ISU Strength of Schedule

[Triggermv]

For how much everyone has dogged our out-of-conference scheduling and our SOS, when you look at things in comparison to others, we really aren't that bad. As you can see below, we've got an overall rank of 124 and we are 6th overall in our conference. The Hawks are wwwaaayyy worse too as theirs is a measely 225 our of 347 total teams.

So, while our SOS isn't great, I wouldn't call it terrible at all either. Personally, I don't want a terrible SOS, but I also don't want to be in the top 25 either where we get beat to shreds before conference time. From an RPI perspective, I think anywhere in the top 50-125 range isn't a bad place to be. So overall come tournament time, while I don't think our SOS will help us tremendously when they are comparing teams, I also don't think it will hurt us either.

RPI Rk	Big 12	Conf	All	RPI	SOS Rk	SOS
	2	Kansas	0-0	10-1	0.7030	3	0.6427
	18	Oklahoma St.	0-0	10-1	0.6302	89	0.5325
	28	Oklahoma	0-0	7-3	0.6114	14	0.5860
	43	Baylor	0-0	8-3	0.5869	25	0.5734
	60	Iowa St.	0-0	9-3	0.5722	124	0.5170
	68	Kansas St.	0-0	8-2	0.5639	214	0.4852
	124	West Virginia	0-0	6-5	0.5251	60	0.5451
	159	Texas	0-0	7-5	0.5056	149	0.5074
	211	TCU	0-0	7-4	0.4787	285	0.4546
	280	Texas Tech	0-0	5-4	0.4221	299	0.4465

 

[acoustimac]

Our strength of schedule comes from everyone we've lost to unfortunately. The upside of any non-conf loss is it gives the coaches something to work on - exposes our weaknesses.

 

[Triggermv]

Our strength of schedule comes from everyone we've lost to unfortunately. The upside of any non-conf loss is it gives the coaches something to work on - exposes our weaknesses.

You are mostly correct, but we do have a few other so-so wins that help our RPI (BYU especially). The good news at least is that, while we don't have any super good wins, we at least don't have any bad losses. One could argue that a bad loss hurts you more come tournament time than a good win in the non-conference. Last year, we always had that stupid Drake loss looming over our head. This year, we don't have that.

 

[SoapyCy]

Of course the Hawkeyes have a terrible SOS. They had to play us.

 

[Triggermv]

Of course the Hawkeyes have a terrible SOS. They had to play us.

Booooo

 

[Cydkar]

We just have to navigate the B12 with no bad losses and throw in at least a couple of quality wins. Any bad losses better be offset by a win over a tournament team. There are a few teams in this league that a loss could cripple us.

 

[Triggermv]

We just have to navigate the B12 with no bad losses and throw in at least a couple of quality wins. Any bad losses better be offset by a win over a tournament team. There are a few teams in this league that a loss could cripple us.

I agree. I personally think an above .500 record without a loss to either TCU or Texas Tech would probably barely be enough to put us in (those would be terrible losses if we had one). The recent increase in RPI of the Big 12 has helped this cause a bit over the past couple weeks.

Probably the team that scares me the most is Texas. They've proven lately that they are better than their record shows, or at least CAN be better than their record shows. However, they've got beat down so bad in the non-conference with some terrible losses that a loss to them could easily be classified as a bad loss (hard to believe a loss to Texas is ever classified as a bad loss) or will at least hurt our RPI pretty badly. I also wouldn't be surprised if Texas improves a lot more as the year goes on. That wouldn't be good for us or the Big 12's RPI at this point.

 

[cyclones500]

For how much everyone has dogged our out-of-conference scheduling and our SOS, when you look at things in comparison to others, we really aren't that bad. As you can see below, we've got an overall rank of 124 and we are 6th overall in our conference. The Hawks are wwwaaayyy worse too as theirs is a measely 225 our of 347 total teams.

