Tide keeps rising in men's college ranking

By Ryan Herrington

There's a couple things that might stand out to you when you see the latest Golf World/Nike Golf Division I men's coaches' poll.

The second item is what makes the first one more palatable to me. The level of play in the men's college game has been impressive through the first two months of the season, with 13 of different schools having won tournaments. Now, maybe they are the traditional programs we've come to expect claim space in the top 25, but that so many of them have proven capable of winning speaks well to the potential for a competitive spring campaign.

Or Alabama and California might just keep winning and make this a two-team race for a title.

With that ... off to the top 25 for Division I, II, III, NAIA and NJCAA.

A couple quick hits:

Defending NCAA champion Barry, winners of its first two events in the 2013-14 college season, kept hold hold of the top spot in the latest Division II coaches' poll. The Buccaneers were victorious at the Brickyard Crossing and Guy Harvey Invitational to earn 16 of the 17 available first-place votes.

Impressive starts by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Wittenberg have them sharing the top spot in the latest Division III coaches' poll. The Stags are two-for-two so far in the 2013-14 season, winning the Firestone Grill Cal Poly Invitational and the Embry Riddle Arizona Invitational, and earned eight first-place votes in the poll. The Tigers have finished no worse than third in four starts with a victory at the Gordin Classic and claimed four first-place votes. It's the first time there has been a tie at the top of the D-III poll since November 2007.

A pair of victories to start the 2013-14 season, including a win at the NAIA Fall Preview, has Oklahoma City holding strong to the No. 1 spot in the latest NAIA coaches' poll. The Stars earned eight of the nine available first-place votes as they continue to pursue the goal of a fourth national title in five years.

Central Alabama and South Mountain once again find themselves atop the latest NJCAA coaches' polls. Central Alabama is No. 1 among Division I schools, earning six of the available eight first-place votes, with No. 2 Odessa earning the other two votes. South Mountain heads the list for Division II, claiming five of six first-place votes. Walters State JC is No. 2 in the D-II polls with Owens earning the remaining first-place vote.