Women DI College Fall Top 20 - Nov. 6, 2015

We’ve updated the Women DI College Fall Top 20 in advance of some playoff-deciding conference championships. Some interesting results – as is the theme this season – have punctuated the previous two weeks as well.

It’s important to note that the competitive difference between each ranking isn’t uniform. Teams #3 through #7 have swapped positions nearly every weekend, and did so after exchanging single-digit contests. But at some point, there is a drop-off in competition and the point differentials become more erratic.

The aforementioned is important when considering the treatment of Life and Lindenwood. The Running Eagles defeated the Lady Lions 25-14 (read more), and the latter fell to #5. A two-spot drop might be viewed harshly, but it’s not the equivalent of, say, Army swapping with Norwich.

Additionally, we decided to move Life ahead of Quinnipiac, despite their earlier-season result, as the Running Eagles have improved greatly since their first weekend of play. The Bobcats beat Army 20-12 (read more) after the Cadets returned from a tough road trip in Marietta, Ga.

BYU didn’t really deserve a two-spot drop for its game against Central Washington (read more), and we’d argue that the Cougars faced a tougher Wildcat side than the one featured on the east coast. But the season essentially ended with the Ellensburg trip, and Central Washington was BYU's only competitive opponent of the season. Both teams will remain on the spring Top 20 as they prepare for the DI Elite championship.

Teams #7 through #10 retained their respective spots and speak again to the relative competitiveness between rankings. AIC ended the regular season with a big loss to Quinnipiac, but the Yellow Jackets can’t drop below Norwich. The Cadets ended league play with a nice 46-5 victory over visiting Notre Dame College, but again, the Vermont side has to stay put.

Norwich does, however, stay above the Ivy League schools, and that decision is supported by the varsity Coaches Poll (read more). The Ivies will sort themselves out at this weekend’s Ivy League Championship. Brown, Dartmouth, and Harvard will move onto the varsity quarterfinals on Nov. 14, while the best non-varsity team will move a step closer to the DI fall playoffs. The Ivy rep will contest a play-in match against the Northeast runner-up (determined this weekend between UConn and Boston College), and the victor will take a berth to the DI fall quarterfinals on Nov. 21.

UVA banked an emphatic 57-14 win over North Carolina (read more), and they’ll likely inch up higher on the list as they play more DI games. Minnesota won the Midwest after another tight game against Iowa State, and the 15-5 victory afforded a berth to the DI quarterfinals – the team’s second trip in its 39 years of existence. Central Florida got its first win of the new-conference Florida season, a 48-5 victory over newly promoted South Florida (which had defeated Florida in its season-opener).

There are a couple of teams looking to break into the rankings, like Texas, which is representing the Southwest in the DI quarterfinals, and Notre Dame, currently the front-runner for the Big Ten Conference’s spot in the fall playoffs (DI Elite teams Penn State and Indiana are exempt). The non-DI Elite team that places second in the Big Ten will also move to a play-in game against Kent State, to be played in Ohio on Nov. 14.

By Dec. 6, the varsity and DI fall championships will be over, and more than half of these teams will transition off the list as the spring season approaches. The DI Elite and fall champion will remain, as will those teams with split seasons, Central Florida, UVA, and UNC. The Top 20 will be repopulated with spring 15s teams.

Confused about what's happening in DI and its various championships? Read more for some insight.