#NCAAMGym Week 3 Power Rankings
Every week we’ll be releasing a “Power Rankings” that aims to provide a fluid picture of how each team across the NCAA is doing at the moment. The idea is to try not to focus too much on scores and look more at the current state of the team. The (+) or (-) next to each team relates to how far they rose or fell from last week’s Power Rankings.
This year’s Power Rankings are an average based on the individual rankings of five individuals:
Yordan Aleksandrov (former Cal gymnast)
Logan Bradley (former Illinois gymnast)
Ben Cooperman (former Penn State gymnast)
Jess Frankl (photographer/CGA expert)
Alex Wittenberg (former Minnesota gymnast)
1. Stanford (-)
The reigning National Champions land in the No. 1 spot for the second-straight week but face more pressure from OU than was originally expected. Fortunately, we may get a definitive answer as to who our current No. 1 is as Oklahoma travels to Stanford this coming weekend. Brody Malone and Brandon Briones are quickly forming the most powerful duo in the country, leaving little room for error for the Sooners who have sustained heavy losses from a season ago.
2. Oklahoma (-)
Oklahoma put up the nation’s top score for the second week in a row. So why aren’t they ranked No. 1? Much of it has to do with potential. The Sooners have shown an ability to hit and score well — a big accomplishment for this early in the season, though not out of the norm for OU. However, their room for growth seems slightly less in comparison to Stanford’s. If the Sooners deserve to be No. 1, they’ll have a chance to prove it this Saturday when they face Stanford and Cal in Palo Alto.
3. Nebraska (+1)
In our preseason poll, Nebraska finished fourth, just one spot behind their impressive finish at last year’s NCAA Championships. One could argue even that spot was too low, and just two weeks into the season the Huskers are out to prove they are a top-three team in the country. The 403.55 they put up in their first week may just be the beginning as the Huskers could very well be a 410+ team in the coming weeks.
4. Michigan (-1)
Michigan entered the season ranked No. 2, an assessment that said the Wolverines would be the dominant Big Ten team this season. After winning Windy City, Michigan looks poised to live up to that. What’s not so clear is how well they’ll fare against Nebraska, who easily beat Minnesota at the Rocky Mountain Open. Michigan needed to win by a wide margin at Windy City for them to be seen as better than the Huskers.
5. Minnesota (+2)
How much of a difference does Shane Wiskus make? If you take the lowest score that counted for the Golden Gophers in their first competition and replace it with what Wiskus did this past weekend at the Windy City Invitational, you see an increase of 9.15 in team score. Minnesota, led by their MVP, could be a scary team as the season unfolds.
6. Illinois (-1)
Illinois failed to extend their Windy City win streak last weekend and find themselves behind a few Big Ten rivals in this week’s rankings. Fortunately for the Illini, there’s plenty of room to grow: the team counted 14 falls in Chicago. This weekend, Illinois has a big opportunity to jump back up in the rankings and prove they’re still a serious contender for a Big Ten title. They face the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis this Friday. The results of that meet should tell us a lot.
7. Penn State (-1)
The Nittany Lions took a step backward after their solid debut at the West Point Open. Their home opener against the Black Knights was a struggle all the way through. Penn State posted a 390.35, over five points below their season-low from the 2019 season. Freshman Andres Perez did have a promising debut and will look to continue to make an even greater impact as the Nittany Lions takes on Ohio State in Rec Hall this weekend.
8. Navy (+2)
Navy had the second-highest score in the country last weekend with a total that was more than 10 points greater than their season-opener score, a feat that surprised just about everyone. Are the Midshipmen good enough to make Day Two at NCAAs? It’s suddenly a reasonable question. We need more data to say for sure, but Navy made a big statement last weekend and will look to do so again this Saturday at home.
9. Ohio State (-)
Ohio State faced stiff competition in their opener this past weekend, finishing second behind the dominant Oklahoma Sooners. Justin Ah Chow was the bright spot for this young team as he earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. The Buckeyes will look to improve on their opening performance as they head east to take on Penn State this weekend.
10. Iowa (-2)
258 Likes, 1 Comments - Cal Men's Gymnastics (@calmgym) on Instagram: "Darren Wong led Cal in four events today #GoBears"
Iowa had a somewhat lackluster showing in their season opener, taking fourth at Windy City. The Hawkeyes were hurt by the absence of Nicholas Merryman, who was injured in warm-ups. Iowa will probably need Merryman active this weekend if they want to challenge Nebraska in Lincoln. They face off on Sunday.
11. Cal (+3)
Cal made some solid improvement over their week one performance as they improved by almost three points as a team. Pommel horse is looking to be a weakness for the Golden Bears as it was last year. Improvements here could have them inside the top-10.
12. Arizona State (-1)
Arizona State last weekend scored about 15 points less than they did Week 1 despite having a relatively similar lineup. For a team who at their best could have challenged Ohio State, it was a disappointment. The Sun Devils are off this weekend.
13. Army (-1)
The Black Knights scored over 15 points lower than their West Point Open debut this weekend in State College, Pennsylvania. The meet was judged very tight and a lackluster performance culminated in the disappointing score. Pommel horse is looking to be a bright spot for Army where they are ranked eighth in the country through two weeks of competition.
14. Air Force (-1)
Air Force’s struggles with consistency continued last weekend. They dropped more than 10 points from their season opener and were below the 60-mark on pommel horse and high bar. The Falcons have invested in difficulty this season, but they might need to rein some of it in if their troubles persist. They’re off this weekend.
15. Washington (-)
Washington did not compete this past weekend and they will not be back in action until Feb. 2 at the Pac-12 Invitational.
16. William & Mary (-)
William & Mary jumped about five points from their season opener with strong rotations on vault and parallel bars. It’s a bit tough to gauge how accurate the judging was at the Navy Open, given Navy’s eyebrow-raising score, but the Tribe could very well be closer to Army and ASU than their No. 16 ranking suggests. We’ll have to see. They’re back at Navy this Saturday.
17. Springfield (-)
The Pride regressed slightly at the Navy Open, scoring a 376.45. Floor and vault are shaping up to be the strengths for this team where they are ranked 13th and 11th in the country, respectively. Springfield will look to crack 380 this weekend in their home opener against Army.
