Other Scores - Week 8

UPSoccerFanatic wrote:Here's a thought about which of our opponents we want to win when two of them are playing each other. We get the highest bonus points for having had a good result (win or tie) against a team ranked 1-40 in the URPI. We get the next highest points for a good result against a team ranked 41-80. So, we want the result that is most likely to maximize the Pilots' bonus points.

Loyola Marymount lost to Gonzaga (and us) this weekend and fell out of the top 40, costing us bonus points. Yesterday, we had 7 wins against top-40 teams, more than anyone else and on track to end up with more than anyone else. Now, unless LM or SD can get back into the top 40, UNC will end likely up with as many top-40 wins as us.

UPSF previously posted that we might as well root for UNC because they are almost certain to get a #1 seed anyway. Here's why I'd still like to see someone take UNC down a notch. But I don't know if it is realistic. In standard tournament bracketing, the overall #1 and overall #2 teams are bracketed so that they cannot meet until the finals. O ye historians, is NCAA soccer committed to that rule, or not? I'd rather we didn't meet Stanford until the finals. So I would hope to end up with higher ARPI than UNC, which won't happen unless they lose at least once more. I assume the ACC tourney counts toward RPI, right? Since they only meet top teams in that tourney, their RPI will just keep climbing unless they lose or tie, preferably more than once. And I suppose advancing on PKs in their tourney is a tie for RPI purposes? Does anyone know?

A good case in point from today, on how RPI is skewed too much in favor of simply scheduling tough teams, and not enough in favor of beating them: the Beavers creamed UCLA today, 3-0. Beavers are 11-1-1, Bruins are 9-5-1. Which is the better team? Beavers are #37, Bruins are #14.