All things Softball Rankings (Merged)

[all4AU 379]

Rpi  is released midday each Monday and only includes the weekend, not Monday. 

Rpi is a tool used by the selection committee for seeding.  The polls, while fun to look at, are only an opinion. I'm sure the selection committee knows who's ranked what in each poll, but ultimately it's rpi that matters. 

 

Edited to add: The rpi has us at 27-5, and we improved to 28-5 after Monday's win. Also, the rpi is weighted to give bonus for road wins and penalize home losses, meaning Monday's win will be nice when next week's rpi is tabulated (wins in Athens will also be nice). 

An online forum called Ultimate College Softball has a thread called "RPI 101" if any of you would like to know more: 

http://robocoach.websitetoolbox.com/post/rpi-101-8446242?&trail=30

 

 

[ellitor 33,062]

35 minutes ago, all4AU said:

Rpi  is released midday each Monday and only includes the weekend, not Monday. 

Rpi is a tool used by the selection committee for seeding.  The polls, while fun to look at, are only an opinion. I'm sure the selection committee knows who's ranked what in each poll, but ultimately it's rpi that matters. 

 

Edited to add: The rpi has us at 27-5, and we improved to 28-5 after Monday's win. Also, the rpi is weighted to give bonus for road wins and penalize home losses, meaning Monday's win will be nice when next week's rpi is tabulated (wins in Athens will also be nice). 

An online forum called Ultimate College Softball has a thread called "RPI 101" if any of you would like to know more: 

http://robocoach.websitetoolbox.com/post/rpi-101-8446242?&trail=30

 

 

FTR I was only talking about the polls. RPI is not a poll.

[AU64 10,122]

As long as we are in the top 8  in polls and RPI we are in good shape.   The main issue in my view is that with so many good teams in the league, there is rarely a break in the schedule though.   If I counted right, we only play 8 SEC opponents in the regular season....and it's heavily weighted toward the top tier of teams and are playing many of them on the road...a tough season ahead.   http://www.secsports.com/schedule/softball/auburn-tigers

[ellitor 33,062]

50 minutes ago, AU64 said:

As long as we are in the top 8  in polls and RPI we are in good shape.   The main issue in my view is that with so many good teams in the league, there is rarely a break in the schedule though.   If I counted right, we only play 8 SEC opponents in the regular season....and it's heavily weighted toward the top tier of teams and are playing many of them on the road...a tough season ahead.   http://www.secsports.com/schedule/softball/auburn-tigers

The SEC is so strong it's tough for everyone, relatively less so for TAMU though who got to avoid AU, UF, Bama, & LSU plus their toughest series against UGA & Vols are at home. They have that schedule every 3 years under the current format. They should win the conference this year on schedule alone to be honest.

[AU64 10,122]

Does a team become conference "Champion" based on W-L....or by winning the tournament ....or does the SEC recognize both?

[all4AU 379]

2 hours ago, AU64 said:

Does a team become conference "Champion" based on W-L....or by winning the tournament ....or does the SEC recognize both?

The automatic bid is given to the conference tournament winner from the SEC (some conferences like the Pac 12 do not have a conference tournament). Several at large bids will be given from the SEC. 12 or possibly all 13 teams will go dancing in softball this year (All are in good shape but a Miss State, Ole Miss, or South Carolina could fall off because the conference is so brutal). 

[AU64 10,122]

38 minutes ago, all4AU said:

The automatic bid is given to the conference tournament winner from the SEC (some conferences like the Pac 12 do not have a conference tournament). Several at large bids will be given from the SEC. 12 or possibly all 13 teams will go dancing in softball this year (All are in good shape but a Miss State, Ole Miss, or South Carolina could fall off because the conference is so brutal). 

Just wondering who gets to hang the Conference Champion banner when teams do not play a full schedule of conference games.

E made the comment above that TAMU should win because of their schedule....but I'm not sure that is correct...unless they can win the tournament.

[GBAU83 212]

I know last year florida was the regular season champ but AU won the tournament and I do believe AU is considered the Conference Champion - rings and shirts say that.

[ellitor 33,062]

7 hours ago, AU64 said:

Does a team become conference "Champion" based on W-L....or by winning the tournament ....or does the SEC recognize both?

There are 2 champs for softball just like there is for every SEC sport not named football, a regular season champ & Tourney champ. It's been that way for a very long time. Both count although tournament champs are the only ones to get NCAA tourney auto bids.

