GRR on X  GRR on Facebook GRR in Instagram GRR Vimeo Library GRR on YouTube RuggaMatrix America Podcasts Support GRR on Patreon

Goff - Why I Won't Rank College 7s Teams

irish rugby tours

Goff - Why I Won't Rank College 7s Teams

Yeah, AIC and Arkansas State - they're good ... but Alex Goff won't say more than that. David Barpal photo.

Alright, I give up. I capitulate. I tap out. I accede, retreat, and just plain chicken out. I wave the white flag of punditry.

I have been trying to produce a really comprehensive Men's College 7s rankings for some weeks now, and I now have to admit I can't do it. I'd like to. I feel like I'm close, at least with a top 10 or 15, but I think, in the end, it's too hard. Some of the teams that need to be ranked haven't played 7s five over six months. Some of the teams have been playing much of the spring. Some have squeezed in one tournament in February. Some really haven't played at all, but I know are good.

And then they haven't played each other. Most of the teams have played a couple of tournaments, maybe. It's chaos. I won't be sucked into the chaos. I just won't.

OK maybe a little.

Here's what I can tell you. The best college 7s team in the country, based on how consistently good they've been and how much they've been playing, is Kutztown University. KU and Cal are my favorites to win the CRC. The best team in terms of form at the USA Rugby Championships is probably AIC, who are, I believe, a shade behind Kutztown based on recent results.

I believe that Arkansas State, winners as they are of the LVI, and having been summarily dumped out of the Varsity Cup quite a bit earlier than they wanted to, are a huge contender for the CRC title. I believe that you can't count Life out even if they just finished their 15s season.

I also believe that Utah, Central Washington, and ... wait for it ... St. Mary's, are poised to do great things. All are in the USA Rugby championships and all could win it. I believe you can't count out Lindenwood, and several teams could shock us - Notre Dame, Arizona State, Indiana, Alabama, West Virginia, Arkansas (!), Nevada (!!), Central Florida (!!!).

But that's about as far as I'm willing to go.

I do think that this year's CRC is the best, top to bottom, that it has ever been. There aren't too many teams that could be blown out in that tournament. But I also believe that the USA Rugby tournament is probably more competitive - if it's lighter at the top it's much, much heavier in the middle. And I also think that when we get a champion in Denver next week, and then a champion in Chester, Pa. the week after that, we will have a very nice debate over which team is the better one.

And I'll stick my neck out a little further then. For now I can give you that list of probably the best, led by Kutztown and with Cal, Arkansas State, AIC< Central Washington, St. Mary's, Utah, Life, and Lindenwood as the very top group, and knowing that there are several teams I didn't mention who could actually come away with a big, fat trophy.

 

I pretend to know no more than that.