I don't think people realize how fluid baseball rankings are and how close the teams are from 15 to just outside the top 25. 1 or 2 games different against Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss, or Florida would have changed our position right now drastically.

SchizoAg said:

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Luke The Drifter said:

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Look, D1Baseball...just like every other publication...is simply looking for more followers, readers, etc. The more followers they get, the more revenue they make. It's not a tough concept...they're pandering for clickbait, just like everyone else. The only poll out there not begging for more attention is the coaches poll. The coaches don't stand to gain or lose anything by ranking the Longhorns high or low. They won't put a team like Tennessee Tech in the rankings unless they truly believe they deserve to be in there. They won't be swayed by a single weekend result and they're smart enough to know the mid-week games are important as well. Having a good mid-week record is huge when it comes to selection day...maybe not as important as the weekends, but certainly not to be dismissed as if they don't even matter.

I appreciate Kendall coming on here, but at the end of they day D1Baseball is simply looking for shock value and putting out a poll that creates conversation/controversy. They don't care if they're actually ranking the best 25 teams in the country...they care about attracting readers and subscribers. Period.

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Doesn't seem like you appreciate him that much, given that you're blatantly questioning the integrity of his work, essentially calling him a prostitute.

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Yea...I came nowhere near calling him a prostitute. And I'm not at all questioning his integrity, just questioning his methodology. And really, I don't care that D1Baseball or anyone else is trying to increase readership. Just don't expect me to believe they're honestly trying to list the best 25 teams in the country when they put out lists like they've put out the past 4 or 5 weeks.

They're just trying to drum up attention and conversation...which is exactly what they've gotten w/ this thread.

threeanout said:

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W said:

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I appreciate Kendall coming on this thread.

I think the pollsters are continuing to have a tough time evaluating / accepting how good the 14-team SEC is this year.

starting at the bottom...the worst team Alabama (24-25) is RPI #82.

the second worst team RPI-wise is #64 Tennessee (27-23). But the Vols have 2 quality series wins over A&M and UK. Plus single wins against. UF, Ole Miss, and Georgia.

then the other 12 teams are all in the top 50 and each has multiple quality series wins & individual wins both in and out of conference

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D1 has become a pay for view site. As they have trended this way, their rankings seem to take on a much wider diversity of teams. Meaning, everyone outside the SEC hates the SEC, therefore to please the rest of the college baseball world they drop in some undeserving teams. Hate to say it because I respect Kendall, but their subscription $$$ have tainted their rankings.

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We've had eight SEC teams ranked at one point in the season. Personally, I don't really care if people don't like we have so many teams from one conference ranked over another. Don't think that has ever entered our minds, actually.

Luke The Drifter said:

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SchizoAg said:

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Luke The Drifter said:

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Look, D1Baseball...just like every other publication...is simply looking for more followers, readers, etc. The more followers they get, the more revenue they make. It's not a tough concept...they're pandering for clickbait, just like everyone else. The only poll out there not begging for more attention is the coaches poll. The coaches don't stand to gain or lose anything by ranking the Longhorns high or low. They won't put a team like Tennessee Tech in the rankings unless they truly believe they deserve to be in there. They won't be swayed by a single weekend result and they're smart enough to know the mid-week games are important as well. Having a good mid-week record is huge when it comes to selection day...maybe not as important as the weekends, but certainly not to be dismissed as if they don't even matter.

I appreciate Kendall coming on here, but at the end of they day D1Baseball is simply looking for shock value and putting out a poll that creates conversation/controversy. They don't care if they're actually ranking the best 25 teams in the country...they care about attracting readers and subscribers. Period.

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Doesn't seem like you appreciate him that much, given that you're blatantly questioning the integrity of his work, essentially calling him a prostitute.

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Yea...I came nowhere near calling him a prostitute. And I'm not at all questioning his integrity, just questioning his methodology. And really, I don't care that D1Baseball or anyone else is trying to increase readership. Just don't expect me to believe they're honestly trying to list the best 25 teams in the country when they put out lists like they've put out the past 4 or 5 weeks.

They're just trying to drum up attention and conversation...which is exactly what they've gotten w/ this thread.

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Then why is it so similar to the coaches poll which you yourself said was more accurate

HoustonAg2106 said:

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Luke The Drifter said:

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SchizoAg said:

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Luke The Drifter said:

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Look, D1Baseball...just like every other publication...is simply looking for more followers, readers, etc. The more followers they get, the more revenue they make. It's not a tough concept...they're pandering for clickbait, just like everyone else. The only poll out there not begging for more attention is the coaches poll. The coaches don't stand to gain or lose anything by ranking the Longhorns high or low. They won't put a team like Tennessee Tech in the rankings unless they truly believe they deserve to be in there. They won't be swayed by a single weekend result and they're smart enough to know the mid-week games are important as well. Having a good mid-week record is huge when it comes to selection day...maybe not as important as the weekends, but certainly not to be dismissed as if they don't even matter.

