NCAA Power Ten

[visitingcock]

And maybe a statue...

Let's do a statute so it will be legal.

 

[Alydar]

Our prospects are very dependent on having fewer losses than the teams looking for a number one seed. They play far more challenging games within their conference, and most have lost fewer games from their schedule to the virus, so will probably have more wins at the end of the season. I think there is a very good chance that any team we are tied with on losses will be ranked ahead of us because of more quality wins.

The good news is many of the top contenders have a loss. Only two of the major conferences could still produce an undefeated team. Louisville or North Carolina State in the ACC (but obviously not both) and I think Michigan could in theory, but few expect them to complete the season unblemished.

I think a top seed is something we have control over, if we win out. The number 1 overall seed is different, we could run the table, and still not get that if Louisville or North Carolina State goes undefeated. If our only loss was South Carolina it is hard to tell about a top seed, but if a few of the top teams suffer another loss, maybe. And finally if we have two losses, however it happens, I think we can kiss a top seed goodbye.

I think you overstate the depth of the P-5's. In the B12 last year there was one team in the top 25. There are at most 2 top 8 schools in any conference. And if your team is being considered for a No 1 overall then beating a bunch of teams ranked 20-50 is not a challenge, and if it is then you are not an overall one seed. And all the P-5's have 4-5 teams down at the bottom that would be in the bottom half of the AAC if they played there. (Apologies to the Tree fans who just got beat by one of them).
This year is an aberration. UConn depends on OOC games for elite competition and while those games disappeared for CT the other top teams could fall back on a couple of conference games. But for all the weak teams UConn has faced at least they won them all convincingly. By the tournament they will likely have played DePaul 3 times and DePaul is a 4 seed for Creme. The 1st quality opponent S Car faced was NCSt and they couldn't compete. It was a different Boston from that game and the Arkj game.
I expect UConn to win convincingly at TBA and what will help them is that the media over-ranks the Vols so some of them will be obliged to give UConn more credit for the win than they deserve.