Why the sky is falling attitude

[Snaggletooth]

Yeah Tyler we all get that.

I don't know what tsquares or slide rulers are but if you can honestly look at the figures below and tell me how conference RPI makes a significant difference to help a nonBCS team get a bid, then you should talk to Matt Damon about doing Good Will Hunting II.

Otherwise from what I can tell....no one gives a sh!t. Ideally, the top 2-3 teams in the Valley have to schedule tough and win to get at large consideration. Then they have to win in conference. Otherwise we have to have one dominant program that is a lock for at large status and then have them be uspet in St Louis. No one cares how good the MVC is overall. Really they don't care. Would WSU have gotten in last year with the #8 conference RPI? Would CU have gotten in 2009? No. For our conference, it is all about your individual resume. You have to be almost perfect.

year - Conf RPI - bids
2010 – 9 - 1 bid (second place WSU RPI 43 24-9)
2009 - 9 - 1 bid - (second place CU RPI 40 26-7)
2008 – 8 - 1 bid – (second place IlSU RPI 37 24-10)
2007 – 6 - 2 bids (SIU and CU)
2006 – 6 - 4 bids (WSU, BU, SIU, UNI)
2005 - 8 - 3 bids (UNI, CU, SIU)

The graphs posted show the correlation. It's not 100 percent, but its not arbitrary either and the numbers you posted are pretty incomplete to draw any sort of conclusion about why teams were left out, especially since RPI cannot be compared from year to year. Each season is its own data set.

I think our failure in communication is that you're assuming I'm saying that a conference RPI of X leads to Y number of bids.

I'm not saying that.

I'm saying it's important to care about the league RPI because it means MVC teams are winning and thus improving everyone's future opponents. The actual number doesn't mean a ton, but it reflects the strength of the league, which is important - especially to a non-BCS league.

We agree that individual teams need to build their own resumes - and the conference is vital to that.

Conference RPI is a dependent number. If the MVC has a high RPI, that makes everyone's resume better because it means they beat a bunch of teams.

So it absolutely matters.

Hell, you said as much in your post...which is why I'm confused as to why you think the conference RPI is irrelevant.

If you acknowledge that individual schools need to build a worthy resume, and that the strength of the conference RPIs has an impact, then why do you say it doesn't matter?

That's illogical.

Exactly.

[jayball]

You graphs mean nothing to me. The MVC will never be a perrenial Top 6 conference.

I see how teams are selected. There is no linear trend that proves if the Valley is the #8 conference then we will get more bids that if we are the #10 conference....so who cares. Very few years will the conference be a big help to any team in consideration. The top teams just need to go out and win alot and not drop one to a bad team.

Logic and graphs are irrelavent. It is about whoever the committee decides to invite that year. The only way to get in....is to win.....regardless of what the conference does.

IMO, the margin of help provided by the 5-10th teams in the MVC is very miniscule. If you team wants in they just need to win. Gonzaga just wins, Bulter just wins. Being 10 spots higher in the RPI isn't going to matter if you don't have a marquee win or if you have a bad loss or two. We need our top programs to have better resumes than the top teams in the MWC, WAC, A10, CUSA, and the 6-9th best teams in BCS leagues. We need there very few upsets in the conference tourneys.

I like seeing Valley teams do well, but I'm just not convinced that conference RPI is a big of a factor for who gets bids. I want a good conference, but I've given up on that really mattering to get multiple bids. We could be the 13th rated conference and get 2 in, if we have a really strong team that gets upset in St Louis. We could be the 7th or 8th rated conference and only get one team in. Your team has to schedule right and win and even then you might need some luck to get an at large.

Sorry, I dont' know how to graph that.

[TylerDurden]

You graphs mean nothing to me. The MVC will never be a perrenial Top 6 conference.

I see how teams are selected. There is no linear trend that proves if the Valley is the #8 conference then we will get more bids that if we are the #10 conference....so who cares. Very few years will the conference be a big help to any team in consideration. The top teams just need to go out and win alot and not drop one to a bad team.

Logic and graphs are irrelavent. It is about whoever the committee decides to invite that year. The only way to get in....is to win.....regardless of what the conference does.

IMO, the margin of help provided by the 5-10th teams in the MVC is very miniscule. If you team wants in they just need to win. Gonzaga just wins, Bulter just wins. Being 10 spots higher in the RPI isn't going to matter if you don't have a marquee win or if you have a bad loss or two. We need our top programs to have better resumes than the top teams in the MWC, WAC, A10, CUSA, and the 6-9th best teams in BCS leagues. We need there very few upsets in the conference tourneys.

I like seeing Valley teams do well, but I'm just not convinced that conference RPI is a big of a factor for who gets bids. I want a good conference, but I've given up on that really mattering to get multiple bids. We could be the 13th rated conference and get 2 in, if we have a really strong team that gets upset in St Louis. We could be the 7th or 8th rated conference and only get one team in. Your team has to schedule right and win and even then you might need some luck to get an at large.

Sorry, I dont' know how to graph that.

Happy Thanksgiving.

[jayball]

Happy Turkey Day to you also.

And just to be clear I used to think like you and Snaggle and fret constantly about Conference RPI.

I just don't anymore because as soon as we figure out a way to compete on that metric they find a way to push other metrics to keep us out.

Hopefully the new 68 team tourney will help a vew MVC teams out.

Hopefully they win when they get the chance.

[iSASO]

The MVC is 1-10 in road games to this point in the season.

[Aargh]

BU (home) - 56
Eastern Illinois - 63

Eastern Illinois was 1-3 before this game.

[PeKaph]

With the BU and UE losses tonight, I doubt even WSU will be able to have a reasonable RPI at the end of the season to be at-large eligible. The only good thing is that the conference seems so terrible that WSU or maybe MSU may be able to sneak through with gaudy MVC records. Eastern Illinois? Seriously?

Second look at a new commissioner?

[Aces1982]

With the BU and UE losses tonight, I doubt even WSU will be able to have a reasonable RPI at the end of the season to be at-large eligible. The only good thing is that the conference seems so terrible that WSU or maybe MSU may be able to sneak through with gaudy MVC records. Eastern Illinois? Seriously?

Second look at a new commissioner?

Just to set the record straight, UE was not favored in this game.

Why does the commissioner, need to be switched because teams are losing? How about looking at own program and make a coach accountable.

[iSASO]

UE wasn't favored in a game against Eastern Illinois? Say no more. Pack your suitcase. Don't go away mad, just go away.

[45otseoj]

UE wasn't favored in a game against Eastern Illinois? Say no more. Pack your suitcase. Don't go away mad, just go away.

UE didn't play Eastern Illinois; Bradley did.