1 hour ago, GBAU83 said:

I know last year florida was the regular season champ but AU won the tournament and I do believe AU is considered the Conference Champion - rings and shirts say that.

See above. On the other end of you example spectrum the AU 1999 men's basketball regular season SEC champs had SEC Champion shirts made and I believe there is a banner in the arena. Not sure about rings though.

4 hours ago, AU64 said:

Just wondering who gets to hang the Conference Champion banner when teams do not play a full schedule of conference games.

Both do.

4 hours ago, AU64 said:

E made the comment above that TAMU should win because of their schedule....but I'm not sure that is correct...unless they can win the tournament.

It's correct. aTm should win the regular season title based on their schedule. If they don't win the tourney they are still regular season champs. Nothing can take that away besides obvious major rule infractions.

[AU64 10,122]

E, you are generally correct but , if you check the records you will see that most SEC sports only have one champion and that champion is determined by an end of season competition . I am talking about track and field swimming,tennis,golf. and a number of other sports .

There was a day when many of these "minor sport"  teams competed against others conference teams but now they mostly participate in open schedules and about the only time they see serious SEC competition is in the championship event. 

[ellitor 33,062]

1 minute ago, AU64 said:

E, you are generally correct but , if you check the records you will see that most SEC sports only have one champion and that champion is determined by an end of season competition . I am talking about track and field swimming,tennis,golf. and a number of other sports .

There was a day when many of these "minor sport"  teams competed against others conference teams but now they mostly participate in open schedules and about the only time they see serious SEC competition is in the championship event. 

Not sure about those but I am sure about softball. 2016 from NCAA.com...

Quote

 

Top-ranked Florida clinches second straight SEC title

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Following Auburn's loss to Texas A&M on Friday night, No. 1-ranked University of Florida secured its sixth Southeastern Conference regular-season championship on Friday night. Florida (50-4/18-4 SEC), picked in the preseason to win the SEC, has won its second-straight SEC regular season crown for the first time since the Gators went back-to-back in 2008 and 2009.

 

 

[AU64 10,122]

I was just referring to your comment "every sport not named football " or something to that effect .  No disagreement about the softball situation and the few other sports have a regular-season and a post season champion.

 However, with the size of the conference now , in my opinion, it is not possible to have an honest regular-season champion since nobody faces all opponents any longer. The rules are what they are however....and with rotating schedules, some teams are going to have the advantage of a more favorable schedule as you noted.

I guess the national tournaments use RPI or some version of that system, to sort out the differences .... since the regular season wins and losses do not always tell the entire story.

[ellitor 33,062]

8 minutes ago, AU64 said:

No disagreement about the softball situation and the few other sports have a regular-season and a post season champion.

 However, with the size of the conference now , in my opinion, it is not possible to have an honest regular-season champion since nobody faces all opponents any longer. The rules are what they are however....and with rotating schedules, some teams are going to have the advantage of a more favorable schedule as you noted.

I guess the national tournaments use RPI or some version of that system, to sort out the differences .... since the regular season wins and losses do not always tell the entire story.

Personally agree with you 100%.

[OlderWhiskey 953]

And we are #3 in the RPI rankings, behind Arizona and Oregon, the latter still undefeated.  Arizona has only one loss.  We're 5th and 6th in the polls, with no way to go higher unless somebody loses.

[MDM4AU 329]

Yeah, in USAToday we are 5th behind FSU, Oregon, Florida & Arizona - none of which has more than 2 losses. (AU is 31-5). Other SEC teams are 6. A&M, 8. LSU, 12 UAT, 17 UT, 20 UK, 21 Ole Miss, 24 Mizzou, 25 Arky.

In the ESPN poll we moved up a spot to 6th behind Oregon, FSU, Arizona, Florida, & Texas A&M. A&M has only 3 losses. Other SEC teams are 8 LSU, 11 UAT, 17 UT, 18 UGA, 20 UK, 25 Mizzou.

 

RPI top 10 looks like this:

1. Arizona (37-1)
2. Oregon (33-0)
3. Auburn (31-5)
4. Washiington (27-8)
5. UF (33-2)
6. FSU (35-1-1)
7. Texas A&M (31-3)
8. UCLA (26-9)
9. Baylor (32-6)
10. LSU (31-7)

 

 

http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/softball/d1

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Actually, we could get some relief at the top.  Just looked at Oregon's schedule.  Their next three conference opponents are UCLA, Washington, and Arizona.  Then after Oregon State, they have a 3-game series with Florida State.  Four losses through that stretch would be excellent performance. 

