#1nHkyCfbBsbDncSolarDebat
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A team, like the Gophers, this late into the year, can rarely have a perfect Saturday without even playing, if ever even, but so far this day has been good to the Gophers.
Some of these things may seem insignificant, but when a former opponent is ranked #99 in the RPI, it is significant whether they win or lose.
In the last week or so, the Gophers record vs Top 100 teams in the RPI improved to 10-3. It may not remain as such as Tennessee State, ranked #95, is probably going to drop below 100 after today, and if not today, will more than likely end up ranked out of the Top 100.
But Nebraska pulled off a win over PSU. Why should that matter at all, since we haven't played either team and since we'll play them both, is shouldn't matter, right?! Wrong. PSU is ranked so horribly right now, winning a gave vs Nebraska wouldn't improve upon their ranking enough, especially since we all know they aren't going to continue winning. But Nebraska has an RPI ranking of 72, and a loss to PSU would have dropped them in the RPI rankings a great deal. So its little things like that that over the course of a season like we are having, where we did NOT win the big home game vs Michigan, that could and I think will, help us get that #3 seed instead of a #4, or the #2 seed instead of the #3, or maybe even a #1 seed instead of a #2?
Ten wins vs Top 100 RPI teams is VERY significant.
Wisconsin is #46 right now, might not remain that high if they lose to Iowa, but Iowa is #77, neither of whom we have played. If Iowa holds on, that should place them both in the 50-70 range, meaning we'll have a couple more games vs Top 100 RPI teams coming up.
Richmond was #99, and won today.
Stanford was #76, and won today.
Memphis was #53, and won today. That was a big win, for us, because that could move them into the Top 50.
S Dak St was #64, and won today. Another big win for us, because they could move into the Top 50 as well.
Other seemingly meaningless games that could help us long term - Creighton and Ohio St lose today. Both could have passed us up in the Polls, as Florida no doubt will, but we may only drop 1 spot in the polls come monday because of other teams losing. UCLA lost. Not that they were on our tail, and actually Oregon is ranked higher than UCLA, but UCLA is the media darling, and were on a winning streak and a win over Oregon would have vaulted them many spots higher and that is dangerous. Oregon won't get the media love that UCLA would have gotten, and will do more to hurt UCLA than helping themselves.
Oh, and one of the best things to happen today? Purdue won a non-conf game. That improves every single Big Ten team's resume that has played them already, and will help Purdue who was at #119 in the RPI poll, obviously, and since they will be a future opponent of ours, if they could sneek into the Top 100 by the end of the regular season, they could make up for Tenn St dropping out.
N Dak St is #57 in the RPI right now and has a small lead at the time I am writing this post. We want NDSU to do well and move up into the Top 50 as well. Another game going on right now is Southern Cal, who is only ranked #143, but playing in the Pac-12, they could get a big win that would move them up quite aways. They are up by 9 at half time of their game. If they can hold on, that is a good thing.
But like I said at the outset, no day is perfect and though this day could be a VERY good day for us if NDSU and USC hold on to win, for example, but #66 ranked Florida St lost today. So far that is the only significant negative. Lafayette lost, but they are one of the handful of teams we've played that are ranked so low it really doesn't matter. PSU, Toledo, Lafayette, N Flor & Tenn St are the 5 teams that we don't want to lose, but who will never get close to the RPI Top 100, so its nice when they win, but not as nice as when all the rest of our former and future opponents win.
Some of these things may seem insignificant, but when a former opponent is ranked #99 in the RPI, it is significant whether they win or lose.
In the last week or so, the Gophers record vs Top 100 teams in the RPI improved to 10-3. It may not remain as such as Tennessee State, ranked #95, is probably going to drop below 100 after today, and if not today, will more than likely end up ranked out of the Top 100.
But Nebraska pulled off a win over PSU. Why should that matter at all, since we haven't played either team and since we'll play them both, is shouldn't matter, right?! Wrong. PSU is ranked so horribly right now, winning a gave vs Nebraska wouldn't improve upon their ranking enough, especially since we all know they aren't going to continue winning. But Nebraska has an RPI ranking of 72, and a loss to PSU would have dropped them in the RPI rankings a great deal. So its little things like that that over the course of a season like we are having, where we did NOT win the big home game vs Michigan, that could and I think will, help us get that #3 seed instead of a #4, or the #2 seed instead of the #3, or maybe even a #1 seed instead of a #2?
Ten wins vs Top 100 RPI teams is VERY significant.
Wisconsin is #46 right now, might not remain that high if they lose to Iowa, but Iowa is #77, neither of whom we have played. If Iowa holds on, that should place them both in the 50-70 range, meaning we'll have a couple more games vs Top 100 RPI teams coming up.
Richmond was #99, and won today.
Stanford was #76, and won today.
Memphis was #53, and won today. That was a big win, for us, because that could move them into the Top 50.
S Dak St was #64, and won today. Another big win for us, because they could move into the Top 50 as well.
Other seemingly meaningless games that could help us long term - Creighton and Ohio St lose today. Both could have passed us up in the Polls, as Florida no doubt will, but we may only drop 1 spot in the polls come monday because of other teams losing. UCLA lost. Not that they were on our tail, and actually Oregon is ranked higher than UCLA, but UCLA is the media darling, and were on a winning streak and a win over Oregon would have vaulted them many spots higher and that is dangerous. Oregon won't get the media love that UCLA would have gotten, and will do more to hurt UCLA than helping themselves.
Oh, and one of the best things to happen today? Purdue won a non-conf game. That improves every single Big Ten team's resume that has played them already, and will help Purdue who was at #119 in the RPI poll, obviously, and since they will be a future opponent of ours, if they could sneek into the Top 100 by the end of the regular season, they could make up for Tenn St dropping out.
N Dak St is #57 in the RPI right now and has a small lead at the time I am writing this post. We want NDSU to do well and move up into the Top 50 as well. Another game going on right now is Southern Cal, who is only ranked #143, but playing in the Pac-12, they could get a big win that would move them up quite aways. They are up by 9 at half time of their game. If they can hold on, that is a good thing.
But like I said at the outset, no day is perfect and though this day could be a VERY good day for us if NDSU and USC hold on to win, for example, but #66 ranked Florida St lost today. So far that is the only significant negative. Lafayette lost, but they are one of the handful of teams we've played that are ranked so low it really doesn't matter. PSU, Toledo, Lafayette, N Flor & Tenn St are the 5 teams that we don't want to lose, but who will never get close to the RPI Top 100, so its nice when they win, but not as nice as when all the rest of our former and future opponents win.