Regional 2019

[LouisianaB]

It amazes me how much confusion there still is on this board about RPI and the selection process when Brian explains how it all works.

What exactly are you speaking of? What confusion?

[DieHard1280]

He has done an excellent job of explaining how the RPI includes your entire body of work. Not why it becomes irrelevant once it goes to comittee. He has in fact expressed shock at some of their decisions.

I don't understand why when the subject is UL, you imply their decision should just be accepted as justified.

Ole Miss 17 road games. (losing record)
Louisiana 22 road games (2 losses)

Of course Ole Miss should host, their travel skills are nill. James Madison is the victim.

Thing is, although some of their selections are questionable, no matter how unfair it is to teams like the Cajuns, the committee has been very consistent in (over?)valuing top 25 and top 50 wins (to a somewhat lesser extent winning percentage in those games). They have consistently, right or wrong, rewarded teams for playing tough competition, with higher than deserved seeds.

It doesn't mean those teams are "better" than the ULs and JMUs of the world, but it does mean they will continue to get the benefit of the doubt.

[LouisianaB]

The RPI was created to take in strength of schedule. Looking at who went X-Y over the Top 25 or top 100 is irrelevant. These are arbitrary measures.

[LouisianaB]

Sure, we are 0-1 vs. Top 25, and 2-0 vs. 25-50, 26-3 vs. 50-100, etc. But hey, we are 28-4 versus the top 100 teams, while Ole Miss 23-17. Its arbitrary categories.

Ole Miss lost 5 of last 10. Cajuns lost 0 of last 10.

Its all about how you present the data. But all that is thrown out with the RPI.

[Turbine]

Thing is, although some of their selections are questionable, no matter how unfair it is to teams like the Cajuns, the committee has been very consistent in (over?)valuing top 25 and top 50 wins (to a somewhat lesser extent winning percentage in those games). They have consistently, right or wrong, rewarded teams for playing tough competition, with higher than deserved seeds.

It doesn't mean those teams are "better" than the ULs and JMUs of the world, but it does mean they will continue to get the benefit of the doubt.

No doubt, that is the history and the facts. (Except when UL was #1 ooc.)

Unfortunately carving out a window to look at only part of the schedule when RPI includes all of your strength of schedule was always going to involve SEC capitulation.

[ManAboutTown]

I'm no softball aficionado, but trends matter. If they don't in softball seeding, they should. Over the last 3 years, the entire SEC got into the field. That's the most ridiculous stat I've ever seen in sport. And over those last three years, the SEC has zero national titles and haven't even fared that well (if you consider the partiality that the SOS gives to them and the ratio of teams compared to the field). Trends matter.

While I agree with some that SOS matters a whole lot, it's kind of hard to make the argument when the deck is stacked. There's no conspiracy, but there most definitely is bias (whether its subconscious perception or intentional engineering).

[Benchwarmer]

Maybe it is just me but I'd rather be going to 11 Mississippi than hosting at 14, 15 or 16. No question that a good weekend can get you to Arizona and no question Arizona is better opportunity than Oklahoma, UCLA.

My frustration remains that NCAA selection committee continues to give not opportunity to schools like UL. Who the hell in power 5 wants to play us in Lafayette. The message to athletes continues to be go to a power 5 school; your team will be rewarded for finishing in the back of the pack simply because you have to play the front of the pack. I'm not saying the cajuns would win 50 games in the sec but imagine how many games they would win year in and year out with the money made by the middle of the pack sec teams. UL softball has to fight for every dollar yet the still have the energy to kick butt. Go Cajuns.

[GeauxLouisiana]

Sure, we are 0-1 vs. Top 25, and 2-0 vs. 25-50, 26-3 vs. 50-100, etc. But hey, we are 28-4 versus the top 100 teams, while Ole Miss 23-17. Its arbitrary categories.

Ole Miss lost 5 of last 10. Cajuns lost 0 of last 10.

Its all about how you present the data. But all that is thrown out with the RPI.

But the teams in the top 25 are teams being considered for a host spot. How can one be considered a host team when they didn’t play any like opponents during the year? How does one know if they are actually a team worthy of being one of the host sites? If only there was a way to see if a team played and won against top 25 teams.

[LouisianaB]

But the teams in the top 25 are teams being considered for a host spot. How can one be considered a host team when they didn’t play any like opponents during the year? How does one know if they are actually a team worthy of being one of the host sites? If only there was a way to see if a team played and won against top 25 teams.

Or you can look at the rpi and see where they stand...

[GeauxLouisiana]

If the RPI is so biased to benefit the SEC, then why didn't the SEC land one of the top 4 overall seeds? How is it that PAC 12 got 2 of the top 4 overall seeds? How is it that the PAC 12 got 3 of the top 8 overall seeds and therefore a chance to host super regionals?

[GeauxLouisiana]

Or you can look at the rpi and see where they stand...

So neither should host since neither are in the top 16.

[Turbine]

But the teams in the top 25 are teams being considered for a host spot. How can one be considered a host team when they didn't play any like opponents during the year? How does one know if they are actually a team worthy of being one of the host sites? If only there was a way to see if a team played and won against top 25 teams.

Over emphasized.

Only half of the host teams are facing a top-25 "RPI" opponent.

So what if the host team is facing an opponent better than them. I mean, it's happening in Oxford an no one seems to mind.

There is a difference from rewarding the overall season and stacking the RPI advancement deck.

[GoneGolfin]

Another metric is live eye team talent analysis as reflected in the polls.

Except that the polls do not reflect "live eye team talent". Most of the folks voting in the polls have never seen the teams for whom they are voting. At best they are examining recent results ... at worst on reputation or gaudiness of the W-L record (Something I think inflates the Cajuns' poll ranking). In some cases, the folks responsible for voting delegate their votes to underlings.

Yeah ... I am not impressed with the polling process.

Brian

[GeauxLouisiana]

Over emphasized.

Only half of the host teams are facing a top-25 "RPI" opponent.

So what if the host team is facing an opponent better than them. I mean, it's happening in Oxford and no one seems to mind.

There is a difference from rewarding the overall season and stacking the RPI advancement deck.

[Turbine]

Except that the polls do not reflect "live eye team talent". Most of the folks voting in the polls have never seen the teams for whom they are voting. At best they are examining recent results ... at worst on reputation or gaudiness of the W-L record (Something I think inflates the Cajuns' poll ranking). In some cases, the folks responsible for voting delegate their votes to underlings.

Yeah ... I am not impressed with the polling process.

Brian

I've never been impressed with polling either but at times the voters or underlings have actually faced the opponent they vote for or against, so it's not just W/L.

Not always.

More oft than not, you are more than likely correct.

The polls though are in some ways no different than grabbing a portion of the RPI. The Cajuns inch their way up and other teams make massive jumps based on a good weekend.