Previous CB360 Top-50 from 2014 Season:
Week-10 | Week-9 | Week-8 | Week-7 | Week-6 | Week-5 | Week-4 | Week-3 | Week-2 | Preseason
After season-long, unmatched consistency, Virginia finally has risen atop CB360′s 100-point Composite National Rankings (CNR), after being No. 2 the previous week and 2nd, 3rd or 4th all season prior to this week. The Cavs took 2-of-3 from North Carolina last week, while adding a quality midweek win over William & Mary.
Cal Poly’s historic season continued, with the Mustangs moving up a spot to No. 2 in the CNR while Louisiana (Lafayette) slipped out of the top spot down to No. 3. Cal Poly completed a big sweep of Big West Conference perennial power Cal State Fullerton, while the Cajuns suffered only their fifth loss of the season in the series finale at Texas Arlington.
Current No. 5 Florida State and (6) Oregon State each have bumped up one spot, while Florida (up from 14th to 7th) has cracked the CNR top-10 for the first time this season. After getting swept by TCU, Texas slipped back from 4th to 8th, while LSU is back in the top-10 (11th to 9th) and South Carolina completd the top-10 (down from No. 7).
Ole Miss (from 9th to 12th) fell outside the top-10, as did Houston – which plummeted from 10th to 20th after losing 2-of-3 vs. South Florida.
Three current top-10 teams earlier this season reached the top-10 this season for the fist time in the history of the CNR: Louisiana-Lafayette, Cal Poly and Washington.
Three teams that entered/re-entered the CNR top-50 the previous week – (45) Nebraska, (46) Georgia and (49) Sam Houston State – have slipped back out of the top-50, as has defending NCAA champion (38) UCLA, along with (27) San Diego and (47) North Carolina State, a 2013 College World Series team. NC State was #8 in the preseason CNR while UCLA was #11 and USD #33 – meaning that 28 of the CNR preseason top-50 have fallen out of the top-50 at some point this season. (50) Oklahoma rounds out the seven teams that dropped out of last week’s top-50.
Central Florida (#32) has been in the CNR top-50 during several past seasons and now finds itself back in the top-50 for the first time in 2014. Other newcomers to the top-50 include (44) Old Dominion and (45) Bryant, while four others have returned to the top-50: (46) West Virginia, (47) Illinois State, (48) Wake Forest and (49) North Carolina.
After its huge series sweep of Texas, TCU vaulted from 40th to 21st in the CNR. Others making big moves within the top-50 include: Arkansas (#48 to #30), Oklahoma State (#33 to #22), New Mexico (#39 to #29) and San Diego State (#44 to #36). Teams that suffered big drops but remained in the top-50: Seton Hall (#37 to #50), UNLV (#21 to #33, after getting swept at Air Force), Cal State Fullerton (#25 to #35), Arizona State (#30 to #38) and Dallas Baptist (#34 to #42).
Virginia is the fifth team to hold the top spot in the CNR this season, following preseason #1 Cal State Fullerton (now #35), along with Florida State, South Carolina and Louisiana (Lafayette).
The current top-50 includes 10 SEC teams (seven of them among the top-20, but none top-6), plus eight ACC, five Big 12, four Pac-12 and four Big West. Other conference currently represented in the CNR top-50: three each from American Athletic, Missouri Valley and Mountain West … two Conference USA … and one each from the Atlantic 10, Atlantic Sun, BIG EAST, Big South, Big Ten, Northeast, Sun Belt and West Coast.
Among the teams in the 2014 CB360 preseason top-50, more than half of them (28) have slipped out of the top-50 at some point during the season: (8) NC State, (11) UCLA, (13) North Carolina, (18) Kansas State, (21) Arizona State, (22) TCU, (25) Texas A&M, (26) Alabama, (28) Arizona, (29) East Carolina, (30) Arkansas, (31) Florida Atlantic, (33) San Diego, (34) Oklahoma, (35) Georgia Tech, (36) UNC Wilmington, (38) Western Carolina, (39) Nebraska, (40) New Mexico, (41) Wichita State, (42) Stanford, (43) Coastal Carolina, (45) Liberty, (45) UNLV, (46) Mercer, (46) Sam Houston State, (49) Washington State and (50) North Florida.
