Originally Posted by
smootness
The committee has consistently said several things:
1) Conference standing is not taken into account, it's your individual games
2) OOC play matters just as much as in-conference
3) RPI is a guide but is not an absolute
4) Scheduling matters
5) Good wins, especially on the road, and bad losses are probably the most important aspect
In looking at USC vs. Arizona State, here it is:
1) USC finished above ASU by 4 games in P12 play
2) But USC was 9-2 OOC while ASU was 12-0 against a tougher OOC schedule
3) USC was well ahead of ASU in RPI
4) ASU gave themselves opportunities for very good OOC wins
5) And they capitalized. Here is what it really comes down to:
USC: best wins - 33, 35, @59; worst losses - 226, @112, @86
ASU: best wins - 3, @5, 34, 36 (beat USC H2H); worst losses - 137, 86, @86
So ASU beat Xavier and Kansas, and USC H2H, and they didn't lose to #226. That's basically what that decision came down to.