So for the entire road to Omaha, there may be a few more potential potholes for Louisvillle, which may have to get past Purdue, Baylor and Nebraska to advance to the final four. Overall, every regional final may feel like a national championship match in terms of the quality of play. Gore: Even though I think Texas is the best overall team in the field, its road to the national semis is full of potential obstacles. Georgia Tech can be really good when it gains momentum, and Julia Bergmann can take over a match. Ohio State and USC are both loaded with talent as well. That said, Minnesota presents the biggest challenge before the Texas quarterfinal starts. The Gophers finished strong in the Big Ten, and I always feel the caliber of competition Big Ten teams play is a positive intangible in NCAA tournament play. With this also being Hugh McCutcheon's final season, there's an emotional component in play as well.
The fourth No. 1 seed, Louisville, reached the national semifinals for the first time in program history last year and could make history as the first ACC team to win it all, but the Cardinals might have to go through second-seeded Nebraska, which would be no small task. With this year's final four (Dec. 15-17) returning to CHI Health Center in Omaha, the Huskers are aiming for their sixth national title and their first in their home state since 2015. Meanwhile, San Diego is 27-1 and hasn't lost since falling to Louisville in early September, but if the Toreros, a No. 2 seed, want to keep shocking the world, they could have to face 2020 champion Kentucky in a regional semifinal and nine-time champion Stanford in the regional finals. Before the regionals begin Thursday, we asked our analysts to break down the bracket -- which teams have the toughest road to Omaha and what are their predictions for the first weekend of the tournament? Which team's seed surprised you the most? Holly McPeak: Going into the selection show, I thought either Stanford or San Diego would be No.
Make no doubt, Texas can get through its quarter, but it will be a well-earned, hard-fought effort. Sunderland: Texas. Julia Bergmann and Georgia Tech await down the road, and Minnesota is healthy, hot (7-1 in the last eight) and has Taylor Landfair rolling. Which low-seeded or unseeded team has the best chance to make a deep run in the tournament? McPeak: This is a tough question. USC has the potential to upset somebody because the Trojans compete well, but they have been battling some serious injuries. Washington is a senior-heavy team that has tons of NCAA experience and could make a long run if it catches fire. Lyle: I'm excited to see what Auburn can do. The Tigers went into the season looking to gain experience and grow the different weapons they have.
Future preview: Robinson and Johnson were easily the most important offensive skill players for Texas in 2022, but their opting out opens the door. Backup Jonathan Brooks flashed potential this season and will have a chance to lock down the starting running back job in 2023 with a strong performance. Similarly, Washington has an opportunity to build some momentum heading into the 2023 season. Penix announced plans to return in 2023 for another year of eligibility. Other stars on the offense could come back, too.
The Cougars are healthy now with the return of setter Whitney Bower. For the Trojans, Texas transfer Skylar Fields and top setter Mia Tuaniga can carry them. Setters make the difference, especially this time of year. Who is the tournament's must-watch player? McPeak: I think there are so many special players that it is hard to pick one. Madi Skinner has developed into one of the best six rotation left-side attackers in the country, and her counterpart Logan Eggleston is a four-time All-American on a mission. Taylor Landfair of Minnesota is a dynamic attacker who can take over a match as well.
Now Auburn is in the NCAA tournament for just the second time, dancing with nothing to lose. That makes for a dangerous team. Hoffman: Auburn is young and plays fearlessly. The Tigers had high highs and low lows throughout the season, but that never seemed to affect them. Akasha Anderson and Kendal Kemp are forces to be reckoned with, and Auburn is positioned to take this tournament by surprise.
Voepel: No. 7 seed BYU had only one "bad" loss -- 3-2 at Pacific in October -- and could have a rematch with No. 2 Pitt in the second round. The Cougars lost to Pitt 3-1 in Provo, Utah, on Sept. 3, and may relish another shot at the Panthers. Gore: I'm going to go with Kansas or UNLV. Both teams are underrated and have the pieces to pull off some upsets. Sunderland: BYU and USC are both capable of a run.
4 overall seed and the advantage of hosting. Which of the top four seeds has the toughest road to Omaha? McPeak: Because Minnesota is the hottest team right now, I feel like Texas' road will be challenging. Texas is one of the most physical teams in the country and Minnesota can match the Longhorns in certain areas. Texas has a special team chemistry this year with all its new players, and led by Logan Eggleston, the Longhorns are on a mission to win it all. Lyle: Texas has the toughest road to Omaha. The Longhorns could face Ohio State or Minnesota in the super regionals.
