1. Florida Gators

Florida recorded a national high over the weekend, while the next closest contenders struggled, allowing the Gators to extend their lead atop the rankings and solidify their status as the team to beat.

2. Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma had a semi-dud on Friday for 197.175, which was not high enough to count for NQS. But because the Sooners already had a best-scores advantage on LSU, they were nonetheless able to move up to #2 this week. Oklahoma is farther back of Florida now but also still has four remaining meets to Florida’s two and therefore enjoys more opportunities to gain.

3. LSU Tigers

LSU’s loss to Kentucky did not allow the team to improve its NQS and also means the team is saddled with counting a 197.550 road score. It’s a good score of course but now a real disadvantage if trying to catch Oklahoma.

4. Utah Utes

Average: 197.113

Utah stepped up its scoring a little bit from the previous week, going 197.375 in defeating Cal, though that’s still the kind of score that will leave Utah somewhat vulnerable to being dropped out of a #1 regional seed position. Minnesota and Alabama (and probably eventually Michigan) are closing in.

5. Minnesota Gophers

Minnesota recorded the best score at the Big Five meets to improve its ranking three spots. It was a particularly critical result for Minnesota to achieve in its second-to-last road meet as the team didn’t have any 197 road scores to that point.

6. Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama defeated Arkansas with its highest road score so far to set up a very competitive NQS picture and make a good argument for a #2 regional seeding, at least. That home 197.7 is the main difference maker between Alabama and the other teams in the top 10, and And Alabama hosts Florida this Friday…

7. Arizona State Sun Devils

So Arizona State is good now, you guys, and used a two-meet week to zoom up the rankings and establish a competitive NQS that even has a drop-able road score still hanging around. ASU will still need to be wary of Cal and UCLA moving up, so a spot in the all-important top 8 is not a given, but it’s suddenly looking possible.

8. Arkansas Razorbacks

Arkansas lost some ground this week because a 197.000 home score was not enough to break into its NQS picture. The home scores are already fine. It’s the road scores that need addressing, and there’s an opportunity to do just that at Auburn this weekend. Arkansas has some (some) actual score pressure this weekend as Kentucky still maintains a chance to pass Arkansas for the final spot in the evening session at SECs.

9. Cal Bears

Among the teams in the top 10, Cal has the lowest score still hanging around the NQS picture with that second-meet 196.075. Given a hit meet sometime in the next few weeks, Cal will relish the opportunity to challenge Arizona State and Arkansas. Saturday’s Cal/UCLA dual meet provides quite an opportunity to disrupt the current top 10 for both teams.

10. UCLA Bruins

UCLA has comfortably moved itself into 197 land over the last couple meets but will now aim for something a little stronger than that. Every other team in the top 10 has at least a 197.3 so far, which UCLA would have achieved last week with a hit beam. That 197.100 that’s now guaranteed to count is fine, but it’s still a score that could see UCLA head into regionals as a #3 seed, not favored to make nationals.

11. BYU Cougars

BYU has looked increasingly consistent in the high 196 zone, scores that could challenge for a spot in the top 10. BYU’s like, “And we haven’t even done our Oklahoma road meet yet.” Given the scores we’ve seen, the team will view that 196.425 road number as easily dropped, but we also haven’t seen BYU score any higher than 196.325 outside of the state of Utah so far this season.

12. Auburn Tigers

After a much-needed 197 road score against Florida, Auburn is making a late push and suddenly has three very competitive scores, needing just one more. Since Auburn is at home this weekend, that 196.100 road score will have to stick around for another week, inhibiting the opportunity to move up much more until championship season. But, SECs will provide one final chance for Auburn to go all-197s.

13. Denver Pioneers

Denver traveled to Oklahoma and nearly won last Friday, recording its highest score since week 2 and its second-highest number of the season. All good things. But because that score was still a 196, Denver lost ground and now sits at 13th—below expectations for the team this season. This weekend’s home finale should provide the opportunity to get back over 197. If not, DU will be stuck counting at least one 196, and the way this season is shaping up, I don’t think top-10 teams will end up counting scores under 197. Maybe one 196.9 or something.

14. Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky’s big win over LSU last Friday may not have changed the rankings, but it did set Kentucky up for a major push given the 195.825 road score that can be dropped this weekend. With anything resembling a normal hit, expect Kentucky to gain a handful of ranking spots and potentially even more ahead of Arkansas for the last SEC evening spot. Because the high score isn’t dropped this season, it’s not possible to come up with a specific goal number (if Arkansas goes 199 or something, that would kind of change things…), but Kentucky would definitely need to go over 197 while also having Arkansas not do great.

15. Southern Utah Thunderbirds

Southern Utah did not get a counting score this weekend but already has an exceeds-expectations NQS solidified for the season. The team will expect to drop that 196.175 during the coming road meets, which may end up being critical in trying to fend off Boise State, but in the grand scheme there’s not a ton of urgency in this score picture.

16. Boise State Broncos

Boise State has moved into the final seeded spot for the time being, and now with three meets remaining (BSU has joined this Sunday’s meet at Washington), the team will entertain some hope of staying in the top 16 even once Michigan gets a ranking. It’s realistic, especially with another couple higher 196s.

17. Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa had to count a beam fall over the weekend and therefore did not get a usable score for the second-straight week and dropped to #17, a pretty harsh ranking for the quality this team has shown this year. Iowa could really use a bonkers, drug-induced home score right about now.

18. Georgia Bulldogs

Another 196.1 saw Georgia drop some additional ranking spots, all the way out of the seeded places this week. Georgia is actually in some danger of becoming the bottom-ranked team in the conference this season since Missouri has a lot more room to improve its number from this point. That counting 196.375 road score is going to make it pretty difficulty for Georgia to improve its ranking too much now—even if another big home score comes on senior night this Friday—though a regionals seeding is still attainable.

19. Illinois Illini

20. Utah State Aggies

21. Ohio State Buckeyes

Average: 195.642

22. Missouri Tigers

Watch out for Missouri. With that 194.800 to drop, this team is about to make a large ranking move and can still challenge the top 16.

23. Oregon State Beavers

Oregon State got that critical 196 and has now been able to drop all of the sub-195 scores to move into the relative safety of the top 25.

24. Central Michigan Chippewas

Average: 194.750

25. Western Michigan Broncos

26. Penn State Nittany Lions

27. NC State Wolfpack

28. Eastern Michigan Eagles

29. Kent State Golden Flashes

30. Maryland Terrapins

31. Towson Tigers

Lots still to do, but Towson has five meets left (!) in its preposterous schedule this season, and could hang onto the top 36 to make regionals for the first time in more than 20 years.

32. Iowa State Cyclones

Average: 195.388

Iowa State competes in a few hours and will move up a ton by dropping that 193, likely going into the top 25 with a good hit.

33. North Carolina Tarheels

34. Ball State Cardinals

Ball State is in a similar position to Towson with the potential for historic regionals qualification, though the scores look a little more precarious in Ball State’s case.

35. Nebraska Cornhuskers

With another low 195, Nebraska remains very much in the weeds and very much not safe.

36. West Virginia Mountaineers

Average: 195.120

37. Arizona Wildcats

Average: 194.894

Three meets left and three scores still to drop for Arizona to have a realistic shot at regionals.

38. New Hampshire Wildcats

39. Temple Owls

40. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Watch out for Rutgers if they can keep getting 195s like the last two weeks.

41. Northern Illinois Huskies

42. Pittsburgh Panthers

43. Southeast Missouri Redhawks

44. TWU Pioneers

45. Lindenwood Lions

46. Illinois State Redbirds

46. Washington Huskies

48. Air Force Falcons

49. Bowling Green Falcons

50. Long Island Sharks

51. Centenary

Average: 187.825

NR. Michigan Wolverines

I’m basically keeping this here so that when copying this post for next week’s ranking I don’t have to remake a new section for Michigan. But also, like, reference.

NR. Michigan State Spartans

NR. George Washington Colonials

NR. San Jose State Spartans

NR. William & Mary Tribe

NR. Stanford Cardinal