January 12 Power Rankings

Tier 1: The “Yeah, We Knew You’d Do Well, No Duh” Tier
1. Michigan
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma
4. Florida
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We thought you were good, and sure enough, you are. All four teams scored in the high 196s, so now it’s a race to the 197. And then to the 198. Michigan sits at the top, and deservingly so. The Wolverines scored within a tenth of a 197, and they’ve done it twice. LSU proved that its freshmen have the potential to make up for the lost seniors, and the Tigers aren’t just trying to make Super Six. They’re going to be looking at those top spots. Yes, Oklahoma lost, but do losses even matter in gymnastics? The Sooners looked good, just like we thought they would. And then there’s Florida. Even after a coaching change and a couple not-so-impressive rotations against TWU, three consecutive national titles means something. Florida’s still Florida. These four teams are going to make it hard for some of the others, but at least we’ll get to see some good gymnastics. — Emily
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Tier 2: The “Wow You Showed Up And Did Well in January/Exceeded Expectations” Tier
5. UCLA
6. Alabama
7. Auburn
8. Utah
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Nice of you to join us UCLA. For the amount of doubt people had about the Bruins going into the season, the team sure threw a big “told you so” in people’s faces this weekend. Sure, there was some home scoring advantage, but for the most part the Bruins looked good, especially compared to what they normally look like in January. Alabama also had a better first meet than normal. And it had to since it had a close matchup right out of the gates. Auburn also showed some glimmer of last year’s team, and Utah attempted to remind people it’ll be OK without Georgia Dabritz and Co. — Elizabeth
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Tier 3: The “LOL Wut” Tier
9. George Washington
10. Arizona

Hi, I’m George Washington, and I scored a 196 and jumped from No. 35 to No. 7 in the official standings. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised when I saw the result (OK, maybe a tad). But I knew GW was good. One of my club teammates is a sophomore, so I knew the team had potential. I also have to admit, after watching the routines, that the Colonials were overscored. Watch for yourself. More than a little bit. But I still think they deserve to be in the top 10 at this point. There weren’t a lot of standout performances this weekend, but GW had one of the few. Then Arizona. My heart. Tabitha Yim has already improved that program in the few months she’s been there. And not just from a purely gymnastics standpoint. They had to create more seating for people because the competition sold out. That doesn’t happen to a school like Arizona at the beginning of the season. But they had the gymnastics to back it up, which is what these rankings are all about. — Elizabeth