2008 Woodie Awards
Countdown Of Top 25 Sports Schools Continued
Kevin Duffy
Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: Sports
Kevin Duffy ranks the Top 25 sports schools of 2007-2008 using a scoring system based on media polls. A team that wins the national championship is given 50 points toward its school's total. A team currently ranked No. 1 receives 25 points, No. 2 receives 24 points and so on. All teams ranked 20-25 receive 5 points. All unranked teams with winning records receive 3 points.
16. UConn
Total: 89 points
Top teams: No. 2 men's soccer
No. 3 women's basketball
No. 3 field hockey
Big man on campus: (tie) Hasheem Thabeet, men's basketball and Maya Moore, women's basketball
Top athlete no one knows about: Lizzy Pejis, field hockey
Top Moment: UConn football beats South Florida and earns its first-ever national ranking.
The Huskies completed a masterful goal-line stand late against South Florida, which culminated with Greg Robinson Jr.'s takedown of USF quarterback Matt Grothe on a 3rd-down naked bootleg. The crowd rushed the field, and for the first time in program history, people started to call UConn a "football school."
Top overall athlete: O'Brian White, men's soccer
While White may not be as recognizable on campus as Thabeet, he is far and away the most successful athlete at UConn. After leading the nation in goals with 23, White took home the Hermann trophy, which honors college soccer's best individual player.
15. Ohio State
Total: 90 points
Top Teams: No. 2 men's tennis
No. 4 football
No. 9 men's lacrosse
Big man on campus: Chris "Beanie" Wells, football
Top athlete no one knows about: Matt Allare, men's tennis
Campus Reaction to several second-place finishes:
"People were glad to make it there the first few times, but everyone's gotten to the point where second place just isn't good enough anymore. There are few schools who can claim the successes OSU has this season. We've won 10 national championships since March 14, but nobody knows because they're in minor sports. In 15 months we've finished second in football twice, men's basketball, men's soccer and wrestling. Things will turn around. But it's been a great ride, and hopefully everyone else will soon feel the same." - The Latern sports editor Zach Timmons
16. UConn
Total: 89 points
Top teams: No. 2 men's soccer
No. 3 women's basketball
No. 3 field hockey
Big man on campus: (tie) Hasheem Thabeet, men's basketball and Maya Moore, women's basketball
Top athlete no one knows about: Lizzy Pejis, field hockey
Top Moment: UConn football beats South Florida and earns its first-ever national ranking.
The Huskies completed a masterful goal-line stand late against South Florida, which culminated with Greg Robinson Jr.'s takedown of USF quarterback Matt Grothe on a 3rd-down naked bootleg. The crowd rushed the field, and for the first time in program history, people started to call UConn a "football school."
Top overall athlete: O'Brian White, men's soccer
While White may not be as recognizable on campus as Thabeet, he is far and away the most successful athlete at UConn. After leading the nation in goals with 23, White took home the Hermann trophy, which honors college soccer's best individual player.
15. Ohio State
Total: 90 points
Top Teams: No. 2 men's tennis
No. 4 football
No. 9 men's lacrosse
Big man on campus: Chris "Beanie" Wells, football
Top athlete no one knows about: Matt Allare, men's tennis
Campus Reaction to several second-place finishes:
"People were glad to make it there the first few times, but everyone's gotten to the point where second place just isn't good enough anymore. There are few schools who can claim the successes OSU has this season. We've won 10 national championships since March 14, but nobody knows because they're in minor sports. In 15 months we've finished second in football twice, men's basketball, men's soccer and wrestling. Things will turn around. But it's been a great ride, and hopefully everyone else will soon feel the same." - The Latern sports editor Zach Timmons
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