Here are some of the midseason success stories, based on the CNR:
• Five teams that were not in the CNR preseason top-50 now have landed in the top-35: (6) Washington, (33) UNLV, (26) Pepperdine, (23) Texas Tech and (31) Tennessee
• Louisiana-Lafayette cb360 preseason #24, now #3
• Cal Poly preseason #27 (now #2)
• Texas preseason #23 (now #8)
• Ole Miss preseason #32 (now #12)
• Houston preseason #50 (now #20)
• UC Santa Barbara preseason #37 (now #25)
• Kentucky preseason #44 (now #19)
Seven of the teams in the CB360 preseason top-10 now find themselves outside of the top-10, including preseason #8 NC State dropping out entirely of the top-50. Indiana (preseason #7) currently is 15th while current #24Mississippi State opened the season at #4). Cal State Fullerton was the CB360 preseason #1 (now 35th). Preseason #10 Vanderbilt currently is 17th and Oregon (preseason #9) now is 11th. (The only three preseason top-10 teams still currently in the top-10 are Oregon State, Virginia and Florida State).
CB360 Composite Top-50 Rankings for 2014 – Week 11 (thru games of 4–20–14)
(rank) Team – CNR pts (prev.: week-10 CNR … preseason)
1. Virginia – 98.32 (2 … 4 … 3 … 3 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 2 … 4 … 3 preseason)
2. Cal Poly – 97.69 (3 … 6 … 6 … 9 … 8 … 11 … 13 … 16 … 24 … 27)
3. Louisiana-Lafayette – 96.55 (1 … 2 … 4 … 4 … 7 … 10 … 12 … 18 … 21 … 24)
4. Florida State – 96.38 (5 … 1 … 2 … 1 … 2 … 2 … 1 … 1 … 3 … 5)
5. Oregon State – 94.06 (6 … 9 … 9 … 11 … 5 … 5 … 6 … 5 … 2 … 2)
6. Washington – 90.92 (8 … 10 … 19 … 27 … 42 … – … – … – … – … –)
7. Florida – 90.90 (14 … 20 … 12 … 35 … 45 … 44 … 46 … 21 … 18 … 19)
8. Texas – 90.75 (4 … 5 … 7 … 13 … 14 … 12 … 16 … 23 … 26 … 23)
9. LSU – 90.31 (11 … 12 … 15 … 7 … 11 … 7 … 8 … 3 … 6 … 6)
10. South Carolina – 90.22 (7 … 3 … 1 … 2 … 1… 1 … 3 … 8 … 9 … 12)
11. Oregon – 88.83 (15 … 15 … 11 … 6 … 6 … 9 … 9 … 7 … 8 … 9)
12. Mississippi – 87.37 (9 … 13 … 18 … 10 … 12 … 15 … 19 … 30 … 30 … 32)
13. Rice – 87.08 (17 … 18 … 10 … 8 … 10 … 16 … 18 …11 … 15 … 15)
14. Alabama – 86.16 (16 … 14 … 20 … 43 … 27 … – … 38 … 26 … 25 … 26)
15. Indiana – 83.38 (19 … 25 … 25 … 33 … 32 … 25 … 24 … 24 … 12 … 7)
16. Louisville – 83.05 (12 … 16 … 16 … 17 … 15 … 14 … 14 … 13 … 14 … 14)
17. Vanderbilt – 82.29 (13 … 8 … 5 … 5 … 3 … 4 … 5 … 6 … 7 … 10)
18. Miami – 81.72 (18 … 23 … 27 … 37 … 30 … 19 … 20 … 15 … 17 … 17)
19. Kentucky – 81.28 (22 … 11 … 17 … 15 … 25 … 20 … 21 … 33 … 35 … 44)
20. Houston – 81.10 (10 … 7 … 8 … 12 … 23 … 29 … 42 … 41 … 41 … 50)
21. TCU – 78.09 (40 … 49 … – … – … 35 … 32 … 26 … 20 … 22 … 22)
22. Oklahoma State – 77.28 (33 … 32 … 36 … 39 … 29 … 27 … 22 … 19 … 19 … 20)
23. Texas Tech – 73.90 (24 … 29 … 29 … 30 … 28 … 28 … 34 … 32 … 33 … –)
24. Mississippi State – 73.40 (26 … 22 … 14 … 18 … 24 … 17 … 10 … 10 … 5 … 4)
25. UC Santa Barbara – 72.63 (20 … 19 … 22 … 16 … 22 … 23 … 49 … 40 … 45 … 37)
26. Pepperdine – 72.10 (23 … 28 … 32 … 42 .. – … 34 … – … – … – … –)
27. Liberty – 71.24 (29 … 34 … 38 … 46 … 50 … – … – … – … – … 45)
28. Clemson – 67.80 (28 … 17 … 13 … 19 … 16 … 18 … 17 … 12 … 16 … 16)
29. New Mexico – 66.69 (39 … 43 … 49 … 49 … 34 … – … 46 … 45 … 50 … 40)
30. Arkansas – 65.52 (48 … 31 … – … – … – … 44 … 29 … 25 … 28 … 30)
31. Tennessee – 61.74 (31 … 26 … 26 … 20 … 18 … 21 … 31 … 46 … – … –)
32. Central Florida – 60.22 (– … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
33. UNLV – 60.21 (21 … 24 … 24 … 32 … 41 … 48 … – … – … – … –)