So, while our SOS isn't great, I wouldn't call it terrible at all either. Personally, I don't want a terrible SOS, but I also don't want to be in the top 25 either where we get beat to shreds before conference time. From an RPI perspective, I think anywhere in the top 50-125 range isn't a bad place to be. So overall come tournament time, while I don't think our SOS will help us tremendously when they are comparing teams, I also don't think it will hurt us either.

RPI Rk	Big 12	Conf	All	RPI	SOS Rk	SOS
	2	Kansas	0-0	10-1	0.7030	3	0.6427
	18	Oklahoma St.	0-0	10-1	0.6302	89	0.5325
	28	Oklahoma	0-0	7-3	0.6114	14	0.5860
	43	Baylor	0-0	8-3	0.5869	25	0.5734
	60	Iowa St.	0-0	9-3	0.5722	124	0.5170
	68	Kansas St.	0-0	8-2	0.5639	214	0.4852
	124	West Virginia	0-0	6-5	0.5251	60	0.5451
	159	Texas	0-0	7-5	0.5056	149	0.5074
	211	TCU	0-0	7-4	0.4787	285	0.4546
	280	Texas Tech	0-0	5-4	0.4221	299	0.4465

I assume, too, SOS will only rise beginning with conference play -- not sure how much effect it has. I don't know the details of how it's calculated.

I do know it's not good to be close to triple digits, unless RPI and the vs. RPI numbers are undeniably strong.

It will take care of itself either way.

 

[ISUCyclone06]

A loss to Texas will not be a bad loss, they are likely a bubble team.

 

[Triggermv]

A loss to Texas will not be a bad loss, they are likely a bubble team.

If that is the case, they've got a lot of work to do. A 7-5 record with a 149 SOS says otherwise right now. I'm not saying they don't have the talent to pull it off, but they are going to need to win a ton of conference games to make it that way.

 

[Cydkar]

A loss to Texas will not be a bad loss, they are likely a bubble team.

At home it would be. We can't continue to lose to bubble teams unless we start beating some as well. Right now we are 1-1 against bubble teams. That one loss being on the road, thank goodness.

We need to beat an NCAA tournament team before I have any confidence. I don't consider BYU a tournament team this year but I generously put them in the "bubble" category.

 

[heitclone]

This is a surprise to me, it just goes to show you how poor most Power conference teams schedule. To me it says more about how pathetic other teams must schedule than about how strong our schedule is. NCAA tourney bids are earned the same way bowl games are, cupcake non conference then hope to be a middle of the road conference team to get it.

As far as our schedule BYU is a bad team, like has no business in the tourney conversation bad but they only play Gonzaga and St Marys from here on out so they'll likely finish 3rd in the WCC and be in the hunt for a bid. That should help us out all year, that national misconception should work to our benefit.

 

[gocubs2118]

As far as our schedule BYU is a bad team, like has no business in the tourney conversation bad but they only play Gonzaga and St Marys from here on out so they'll likely finish 3rd in the WCC and be in the hunt for a bid. That should help us out all year, that national misconception should work to our benefit.

If you've payed any attention to the Pac 12 the past few years, you should know this is not true. Just because you finish 3rd, doesn't mean the country will perceive you as being good but I don't think BYU has that problem. BYU isn't a "bad" team. Their RPI is at 38 right now, obviously that may drop but that win actually might help us get in the tournament this year.

 

[Bobby45]

Booooo

I Agree Booooo2.....

 

[NATEizKING]

If you look at most teams, they have only played one ranked team all year and a lot of those ranked teams they played are no longer ranked. Or they have played no ranked teams. There are at least 3 top 25 teams that have yet to play a ranked team this year. That Vegas tourney made our SOS the way it is this year.

 

[SyracuseCyclone]

Sorry, I think it still sucks but with Cinci doing great its one more good game away from being "strong" and giving the team a boost with the selection committee. I think its relatively weak. Another BCS or high exposure team should have been scheduled.

