If you actually do a study of the SEC and Pac 12, it isn't that clear why they have such a high rpi.
Examine the schedules of teams like Florida. They left the state one time. UCLA is the only team in the top ten or fifteen that they played. They lost to a winless Maryland team at home. Let's repeat that. Florida lost at home to Maryland. Try to find what on their schedule covers that loss.
Then, look at A&M. They played about eleven games in College Station against absolutely nobody. They went to California one weekend and beat Florida State, 2-0. They struggled to take down ASU and defeated a rather overrated Michigan team. They also beat BYU. Then, they came home to College Station and lost to---Houston. Really? At home? So, did Florida State make up for Houston? Must have because A&M has not played any of the top SEC teams yet---none. They have avoided Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, and LSU. They have losses to Mississippi State, Missouri, and Arkansas. Of their four losses, we have beaten three of them. Why is their rpi so high?
Alabama has barely been outside of Bama, and they lost two to Louisiana-Lafayette, run-ruled once. Now, they lose twice to Washington in Tuscaloosa. Why is their rpi so high? Who have they beaten outside of conference? Texas Tech?
The SEC has very artificially high rpi's, and I don't know why. LSU lost at home to Penn State. Kentucky lost to Pitt twice.
Then, there is the Pac Twelve. Who did Oregon beat to get such a high rpi? Utah lost at home to Omaha. Remember Omaha? They also lost to San Diego State and Nevada.
These teams keep losing at home to nobody. OU hasn't lost at home, and our losses were at least to credible teams---no Marylands, Fordhams, Houstons, Omahas, Pitts, Penn States, Nevadas.
First you play the games using the system in place. If you don't like the system get it changed. During the interim you don't belly ache, you compete and let the cards fall where they may.
In softball the committees biggest tool is the rpi which by seasons end is fairly accurate at projecting the NCAA tournament seeds. Even with its flaws It is what it is and we will live by it.
First #1 Florida (43-3) has wins over #2 Auburn-2, #6 UCLA, #8 FSU, #16 Kentucky-2, #17 Cal, #22 South Carolina-3, #23 Michigan, #24 Arkansas-3. That is 14 wins over top 25 teams. Additionally they have wins over #26 Georgia-3 and #28 Missouri-2. 19 Quality wins by my count defining a win over a top 40 team a quality win. Additionally they still have a series with #9 Tennessee and a game with #8 FSU.
Second lets look at # 5 A&M (39-5) they have wins over #8 FSU, #18 BYU, #21 ASU, #22 South Carolina-2, #23 Michigan, #24 Arkansas-2. That is 8 wins over top 25 teams. Plus they have quality wins over #26 Georgia-2, #28 Missouri-2, #30 Ole Miss-3, #34 MSU-2, #37 OSU-3. That is 20 quality wins.
Third is #14 Alabama which is ranked behind #13 OU in the RPI. They have 7 wins over top 25 schools (#12 LSU-2, #22 South Carolina-2 and #24 Arkansas-3) and 11 quality wins when you add in wins over #34 MSU-2, #29 Louisiana Lafayette and #28 Missouri.
Four you ask who has Oregon beat. The answer is #4 Washington, #6 UCLA, #15 Utah-2, #16 Kentucky, #17 Cal-3, #18 BYU and #21 ASU-3. That is 10 top 25 wins plus #28 Missouri-2 for 12 quality wins.
Last #13 OU has 4 top 25 wins over #6 UCLA, #10 Baylor, #18 BYU and #24 Arkansas. Plus wins over #30 Ole Miss, #31 Texas-3, #32 Tulsa and #34 MSU for a total of 10 quality wins.
When you factor in all the data SOS, SOS of your opponents, quality wins, bad losses, game location, etc. it is easy to see why the rankings are what they are and they will be more accurate as the season progresses and the data becomes more complete.
The system will never seem to justify itself when you take isolated games to attempt to prove a point. Using partial data and excluding data because you deem it wrong or unimportant has no factor points the finger at you not the system. Could the system be improved? Most definitely. However when you look at the results of past conference tournaments and WCWS the system has been extremely accurate at prognosticating the future.
Also of note is you failed to mention #12 LSU (32-14) with the two losses this weekend to Tennessee and ranked just ahead of the Sooners. LSU has only 2 top 25 wins against #2 Auburn and #14 Alabama. Plus wins over #26 Georgia-3, #34 MSU-3 and OSU-2 for a total of 10 quality wins. OU will leap frog the tigers in the next RPI provided we win the series with Baylor.
Sweep the Baylor series and OU should jump to #10 or #11 over LSU and Baylor in the RPI. Potential targets going forward are #11 Minnesota that has no quality opponent left on its schedule (OU has 5, 2 with Baylor and 3 with OSU, #7 Oregon with 1 game against Arizona and 3 against FSU and could lose 2-3 more also UCLA with 12 losses and series against #3 Arizona and #21 ASU could easily have 15-16 losses.
