Softball Ranked 9/12 in Final Season Polls

[Sonsissymia]

it's not conceptually different; in the butler case, a tournament setting distilled them down to one of the final 2 teams standing. in softball, a tournament setting distilled them down to one of the final 8 teams standing. how is this not analogous? and i make no merits judgment here as to where lsu should be ranked in the s'ball polls---obvious to me the cajuns were the better team; i'm just suggesting that this poll recognition of where teams finish in tournaments is likely not a new notion.

[Turbine]

it's not conceptually different; in the butler case, a tournament setting distilled them down to one of the final 2 teams standing. in softball, a tournament setting distilled them down to one of the final 8 teams standing. how is this not analogous? and i make no merits judgment here as to where lsu should be ranked in the s'ball polls---obvious to me the cajuns were the better team; i'm just suggesting that this poll recognition of where teams finish in tournaments is likely not a new notion.

Similar to how the BCS "makes" coaches vote the winners #1 ?

I don't think just making the tourney guarantees a team a top-64 ranking.

[CajunAmos]

Here's my beef. The last time the Cajuns were in the WCWS was 2008. The Cajuns finished tied for 5th in the WCWS, but finished 15th in the final rankings, with LSU finishing 9th but not participating in the WCWS.

I guess the question would be what's the standard? My guess is the final released RPI has no connection to the final standings, but it sure looks odd.

[Turbine]

Earl must be a voter in the final rankings.

[CajunRed]

Here's my beef. The last time the Cajuns were in the WCWS was 2008. The Cajuns finished tied for 5th in the WCWS, but finished 15th in the final rankings, with LSU finishing 9th but not participating in the WCWS.

I guess the question would be what's the standard? My guess is the final released RPI has no connection to the final standings, but it sure looks odd.

Yep...as I mentioned earlier, the softball world is a unique little place where selection committees...or rankings voters...or RPI designers...decide what they want the outcome to be, THEN they move forward with making it happen...and then justifying it in ther comments.