Bama softball beats OU in game 1.

81usaf92

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5th or 6th - either way, they were not obviously a top 3-4 team going into the playoffs. They were obviously not the 8th best team. But it didn't hurt Alabama, so I really don't see the point in being upset about their rank. If anything, their #8 ranking provided them with more fire.
The problem with that logic is that Alabama had a considerably higher chance of not making OKC than Florida and Minnesota because they were ranked #8. Florida in their regional played 2 teams that haven’t won a game in the playoffs entering this year in their history. Bama had to play 2 blue bloods of softball. Florida was practically guaranteed OKC while Alabama wasn’t guaranteed the Super Regionals. Those rankings are bogus anyway you slice it, if the argument is SOS then Alabama needs to be 6th at worst.
 

TideEngineer08

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Strength of schedule has to matter. Alabama had more wins than any other team in softball, but they had played a weaker schedule. I think that the only problem is that Alabama beat a few of the teams ranked higher than them.

IMO, after the initial rankings the committee should have then looked at head to head and made adjustments. Unlike college football, college softball powerhouses play each other all over the country because they play more games.

IMO, based on every factor including head to head, Alabama should have been ranked 6th going into the tournament (ahead of Florida and MN). IMO, putting them ahead of the PAC teams, OU or FSU would have been a bad move. They played tougher schedules and still had great winning percentages.
SOS matters, but it can't be everything. I've never believed a team should get extra credit for playing a tough schedule with mostly losses. In football, for example, a team can play the 30th ranked SOS and go 12-0, while another team plays the 1st ranked SOS but goes 8-4. Which is the more impressive team? Which deserves a better postseason draw? I'm going with the 12-0 team every time.

In basketball, baseball, and softball, there are more teams and more games played. So an SOS of 60 isn't terrible. It's not great, but it's not terrible. And if you go 56-6 against that schedule, you've proven more to me than if you've played a top 10 schedule and went 45-17. Especially when you played head to head and the first team won the series.

It's not that I think a 12-0 UCF, with an SOS in the 80s, deserves to be in the playoffs. There is a balance, and SOS should matter, but when it's fairly close, wins should matter more. I've probably not communicated my point very well. I'm jumping from sport to sport, but for example, I've always found basketball to be such a farce. You play a great schedule but go 16-14 against it and get in the tournament over a team that wins 25 games against a so so schedule? I've never agreed with that logic.
 

B1GTide

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The problem with that logic is that Alabama had a considerably higher chance of not making OKC than Florida and Minnesota because they were ranked #8. Florida in their regional played 2 teams that haven’t won a game in the playoffs entering this year in their history. Bama had to play 2 blue bloods of softball. Florida was practically guaranteed OKC while Alabama wasn’t guaranteed the Super Regionals. Those rankings are bogus anyway you slice it, if the argument is SOS then Alabama needs to be 6th at worst.
You are pretending that I did not say that they shouldn't be 5th or 6th. I clearly did. So where is the problem with my logic? Seems like we agree.
 

81usaf92

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You are pretending that I did not say that they shouldn't be 5th or 6th. I clearly did. So where is the problem with my logic? Seems like we agree.
You said we should’ve been 5th or 6th ( which we agree), but then acted like it really wasn’t a big deal. Had we lost to Texas or ASU, or lord forbid we had a serious injury to Fouts or some key player because we were in the fight of our lives then we would see that it was a serious problem.
 

B1GTide

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You said we should’ve been 5th or 6th ( which we agree), but then acted like it really wasn’t a big deal. Had we lost to Texas or ASU, or lord forbid we had a serious injury to Fouts or some key player because we were in the fight of our lives then we would see that it was a serious problem.
It wasn't a big deal if you win your first game. Being #8 actually gave you an easier road in the playoffs, but you had to win the first game.
 

RTR91

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It wasn't a big deal if you win your first game. Being #8 actually gave you an easier road in the playoffs, but you had to win the first game.
And a 16 seed has an easier path in the second round of March Madness than the 13 seed. Just have to win the first game.


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B1GTide

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And a 16 seed has an easier path in the second round of March Madness than the 13 seed. Just have to win the first game.


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Yes, they do, if they were improperly seeded.
 
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TideEngineer08

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Did you read my post and come away thinking that I meant it was "everything"? Did I explain myself that poorly?
No, but I do feel like you presented an argument that it should be given more weight than it deserves. But like I said in my post, I didn't think I was communicating my point well at all.

Anyway, what's done is done, and I don't think we're going to change the way these committees operate. UCLA is the champion, and likely would have been no matter where Alabama had gotten seeded.
 

B1GTide

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No, but I do feel like you presented an argument that it should be given more weight than it deserves. But like I said in my post, I didn't think I was communicating my point well at all.

Anyway, what's done is done, and I don't think we're going to change the way these committees operate. UCLA is the champion, and likely would have been no matter where Alabama had gotten seeded.
Yeah, as I re-read it I see that I didn't communicate that well. It was a sham that Alabama was so poorly seeded, and it could have cost you a great deal. Proper seeding is important. I was just trying to point out, totally as an aside, that it could have helped you by accident.
 

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