Major Conference Races Are Heating Up Down The Stretch

The convention races are coming down the homestretch and whereas No. 1 South Carolina mainly has run away with the Southeastern Conference, most of the different Power Five leagues are nonetheless up for grabs.

The Gamecocks have a three-game lead over LSU with 4 contests left for coach Dawn Staley’s squad. LSU had been the preseason decide to win after South Carolina misplaced all 5 of its starters from final season. South Carolina can seal its fourth convention title in 5 years with two wins this week, over Alabama on Thursday and Kentucky on Sunday.

No. 3 Stanford is also in a great spot to win its twenty seventh regular-season Pac-12 championship, holding a two-game lead over USC, Oregon State and Colorado. The Cardinal, who’re enjoying their ultimate season within the Pac-12 earlier than becoming a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference subsequent season, have a comparatively simple schedule left, with residence video games in opposition to Arizona and Arizona State earlier than touring to face Oregon and Oregon State.

While South Carolina and Stanford each have cushions of their conferences, Virginia Tech, Ohio State and Oklahoma every have one-game leads within the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12, respectively.

The Hokies lead Syracuse by a sport and North Carolina State by 1 1/2 video games. Virginia Tech has three video games left, dealing with North Carolina, Notre Dame and Virginia. The Orange play Duke, Pitt and N.C. State.

Oklahoma could be within the hardest race, and has a one-game benefit over Texas, West Virginia and Kansas State. The Sooner noticed their nine-game profitable streak finish Saturday with a loss to the Mountaineers.

Kansas State and West Virginia play on Wednesday and Oklahoma hosts Texas on Feb. 28. Those two video games may go a great distance towards determining who will win the title.

Few groups have been hotter than Ohio State these days, because the Buckeyes have gained 12 straight. They maintain a one-game lead over Iowa for the lead within the Big Ten. Those two groups play once more in Iowa City on March 3. Before that rematch, the Hawkeyes go to third-place Indiana on Thursday. The Hoosiers had been tied for second till they misplaced to Illinois on Monday.

It’s not simply the key conferences which might be tight. Here are just a few mid-major convention which have an enormous week forward.

First place within the Mid-American Conference could possibly be on the road Saturday when Ball State visits Toledo. The two groups are tied atop the standings at 11-1. Ball State took the primary assembly by 14 factors final month. Both groups have video games on Wednesday earlier than the weekend showdown.

Northern Arizona and Eastern Washington are tied atop the Big Sky Conference at 11-2. They’ll face off Thursday in Washington. The Lumberjacks gained the primary assembly in time beyond regulation at residence.

No. 25 Princeton has gained 15 straight video games and sits a sport in entrance of Columba within the Ivy League standings. The Tigers gained the primary assembly final month, and the 2 groups play in New York on Saturday with first place within the convention on the road. They shared the regular-season title final yr, the primary in Columbia’s historical past.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)