It's lonely at the top of college softball this season. And perhaps that mountain peak is a little cursed in 2017.

We were shocked when defending champion and top-ranked Oklahoma lost to Auburn on Feb. 9 and then to Washington two days later in its opening series in Mexico. (Oh, and Oklahoma lost again to Tennessee and Notre Dame last week.)

Then, we were shocked when the next No. 1 team, Florida, lost to winless Maryland in its first week atop the rankings.

Now, are we supposed to be surprised after new No. 1 Florida State was shut out by Texas A&M at the Mary Nutter Cathedral City Classic on Thursday in the Seminoles' first game as the leader in the polls?

Florida State followed that up with four tournament wins, but its weekend ended in a tie -- yes, a tie -- against Michigan on Sunday night. The 5 PM drop-dead time meant FSU went 4-1-1 in its first week on top.

So, the question we have to ask is whether anyone really wants to be No. 1 in a season that has defied college softball logic?

Why Are The No. 1 Teams Losing?

Sometimes there's no explanation for a softball game result, such as a winless Maryland team beating top-ranked and undefeated Florida in Gainesville, FL, last weekend.

Other times, it comes down to basic pitching, hitting, and defensive principles. Maybe even a dominant pitcher gets hot at the right time. Or, a costly error makes the difference in a game.

Then, there are times when the other team just makes an amazing play to swing the momentum of a game.

Such was the case for FSU in its loss to Texas A&M last week. With the game tied 0-0 in the fifth inning, Aggies center fielder Erica Russell robbed the Seminoles' Ellie Cooper of a home run. Then, in the next inning, A&M put two runs on the board with a home run from Kaitlyn Alderink. That was the difference in a 2-0 final score.



Perhaps the teams and media that decide the rankings are putting too much emphasis on last season. Just look at this year's preseason poll -- Oklahoma and Auburn started No. 1 and No. 2 in the country, respectively, after they squared off in the finals of the 2016 Women's College World Series.

But, every year is different. Just because the Sooners and Tigers are expected to be title contenders again this year does not mean they are just as good as a season ago.

Auburn, for example, beat Oklahoma in the season opener. Then the Tigers lost to Washington in their second game of the season.

After Florida State lost to A&M at the start of this weekend, we thought for sure Auburn would be next in line for the top spot. But then, something even more astounding happened.

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Auburn Pre-Pays On No. 1 Curse

The second-ranked Auburn Tigers trotted out on their home field on Sunday and lost before they could be named No. 1.

We can't believe it, but Auburn fell 1-0 to 13th-ranked James Madison, picking up just one hit the entire game.

What happened? A day earlier, the Tigers blanked the Dukes 4-0. But on Sunday it was James Madison pitcher Megan Good who shut down Auburn. The junior struck out 10 batters in seven innings to help JMU improve to 12-2 on the season.

After reeling off 13 straight wins, we thought Auburn had some staying power as the potential new No. 1, especially since the Tigers have a manageable schedule next week.

Auburn faces non-Power 5 schools Liberty, Savannah State, Texas State, and College of Charleston this weekend. Then, their next big test is LSU the weekend of March 10.

Now, with FSU and Auburn out of the mix, who is the new No. 1? Do the voters circle back to Florida, which nearly lost to Liberty on Saturday? Surely, the Maryland game was just a strange event and not reflective of the Gators this season.

We'll see what the voters are thinking on Tuesday. But, the No. 1 ranking comes with a warning this season -- maybe even a little curse.