[MDM4AU 329]

With my wife being an Arizona grad, we wouldn't hate a few Oregon losses one bit. 

[ellitor 33,062]

Softball ranking threads have been merged. No need for new threads each week. Weekly updates can be posted in 1 thread just like is done with baseball rankings.

[boomstick 1,315]

19 hours ago, MDM4AU said:

With my wife being an Arizona grad, we wouldn't hate a few Oregon losses one bit. 

One of my high school baseball coaches is an assistant coach at Oregon. So I'm pulling for them to win every game they play except if they play Auburn. 

[tgr4lfe 220]

I think AU is setting in a good spot, having already played arguably 3 of the 6 toughest teams in the conference (LSU, UF, and UGA) and remaining series with ranked but bottom of hte SEC teams Ole Miss (2-7 in conference, 25-11), Mizzou (3-5 in conference, 20-14), USCe (2-9 in conference, 22-14), MSU (2-7 in conference, 27-12), and then wrapping up conference with a tough away series against the turds (8-4 in conference, 33-6).  AU should win at least 2 of 3 against Ole Miss, Mizzou, USCe, and MSU, and likely sweep at least one or two of them, if not 3.  The bama series will obviously be tough, away and the last weekend before the SEC Tourney.  Winning 2 of 3 of all 5 remaining series would put AU finishing 16-8 in conference for the season (assuming no game cancellations), which should land AU in at least the top 4 of the SEC, based on last years ending records. All of those teams are good, but outside of bama, I don't think any of the other 4 have the horses to take 2 or more in the series against AU.  

[ellitor 33,062]

5 hours ago, tgr4lfe said:

I think AU is setting in a good spot, having already played arguably 3 of the 6 toughest teams in the conference (LSU, UF, and UGA) and remaining series with ranked but bottom of hte SEC teams Ole Miss (2-7 in conference, 25-11), Mizzou (3-5 in conference, 20-14), USCe (2-9 in conference, 22-14), MSU (2-7 in conference, 27-12), and then wrapping up conference with a tough away series against the turds (8-4 in conference, 33-6).  AU should win at least 2 of 3 against Ole Miss, Mizzou, USCe, and MSU, and likely sweep at least one or two of them, if not 3.  The bama series will obviously be tough, away and the last weekend before the SEC Tourney.  Winning 2 of 3 of all 5 remaining series would put AU finishing 16-8 in conference for the season (assuming no game cancellations), which should land AU in at least the top 4 of the SEC, based on last years ending records. All of those teams are good, but outside of bama, I don't think any of the other 4 have the horses to take 2 or more in the series against AU.  

Don't let their conference record fool you. Mizzou just took 2 of 3 from Bama. Their 4 losses are to the top 2 teams in the standings, UF (which included a 1-0 loss on the road) & aTm, They can be tough. While taking 2 of 3 from them should happen, it's not a given.

Also UGA has to pick it up a lot to be a Top 6 SEC team this year. Right now that's AU, UF, LSU, Bama, aTm, & the Vols.

[tgr4lfe 220]

14 hours ago, ellitor said:

Don't let their conference record fool you. Mizzou just took 2 of 3 from Bama. Their 4 losses are to the top 2 teams in the standings, UF (which included a 1-0 loss on the road) & aTm, They can be tough. While taking 2 of 3 from them should happen, it's not a given.

Also UGA has to pick it up a lot to be a Top 6 SEC team this year. Right now that's AU, UF, LSU, Bama, aTm, & the Vols.

Not taking any of them for granted, maybe MSU and USC3 should be sweeps, and maybe UM, but Mizzou and bama will be fights.  AU has to STOP with the errors that are putting teams into position to score late in games, they've done it so many times, but fortunately have pulled them out, except one at UF I think.  AU can't keep doing that or it will cost a game.  

[MDM4AU 329]

Auburn remained 7 in both polls this week. RPI still at 2. 

[OlderWhiskey 953]

We dropped two or three spots in both polls this week; #9 in Coaches' poll and #10 with ESPN.  RPI dropped to #4.  still good, but we probably won't help it this week.

[ellitor 33,062]

1 hour ago, OlderWhiskey said:

We dropped two or three spots in both polls this week; #9 in Coaches' poll and #10 with ESPN.  RPI dropped to #4.  still good, but we probably won't help it this week.

Miss St's RPI is 32. A sweep would keep ours the same which could be important down the line for a Super Region host spot.