NCAA volleyball tournament preview: Breaking down the bracketTexas is seeking its first college volleyball championship since 2012, and if the Longhorns are to win it all, they will do so as the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. Two other 1-seeds, Stanford and defending champion Wisconsin, have combined for four of the last six NCAA titles.
Lyle: Logan Eggleston of Texas has done pretty much everything except win a national championship. Her teammates want to win it for her -- that tells you what kind of person she is. Eggleston is must-watch TV for her powerful swings, her nasty serve and just her pure drive. Hoffman: I don't hear enough about Brooke Nuneville from Oregon. She's exciting to watch but also does it on the defensive end and can be a spark for the Ducks. Voepel: If you love the big hitters, you'll enjoy watching 6-foot-5 opposite Kendall Kipp of Stanford. She was a freshman on the Cardinal's 2019 national championship team, when Kathryn Plummer was Stanford's star.
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Texas vs. Washington prediction, pick, Alamo Bowl odds, spread, live stream, watch online, TV channelTwo of the most dynamic offenses in college football meet in the postseason as No. 20 Texas and No. 12 Washington face off in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. The Huskies had one of the single best turnarounds in college football this season, improving from 4-8 to 10-2 under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer. If not for a bad loss to Arizona State, the Huskies could have been playing for the Pac-12 championship. Texas had an inconsistent campaign in Steve Sarkisian's second year, but returned to a bowl game for the first time since 2020.
Not that rankings are an indication of conference strength, but only two of the seven SEC teams are ranked in the top 25, and losses down the stretch for a few teams should have left some of their at-large bids among the first four out list. M. A. Voepel: The NCAA tournament bubble can be murky in all sports, but it often seems to be really murky in volleyball. As Courtney and Jennifer said, seven for the SEC meant the inclusion of teams such as Tennessee and Auburn. The league might have expected to get one in (Auburn), but not both. That said, overall there really weren't many strange-looking decisions, especially compared to some past years.
The Longhorns have a big test in front of them. Quarterback questions: Texas will be without star running backs Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson in the bowl game, leaving quarterback Quinn Ewers as the primary source of offense against the Huskies. Ewers showed flashes with 289 yards passing and four touchdowns against Oklahoma, but ended the year completing just 56% of his passes. Ewers failed to clear even 200 yards passing over the final four games of the regular season, and that won't cut it against a dynamic Washington squad.
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The Golden Gophers are one of the hottest teams entering the tournament, having won 11 of their last 13 matches. Taylor Landfair averages more than 4. 0 kills per set and she's used to battling a big block in the Big Ten. Hoffman: I don't see any top four seeds having an easy road to Omaha. I feel the tournament field had some fans questioning the committee, but overall, the way the field is spread out, whichever teams make it to Omaha most certainly will have earned it. Voepel: The Longhorns may end up with the hardest Elite Eight match, but might not have too much trouble before that.
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The Longhorns had an outside chance of earning a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game late in the season, but losses against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State squad proved costly during an 8-4 campaign. However, the bowl game gives one final opportunity to build momentum as another touted recruiting class comes to Austin in 2023. Washington and Texas have played four times in program history, but haven't met since 2001. The Longhorns hold a 3-1 advantage, including a 47-43 Holiday Bowl victory in the only matchup between these two squads in the 21st Century.
4, so it isn't surprising that they would have to play each other to get to the national semifinals. I thought Nebraska being seeded ahead of a streaking Minnesota team, which just swept the Huskers and has a better RPI, was a surprise, but the committee told me that while they agreed the Gophers were the hot team of late, Nebraska had a great body of work the rest of the season with no bad losses to unranked teams.
Sam Gore: This is actually the first NCAA tournament bracket that didn't leave me with a huge question. The Committee did a thorough job, and any initial skepticism about something was met head on and explained by committee chair Pauline Theros. If I had to nitpick, I was minorly surprised Georgia Tech was not a 4-seed. Paul Sunderland: I was not at all surprised overall by the seeding. The committee for years has been widely criticized... but not this year. However, San Diego earned and deserved a No. 1 seed. The Toreros still would have to deal with Stanford, but they earned the No.
Sarkisian previously coached the Huskies from 2009-13, posting a 34-29 record in five seasons with Washington. Texas vs. Washington: Need to knowAerial display: Washington limped to just 225 yards passing per game in 2021, but the arrival of transfer Michael Penix Jr. completely transformed the Huskies in 2022. Penix led the nation in passing yards during a breakout campaign. The dynamic passing offense produced a pair of 1, 000-yard receivers and exploded for more than 376 yards passing per game. Texas, conversely, ranked No. 90 nationally in passing defense during an inconsistent campaign.
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