34. Indiana State – 59.93 (36 … 35 … 44 … 41 … 40 … 49 … – … – … – … –)
35. Cal State Fullerton – 58.59 (25 … 21 … 21 … 14 … 17 … 8 … 4 … 4 … 1 … 1)
36. San Diego State – 58.45 (44 … 40 … 41 … 40 … 38 … – … – … – … – … –)
37. Georgia Tech – 57.57 (32 … – … 31 … – … – … – … – … 38 … 38 … 35)
38. Arizona State – 56.36 (30 … 30 … 28 … – … – … 43 … 36 … 27 … 20 … 21)
39. Maryland – 56.30 (43 … 41 … 45 … 25 … 46 … 50 … 48 … – … – … –)
40. VCU – 56.14 (41 … 46 … 33 … 26 … 33 … 40 … 41 … – … – … –)
41. UC Irvine – 55.95 (35 … 42 … – … – … – … 35 … – … – … – … –)
42. Dallas Baptist – 55.86 (34 … 36 … 48 … – … 48 … – … – … – … – … –)
43. Mercer – 54.57 (42 … 38 … 42 … 48 … – … – … 50 … 41 … 41 … 46)
44. Old Dominion – 52.43 (– … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
45. Bryant – 52.29 (– … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
46. West Virginia – 52.07 (– … 44 … 40 … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
47. Illinois State – 51.64 (– … 48 … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
48. Wake Forest – 51.46 (– … 50 … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
49. North Carolina –50.86 (– … – … 34 … 21 … 9 … 13 … 15 … 17 … 13)
50. Seton Hall – 58.46 (37 … – … 37 … 29 … 26 … 33 … 35 … – … – … –)
dropped out of top-50:
27. San Diego – 70.37 (27 … 27 … 46 … 47 … 21 … 31 … 27 … 37 … 36 … 33)
38. UCLA – 57.63 (38 … 33 … 23 … 22 … 20 … 22 … 11 … 14 … 11 … 11)
45. Nebraska – 51.57 (45 … – … – … – … – … – … – … 35 … 39 … 39)
46. Georgia – 50.59 (46 … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … – … –)
47. North Carolina State – 50.41 (47 … 39 … 34 … 24 … 13 … 6 … 7 … 9 … 10 … 8)
49. Sam Houston State – 49.57 (49 … – … 43 … 44 … 19 … 24 … 25 … 41 … 41 … 46)
50. Oklahoma – 49.39 (50 … 37 … 30 … 34 … 44 … – … – … 50 … 40 … 34)
Other teams that have dropped out of the CNR top-50 so far in 2014:
• North Carolina – 53.18 (#13 preseason & after week-1, then 17–15–13–9–21–34) – has returned to top-50
• Kansas State (#18 preseason, #27 after week-1, #28 after week-2)
• TCU (#22 preseason & after week-1, #20 after week-2, #26 after week-3, #32 after week-4, #35 after week-5) – has returned to current top-50
• Texas A&M (#25 preseason, then 23–22–37–30-43–38 after week-7)
• Alabama (#26 preseason … #25 after week-1 … #26 after week-2 … #38 after week-3) – has returned to top-50
• Arizona (#28 preseason, #29 after week-1 & week-2)
• East Carolina (#29 preseason, #32 after week-1, #34 after week-2)
• Arkansas (#30 preseason, #28 after week-1, #25 after week-2, #29 after week-3, #44 after week-4) – has returned to top-50
• Florida Atlantic (#31 preseason, also after week-1 & week-2, #33 after week-3, #39 after week-4)
• Oklahoma (#34 preseason, #40 after week-2, #50 after week-2)
• Georgia Tech (#35 preseason, #38 after week-1 & week-2, later #31 after week-7) – has returned to current top-50
• UNC Wilmington (#36 preseason, #37 after week-1, #36 after week-2)
• Western Carolina (#38 preseason, #48 after week-1, #44 after week-2, #45 after week-3)
• Nebraska (#39 preseason & after week-1, #35 after week-2)
• New Mexico (#40 preseason, #50 after week-1, #45 after week-2) – has returned to current top-50
• Wichita State (#41 preseason, #46 week-2, #47 after week-2)
• Stanford (#42 preseason and #47 after week-1)
• Coastal Carolina (#43 preseason)
• Liberty (#45 preseason) – has returned to current top-50
• UNLV (#46 preseason and #34 after week-1) – has returned to current top-50