And I think Texas and K State have MUCH tougher non conference schedules not sure how ISU's SOS is higher I think its just flukey and temporary because some of their opponents just lost. Texas dropping their first 2 games in Maui is why they don't have a high SOS they played Gtown, UCLA, UNC, Mich St but none in Maui where they should have seen a big name team but didn't. KSU played the Zags at Key Arena (that is not a neutral site game even if it is considered technically) and played 2 top 10 teams in Florida and and Michigan. That is more aggressive scheduling as well IMO. This SOS will change you are posting this when FLorida just lost to KSU so KSU hurt their SOS knocking a top 10 team from the top 10 and this was posted before Cinci drops their first game since they are top 10 currently.

ISU likely needs 2 fewer total losses end of the year than Baylor, WVA, Texas, KSU, OU, OSU to get an at large over those teams. If those teams have 12 losses and ISU has 11 there is a good chance they get a bid and ISU does not. Which sucks.

Instead of Drake in that stupid Big 4 game Pollard should have scheduled a real team to come to either Ames or Des Moines and paid for it that would have been a really solid move IMO and kept the schedule equal to that of the other Big 12 teams. St Mary's travelled to Iowa twice this season that is a good team with national exposure and a household name in Dellavadova who would have LOVED to play the Cyclones one of those trips instead of the Bulldogs and Panthers think about it they'd have loved to play ISU, loved it.

 

[Cydkar]

Sorry, I think it still sucks but with Cinci doing great its one more good game away from being "strong" and giving the team a boost with the selection committee. I think its relatively weak. Another BCS or high exposure team should have been scheduled.

And I think Texas and K State have MUCH tougher non conference schedules not sure how ISU's SOS is higher I think its just flukey and temporary because some of their opponents just lost. Texas dropping their first 2 games in Maui is why they don't have a high SOS they played Gtown, UCLA, UNC, Mich St but none in Maui where they should have seen a big name team but didn't. KSU played the Zags at Key Arena (that is not a neutral site game even if it is considered technically) and played 2 top 10 teams in Florida and and Michigan. That is more aggressive scheduling as well IMO. This SOS will change you are posting this when FLorida just lost to KSU so KSU hurt their SOS knocking a top 10 team from the top 10 and this was posted before Cinci drops their first game since they are top 10 currently.

ISU likely needs 2 fewer total losses end of the year than Baylor, WVA, Texas, KSU, OU, OSU to get an at large over those teams. If those teams have 12 losses and ISU has 11 there is a good chance they get a bid and ISU does not. Which sucks.

Instead of Drake in that stupid Big 4 game Pollard should have scheduled a real team to come to either Ames or Des Moines and paid for it that would have been a really solid move IMO and kept the schedule equal to that of the other Big 12 teams. St Mary's travelled to Iowa twice this season that is a good team with national exposure and a household name in Dellavadova who would have LOVED to play the Cyclones one of those trips instead of the Bulldogs and Panthers think about it they'd have loved to play ISU, loved it.

I disagree. Baylor lost to Charleston and NW at home. We may not have a single loss that bad all year. Baylor may want to finish in front of us. Of course they could beat Gonzaga and change things up but those losses don't go away.

 

[SyracuseCyclone]

I disagree. Baylor lost to Charleston and NW at home. We may not have a single loss that bad all year. Baylor may want to finish in front of us. Of course they could beat Gonzaga and change things up but those losses don't go away.

You could be right. Baylor's win in Lexington isn't that impressive.

They are just a team that I have a gut feeling may get preferrential treatment.

Luckily I think as a whole the Big 12 is rounding into form and the conference should get 4-6 bids.

But one more big game should have been scheduled IMO. Particularly a tough road game against a team that will be ranked at the end of the year when you can't lose in terms of SOS and RPI even if you lose.

 

[Goothrey]

Looking at that figure the big 12 looks atrocious. Woof.

 

[mjhavlo76]

I am not so sure the Big 12 is as pathetic as everyone is portraying it to be. Frankly, the only gimme wins for Iowa State at home and away would be Texas Christian and Texas Tech. I would agree that it is a notch down from last year, but not a drastic change.