I appreciate Kendall coming on here, but at the end of they day D1Baseball is simply looking for shock value and putting out a poll that creates conversation/controversy. They don't care if they're actually ranking the best 25 teams in the country...they care about attracting readers and subscribers. Period.

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Doesn't seem like you appreciate him that much, given that you're blatantly questioning the integrity of his work, essentially calling him a prostitute.

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Yea...I came nowhere near calling him a prostitute. And I'm not at all questioning his integrity, just questioning his methodology. And really, I don't care that D1Baseball or anyone else is trying to increase readership. Just don't expect me to believe they're honestly trying to list the best 25 teams in the country when they put out lists like they've put out the past 4 or 5 weeks.

They're just trying to drum up attention and conversation...which is exactly what they've gotten w/ this thread.

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Then why is it so similar to the coaches poll which you yourself said was more accurate

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I believe I said the coaches weren't trying to drum up readership and subscribers. At least that was my intent. Either way, this discussion is getting us nowhere. Thankfully, the selection committee doesn't consult Kendall or the coaches when picking hosts and determining seeding.

Quote:

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The rankings SUCK

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basically, they are there to drum up interest in baseball and hopefully get people to buy, click or read something on their website. they where fake news before there was a such thing as fake news.

Kendall Rogers said:

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threeanout said:

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W said:

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I appreciate Kendall coming on this thread.

I think the pollsters are continuing to have a tough time evaluating / accepting how good the 14-team SEC is this year.

starting at the bottom...the worst team Alabama (24-25) is RPI #82.

the second worst team RPI-wise is #64 Tennessee (27-23). But the Vols have 2 quality series wins over A&M and UK. Plus single wins against. UF, Ole Miss, and Georgia.

then the other 12 teams are all in the top 50 and each has multiple quality series wins & individual wins both in and out of conference

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D1 has become a pay for view site. As they have trended this way, their rankings seem to take on a much wider diversity of teams. Meaning, everyone outside the SEC hates the SEC, therefore to please the rest of the college baseball world they drop in some undeserving teams. Hate to say it because I respect Kendall, but their subscription $$$ have tainted their rankings.

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We've had eight SEC teams ranked at one point in the season. Personally, I don't really care if people don't like we have so many teams from one conference ranked over another. Don't think that has ever entered our minds, actually.

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Yea, but this week you guys move two SEC teams in and move two out. You drop Ok St five notches and they went 1-3 on the week with two losses to RPI 50+ Iowa and a mid week loss to RPI 125+ Oral Roberts. Ags get knocked down at least 5 slots (maybe more) for going 2-2 with the losses to # 1 Florida.

Beau Holder said:

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If it's something you're cool with sharing, I'd like to hear the answer to the Texas-A&M question posed on the previous page. Would Texas have dropped from the rankings if it lost the series to Tech? That's essentially what happened to A&M, only A&M's opponent was significantly better than Tech. And as demonstrated, Texas has no other feathers in its cap in this comparison.

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Yes. No brainer since UT was 24 last week.

Deleted because it was wrong

Wicked Good Ag said:

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I would be more concerned with why Texas went up after losing a series to West Virginia. Beating Tech deserves to move forward

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Thank goodness for rpi.

W said:

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A&M made the postseason in 2013 and 2014 with losing conference records.

one year it was 13-16; the other 14-16

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In '13 the Ags did make make a little noise in Hoover by winning a couple of games including over #1 Vandy, The '14 team on the other hand was a quick out. Unless the Ags collapse completely down the stretch, it has a better resume than either of those teams.

Wicked Good Ag said:

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I would be more concerned with why Texas went up after losing a series to West Virginia. Beating Tech deserves to move forward

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Not sure which rankings that was. It wasn't ours.

Kendall Rogers said:

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Wicked Good Ag said:

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I would be more concerned with why Texas went up after losing a series to West Virginia. Beating Tech deserves to move forward

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Not sure which rankings that was. It wasn't ours.

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Keep doing good work Kendall, some people on here will never be made happy

TIL one of the dudes from D1B is an Ag

What will be really interesting to see is if A&M loses the next two series, which is highly possible. Will have a losing SEC record, and a T25 RPI. What the Hell do you do with that?

trm94 said:

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What will be really interesting to see is if A&M loses the next two series, which is highly possible. Will have a losing SEC record, and a T25 RPI. What the Hell do you do with that?

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Number 2 seed

trm94 said:

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What will be really interesting to see is if A&M loses the next two series, which is highly possible. Will have a losing SEC record, and a T25 RPI. What the Hell do you do with that?