• Mercer (#46 preseason, #41 after week-1 & week-2, #50 after week-3) – has returned to current top-50
• Sam Houston State (#46 preseason, then 41–41–25–24–19–44 and 43 in week-7
• Washington State (#49 preseason and #41 after week-1)
• North Florida (#50 preseason and #48 after week-1)
• Baylor (#49 after week-2, #49 after week-5, #36 after week-6)
• Tennessee Tech (#42 after week-3
• USC (#39 after week-2, #42 after week-3)
• Pepperdine (#34 after week-4) – has returned to current top-50
• UC Irvine (#35 after week-4) – has returned to current top-50
• Fresno State (#23 after week-3, #37 after week-4)
• California (#40 after week-3, #38 after week-4)
• Georgia Southern (#41 after week-4)
• Memphis (#39 after week-3, #36 after week-4 and week-5)
• College of Charleston (#30 after week-3, #47 after week-4, #47 after week-5)
• Ohio State (#45 after week-6)
• Creighton (#50 after week-6)
• Auburn (#37 after week-5, #23 after week-6, #31 after week-7)
• Seton Hall (#35 after week-3, then 33–26–29 and #37 in week-7) – has returned to current top-50
• UAB (#46 after #4 and #47 after week-7)
• Duke (#49 after week-7)
• West Virginia (#40 after week-7, #44 after week-8) – has returned to top-50
• Kansas (#32 after week-3, #42 after week-4, #31 after week-5, #45 after week-8)
• Florida International (#48 after week #2, then 28–26–39–28–39 and #47 after week-8)
• Illinois State (#48 after week-8) – has returned to top-50
• Wake Forest (#50 after week-8) – has returned to top-50
Note – 15 teams that were in the top-50 of the final 2013 CNR, at end of the regular season, were not in the 2014 preseason CNR top-50: (17) South Alabama, (19) Virginia Tech, (23) Troy, (29) Pittsburgh, (30) Campbell, (37) South Florida, (41) Seton Hall, (42) Gonzaga, (43) Michigan State, (44) Austin Peay, (45) Maryland, (46) UC Irvine, (47) Notre Dame, (48) Illinois and (50) Ohio State.
COMPOSITE NATIONAL RANKINGS (CNR) CRITERIA: Teams receive points based on their standings in each poll/rating/projection (60 pts for #1; 59 for #2, etc.). For polls involving voting points (coaches and CB) and the various RPI-type ratings, the CNR adjusts to reward teams that have larger margins in the voting/point totals (whereas two teams with nearly the same voting-point total will be closer in the CNR allotment for that poll). Note that strength-of-schedule typically is factored into RPI formulations … thus the actual SOS numbers only are used early in the season (SOS are not used in the CNR when RPI already are in the mix). For the NCAA field projections, teams are awarded CNR points based on their respective seedings, “last in” and “last out,” etc.
The polls/ratings/projections are averaged, with 40 points typically then added to each total in order to yield the 100-point benchmark. Early in the season (projected SOS) and late in the season (final-10 games), a maximum bonus/penalty of 0.3 (SOS) or 0.5 points (final-10) is factored into the formula (in that case, 39.7 or 39.5, rather than 40, is added to the poll/rating/projection avg.).
Here are links to the nine criteria currently used in the CNR:
• National Coaches Poll (USA Today/ESPN)
• National Collegiate Baseball Writers poll
• Baseball America rankings and midseason projection for NCAA field
• Collegiate Baseball magazine rankings
• Perfect Game rankings and midseason projection for NCAA field
• Official NCAA RPI
• Boyd Nation Iterative Strength Ratings