5 Key Takeaways from Softball America’s Latest Bracket Packet
Who doesn't love trying to predict the postseason bracket?
On Tuesday afternoon, Softball America hosted its weekly bracket packet party on YouTube with Gray Robertson, Brady Vernon, and Tara Henry. They were joined by hundreds of fans from across the country who were ready to ask questions about every little detail.
Robertson and Vernon broke down their projected 16 regional hosts, explaining why teams were ranked where. Surprisingly, the two brackets were very similar.
Here are five key takeaways from the discussion:
Who is the No. 1 overall seed?
It depends on who you ask. Vernon has the Oklahoma Soonersn and Robertson has the Texas A&M Aggies.
Vernon: It's very, very hard not to look past the non-conference strength of schedule. However, my thing with that is, you know, the top 10 wins after sweeping Texas are just so impressive. They're tied with the top 25 wins as well. I've kind of said this all season long, I think Oklahoma is going to get the benefit of the doubt from the committee, going away from the S.O.S., simply because they're the four-time defending champs.
Robertson: This is where I dinged Oklahoma a little bit for the non-con S.O.S. Again, in case you're curious, I'm not saying Oklahoma don't play nobody because the overall S.O.S. is 25, but non-con S.O.S. is 182. ... The top 50 and top 25 wins are the exact same, with Texas A&M and A&M's got a better overall S.O.S. and significantly better non-con S.O.S.
Where else could OU land?
Robertson: No. 2 for me is Oklahoma.
How many SEC teams could host a super regional?
Both Vernon and Robertson discussed having UCLA at No. 6 and Florida State at No. 7, which led to the explanation of why the committee will probably look at having at least one of the top eight seeds be outside the Southeastern Conference. So, the answer is that six of the top eight seeds will be from the SEC.
Vernon: The thing with the break and metrics and stuff and to like the analogy is sometimes you just got to get a vibe on this, and we've talked about it, we just don't know if the committee is going to do seven, eight SEC in the top eight. It just feels like they're not going to do that, and UCLA feels like the most worthy.
Robertson: I think South Carolina's profile is better than Florida State's, but I just couldn't rationalize the committee rationalizing putting seven SEC teams in the top eight. I think it's deserved based on the numbers and based on the math, but I just couldn't do it.
Is there a surprise regional host?
As of Tuesday, the surprise host is Texas Tech. Vernon has the Red Raiders higher than Robertson but of the teams who could potentially host, Texas Tech is in the best position.
Vernon: I have Texas Tech hosting at No. 15, which is very against my typical rules. If you go look at the adjusted RPI on Selection Sunday, the last few years, generally, you've needed an RPI of 18 or better to host. Texas Tech isn't there right now, but I just think Texas Tech does have the non-con strength of schedule that benefits them. Even though they don't have the double-digit top 25 wins, they do have seven at this point as long as Nebraska holds on at No. 25. ... I do think if they want no doubt, they're going to have to win the Big 12 Tournament.
Robertson: I've done it, I've finally opened my heart. Sixteen is Texas Tech. I do not feel good about it, but my other option is Oklahoma State, who I definitely don't feel good about.
Who are the next four out?
When it comes to a potential host, the Virginia Tech Hokies have their three most important games of the season coming up this weekend against Florida State. If the Hokies can win the series, they could break into the top 16.
Stanford cannot host because football wants its stadium back, and Auburn has had a high RPI all year, but their overall body of work doesn't give them enough to host.
Robertson: Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Auburn and Stanford.
If you want your own PDF of the bracket packet, it is available for download via Softball America.
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-1d7db99dccc9abef7b9378f016b22b68.webp "Maren Angus-Coombs")
Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.