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By RUGBYMag.com Staff
(Championship match MVP Deven Oswiamy scores. Dobson Images)
OK, so what do we do here. The national women's champion got there in part by getting a bye past BYU. Who's to say they weren't going to get beaten by those Cougars? And Penn State also fielded a player who, we contend, should not have played for them. She was a major factor, too, because she's really good.
What we do is first look for a reason not to rank Penn State the best team in the country. There isn't one. They weren't especially challenged by anyone, not Stanford, not Army, not UMass, not Navy, not Delaware. Not anybody- regardless of who they played at No. 8.
The next issue is whether Brown or Army finishes 3rd. Brown lost to Army twice in the fall. Army looked much better then. But in Stanford at the national semis, Brown looked like a team capable of winning their game, while Army did not look to be able to better Penn State. What to do what to do what to do ...
It's been an exciting season because so many teams had the ability to win the national title. Some regions are becoming incredibly strong, and we're also seeing other programs improving. That's all good. But it's worth pointing out that Penn State and Stanford have played each in the national final six times (three wins for each). Somebody has to break up that duo.
2009-2010 RugbyMag.com Women DI College Top 25 May 5, 2010
1. (4) Penn State 8-1 (16-3) Defeated Army (1), Stanford (3)
2. (3) Stanford 8-2 (11-4-1) Defeated Brown (2), lost to Penn State (4)
3t. (1) Army 13-2 (15-2) Lost to Penn State (4)
3t. (2) Brown 11-4 (16-8) Lost to Stanford (3)
5. (5) Navy 8-3 (11-3)
6. (6) BYU 8-1 (13-1)
7. (7) Virginia 8-3 (16-3)
8. (8) Texas A&M 7-2 (11-4)
9. (9) Eastern Illinois 9-0
10. (10) UCLA 6-1 (8-4)
11. (11) UC Davis 5-2 (10-7)
12. (12) Wisconsin-Milwaukee 7-3 (11-3-1)
13. (13) California 3-4 (12-6-1)
14. (14) North Carolina 7-2
15. (15) Northern Iowa 6-4 (8-5)
16. (16) Colorado 5-3 (16-7)
17. (17) UMass 8-4 (9-6)
18. (18) Syracuse 6-3
19. (19) Colorado State 2-2-1 (7-2-1)
20. (20) Cornell 4-3 (6-4)
21. (21) Delaware 9-4
22. (22) UCSB 4-1
23. (23) West Chester 8-5
24. (24) New Mexico 2-5
25. (25) Ohio State 5-2-1 (6-3-1)
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