectable No. 49, and here is something I found surprising.
No. 3 Georgia is No. 48. I’ve heard and read that it is an excellent school, but I didn’t realize it would rank that highly.
No. 4 Clemson is at No. 75, and then comes Notre Dame.
No. 6 Texas A&M comes in at No. 68, and No. 7 Utah made the top 100 at No. 99.
No. 8 Michigan is Notre Dame’s closest challenger, posting at No. 23.
No. 9 Oklahoma is at No. 127, and the Top 10 is rounded out by Baylor with a solid No. 75 ranking.
The school to watch that could enter the Top 25 and rise past Notre Dame in US News ranking is No. 9 Northwestern.
The Wildcats upset Nebraska in a game played in Ireland last Saturday, and that should land them with the “Others Receiving Votes.” The Cornhuskers were in that category, so obviously they are out.
With respective home games against Duke Sept. 10, and Southern Illinois-Carbondale on Sept. 17, Northwestern could be the academic/football leader in America.
HBCUs back in action
The Jackson State Tigers begin the season as defending SWAC champions and at No.1 in the HBCU-Pro Sports Media Association preseason poll. MEAC champion South Carolina State, which stunned JSU 31-10 in the 2021 Celebration Bowl, is tied at No. 2 with the Florida A&M Rattlers.
While its academic standards are in question, FAMU’s gritty performance at North Carolina on Saturday, August 27 must be applauded.
Twenty players, including FCS National Defensive Player of the Year linebacker Isaiah Land, were ruled academically ineligible two days before the game against the Tar Heels. The young men who did play held tough throughout the first half before bowing 56-24.
Getting back to the poll, the North Carolina A&T Aggies and Tennessee State Tigers are ranked Nos. 3 and 4, respectively.
The Southern Jaguars reached the top half at No. 5, and were followed by the Alcorn State Braves, Alabama A&M Bulldogs, Norfolk State Spartans, and North Carolina Central Eagles.
Prairie View A&M and Grambling State are just outside the Top 10.
The Reid Roundup
A BYU fan has been from all campus sporting event’s after repeatedly hurling a racial slut at Duke women’s volleyball player Rachel Richardson last week during a match. Richardson wrote on Twitter, BYU officials were slow to act when made aware, nor did they adequately address the situation immediately after the match. “No athlete, regardless of their race should ever be subject to such hostile conditions.”…NFL players voted Tom Brady as No. 1 in an NFL Network ranking of the Top 100 players. ESPN’s ranking has Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes No. 1 for a third consecutive season…Baltimore Orioles All-Star outfielder Cedric Mullins will help represent the United States in the World Baseball Classic next year. Of the first nine players announced for the team, Mullins is the lone Black player. Also slated to play are Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado of the St. Louis Cardinals… Gatorade is airing a commercial honoring Serena Williams, which is narrated by her friend Beyoncé. “When the world writes her down in history, we’ll begin where she started, with love. A love that started a movement. A movement to love exactly who you are.” Williams is also featured on the cover of the Sept. 12 edition of TIME, with the words “The Greatest.”
