You just don't get it. Over the past 7-8 years, the SEC has pumped millions of dollars into softball - no other conference has. Their facilities are off the charts. Marita Hynes looks like a dump compared to some stadiums in the SEC. They have ESPN and the ESPN SEC Network that televises or streams every single game in an SEC ballpark. This has not happened to any other conference. You make my point about Tennessee - they are rewarded simply because they play in the SEC. Now I would have seeded Tennessee above OU because of head to head but just simply saying that they played more Top 25 games is a simply a matter of conference affiliation. You say they should schedule more Top 25 in non-conference yet when half of them are in the SEC without need to schedule those games - it is not that easy. I know OU played Ole Miss, Miss State, Tennessee, Auburn, and Arkansas but most SEC teams don't want anything to do with playing OU. You don't get to pick your schedule at most Cali tourneys like Mary Nutter. They are announced by the tournament themselves.
They have strong teams - there is no doubt but what you don't seem to understand is that the RPI is ripe for manipulation due simply to the fact that now the committee counts every single SEC game as a Top 25-30 game. This means that a team can lose virtually every game and make the tournament and have a Top 30 RPI. The formula allows that - OU will NEVER get that situation in the Big 12. For that reason, OU will be perpetually at a disadvantage as will every team in a conference not named SEC or Pac 12. The RPI perpetuates that fact when you do not have a rule such as a .500 conference WL record.
And to say that the RPI is right all the time in softball - is a self fulfilling prophecy when the highest seeded teams play at home and the seeding is RPI based. It is a fact, that it is almost impossible to beat OU in Norman or Alabama in Tuscaloosa even when OU has a mediocre team. Same thing goes in Women's hoops - good luck beating Notre Dame in South Bend or UConn in Storrs.
The best thing OU can do is to get out of the Big 12 which lost its softball power when A&M, Nebraska, and Mizzou left. I guarantee you that OU would be a Top 8 seed if those three were still in the Big 12. OU played what 12 games against Top 30 RPI opponents and Georgia played 26. In conference, OU played 3 Top 30 RPI games and Georgia played 24. However, in non-conference OU played 9 and Georgia played 2. I know I used Georgia but I could have used Mizzou as easily or South Carolina. Again, this means the conference you are in determines your seeding fate for the most part. The Minnesota snub at the last second really proves that fact.
The bottom line is the SEC and Pac 12 have cornered the market for the RPI and there is really nothing the OU's and Minnesota's of the world can do about it. We are in the wrong conference. In the mean time, teams like Georgia and Mizzou can lose their way into the NCAA because they are a member of the SEC and are guaranteed a high RPI.
Time for me to head to Norman for some Softball.
You say: "The bottom line is the SEC and Pac 12 have cornered the market for the RPI and there is really nothing the OU's and Minnesota's of the world can do about it. We are in the wrong conference". Absolutely!! And what Patty accomplishes with the Sooners is almost beyond belief given her burdens. We are in this situation because the SEC has busted its butt bettering its situation and the Pac 12 long been dominant in softball.
I get it you are driven by your opinion. But you want to disregard double digit wins against ranked teams because they are conference games. Do you want a discombobulated mess by seeding teams arbitrarily rather than wins and losses and SOS? I hope not! The ACC, B1G and Big 12 needs to roll their sleeves up and go to work getting better not ***** because the SEC and Pac 12 have already put forth that effort.
I am motivated by who wins on the field. I don't care why teams play quality games. I care that they play quality games. Opinions are subjective and for losers. Mine included. Victories and SOS are the facts that determine who advance. The system makes allowance for regular season location.
Post season location is awarded based on total season performance. Much better than giving the weak sisters the advantage free gratis.
The absence of transparency is a major major problem and should have been corrected years back. Pressure should continue to be applied to force question from the media and public to be answered. All system calculations used to assist in the ranking should be shown in its entirety. Allowances should be made for margin of victory. I am sure you could add a couple more.
But for certain more subjectivity is seeding selections is the wrong direction to proceed. Respecting Patty and awarding her a top 8 seed would be more subjectivity as she did not have enough quality wins to warrant the seeding.
Getting you, syb, inoref, Mac, Oliver Hardy, SoonerinNC, scrybe, tycat, MPS, Rbeam1, Sooner04, tooney and Romulus and myself to reach consensus would be a virtual impossibility. Getting administrators from the 295 schools ranked in the rpi to reach a consensus for changes would be 10 fold as difficult.
Easy to want to fix it but difficult to effect any change much less significant change. Ignore the results if you wish but for the last decade plus they confirms the present process is effective.
