Scott Noel waited until summer to make his strongest case. A 486.5-point majors card finished 27th, and France led his World Cup entry to a tie for 49th.
Earlier results had offered little warning. Noel tied for 208th in the CFP after the Alabama survivor leg failed, shared 198th in NFL Survivor and finished 155th in hockey. Even Seattle's title run could lift the NFL Playoffs card only to a tie for 59th.
Noel's summer surge covered 67 places, leaving 1270.5 on the ledger and 123rd beside his name. He did not protect an early advantage; he built his best version of the season just before the books closed.