Could Ohio State, Michigan Both Make The Playoff?

In eight editions of the Faculty Soccer Playoff there have already been a number of situations the place two groups from the identical convention each made the event in the identical season. However what are the possibilities that Large Ten titans Ohio State and Michigan each attain the Faculty Soccer Playoff this yr?

That is a query analyst Josh Pate addressed on a latest version of The Late Kick. Pate mentioned it could be a really daring prediction for somebody to make. 

He feels it could be tough for each groups to make it due to the scheduling dynamic. 

“How unprecedented would this be? Completely as a result of it is by no means occurred for the Large Ten… I made this a 9 on the boldness scale. First off, simply due to what I simply mentioned how arduous it’s. Secondly, I may get with the idea. Should you informed me that you just assume Ohio State and Michigan are each going to be adequate caliber groups to make the playoff, you’d have a dialog with me. It is the scheduling dynamic that makes it so arduous. They play one another the final week of the common season.

However Pate does see a path to it occurring. He proposed that if Michigan suffers their solely lack of the season to Ohio State, a case could possibly be made that they nonetheless belong within the playoff.

“So I am making an attempt to assume to myself, clearly there are eventualities on the market the place it may occur, however what would wish to occur? And I feel what would wish to occur is Michigan would wish to lose. You most likely bought a greater shot right here if Michigan loses as a result of in the event that they’re undefeated, if Michigan’s undefeated, and so they go into Columbus this yr and so they lose a aggressive recreation and that is the one blip on their resume, I may see that. I may see them not going to Indianapolis to play for the convention title or perhaps really they do, perhaps the Large Ten adjustments their guidelines just like the Pac-12 did, however I can see that.”

I am unsure, even when Ohio State’s undefeated, I am unsure in the event that they get that recreation at house, and so they lose once more to Michigan, though once more should not even enter the equation as a result of it is one yr and one yr solely, I am nonetheless unsure what that committee would do,” Pate mentioned. “So there is a manner for it to occur. I am simply saying that is actually daring.

Ohio State appeared in 4 of the primary seven editions of the Faculty Soccer Playoff, successful all of it in 2014. 

Michigan made their Faculty Playoff debut final yr and have been promptly demolished by eventual nationwide champion Georgia.

These two faculties have competed in some excessive stakes video games within the pat. However none of their video games could be greater than the 2 taking part in with a nationwide title on the road.