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14-16 will likely be enough this year to get in. Anything worse will be interesting.

Need to avoid being swept

Kendall Rogers said:

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Wicked Good Ag said:

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I would be more concerned with why Texas went up after losing a series to West Virginia. Beating Tech deserves to move forward

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Not sure which rankings that was. It wasn't ours.

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Going back and looking at the 4/30 rankings Texas FELL 5 spots from 19 to 24 in the D1 poll after dropping the Uwva series. In Collegiate Baseball they moved up 5 spots from 23 to 18.

My apologies to Kendall. Games 1 & 2 of the Florida series bruised my ego and brain apparently.

Wicked Good Ag said:

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I would be more concerned with why Texas went up after losing a series to West Virginia. Beating Tech deserves to move forward

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I was mistaken on that part in my reference to Baseball America. I blame being on my phone at a conference hence also the 5/6 in the title instead of 5/7.

BA dropped the horns 1 spot after losing the weekend series to West Virginia (#19 to #20).

I was miss-remembering when BA had the Aggies at #22 and the horns #23 the week of 4/9. The horns lost to us and then went 2-1 against OU for a 2-2 week. The Aggies beat t.u. and then swept Alabama. BA moved the horns to #20, dropped OU to #21, and left the Aggies at #22.

The next week,the Ags lost 2-1 to Tennessee and dropped out of the rankings. Texas went 2-1 against high RPI New Orleans to bump to #19 and then lost 2-1 to West Virginia and only fell back to #20.

In other words, for a stretch of 3 weeks, Texas:

(these are current RPI rankings)

L #13 Texas A&M
W #40 Oklahoma
W #40 Oklahoma
L #40 Oklahoma
W #46 West Virginia
L #46 West Virginia
L #46 West Virginia
W #60 Houston
W #181 New Orleans
W #181 New Orleans
L #181 New Orleans
W #237 Texas Southern
W #241 UTRGV

And they climbed from #23 to #20 by going 3-4 against Top 50 RPI teams.

Can we stop worrying about Texas? We're in the SEC now

I don't agree with the rankings. I'd think a 2-2 week playing #1 is exactly what you would have expected from #21 team in the nation. Being punished for being in the SEC and having to play the most complete team in college baseball doesn't make much sense to me. I'd second "thank goodness for RPI".

I know making polls is subjective, and just looking, I can imagine very difficult. But I don't get the click bait comments.....I'm guessing the baseball following of Stetson, Connecticut, and Tennessee Tech wouldn't be as good for business as it would be to purposefully cater to Aggies.

And finally, an SEC homer comment: I'd trade a series at home against any of the #15-25 teams that aren't in the SEC now over our last series against unranked South Carolina. They've won 7 of their last 9 in the SEC including 2 last weekend against #4 Ole Miss and are scoring in bunches.

By the way, keep an eye on Kansas State. They are 3-18 in the Big 12. 2 of those wins came in a series win over Texas.

Their current RPI is 146. They face RPI #101 Kansas and #131 San Francisco to end the year. They very well could drop into the RPI #150+ grouping (predicted RPI #158 by Warren Nolan).

That would drop Texas's RPI record against Category 3 teams (RPI 101-150) to 6-0 and their record against Category 4 (RPI 150-297) to 10-4.


The Aggies are currently 8-0 vs Category 3 and 8-1 against Category 4 (thank you UTA).

I believe a lot of this is based on where they think the teams will be at the end of the season. The sips have tcu at home while we go on the road to Arky and close with Sam and South Carolina at home. Sucks but that is what is

Sometimes it pays to be in a conference like the Big 12.

Auburn is a SEC school. Why are they ranked 19th?

dermdoc said:

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Auburn is a SEC school. Why are they ranked 19th?

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No idea, but they were unranked last week (with a losing conference record) so you wouldn't expect them to just automatically become a top 10 team...I'm sure they'll keep moving up.

The rankings don't mean anything until the last week

HoustonAg2106 said:

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dermdoc said:

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Auburn is a SEC school. Why are they ranked 19th?

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No idea, but they were unranked last week so you wouldn't expect them to just automatically become a top 10 team...I'm sure they'll keep moving up.

The rankings don't mean anything until the last week

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Agree for the most part. I just hate the bias which I feel like has a minimal, but tangible effect on regional hosting and seeding. We shall see.

all this discussion shows why the committee usually sticks to the RPI. They don't want to be criticized or accused of bias.

So the top 8 seeds are likely to be RPI teams 1 thru 8. And the 16 hosts are likely to be RPI teams 1 thru 16 (with maybe an exception or two). I believe last year there was one exception. Otherwise it was all RPI chalk