One of the toughest parts of the rankings this early in the season is when we have to drop teams out of the Top 50 when they really haven't done anything to warrant that.
Generally these are teams ranked in the 40s who haven't started playing yet. Meanwhile, teams in warmer states are playing and those results warrant being moved up.
So we weren't thrilled about dropping out a team this week, but we know St. Xavier of Ohio will be back. They have a challenging schedule so they will have a lot of opportunities to claim a Top 50 spot and above. But right now, with the emergence of Rio Americano, and with teams in Louisiana, North Carolina, and throughout California now in full swing, they are getting the games that move them up.
Currently we have a list of about 10-15 teams that could be ranked, but aren't right now. Many are poised to move in.
The big mover is Rio Americano, and as a result of their win over St. Francis, the Lancers move down. That's a function of (as we've acknowledged) having to start the rankings somewhere. St. Francis could easily bounce back up, but really their initial #14 ranking was asking a bit much of a team that is younger and less experienced this year.
A reminder that this nation is full of very good school rugby teams. Being in the Top 50 is tough, and even tougher to hold onto that position.
