The voters for D1A have got it wrong.
This writer is one of those voters who rank the top 20 teams in D1A, and I've got my ballot close to right. However, most of my fellow voters have the rankings woefully, distressingly wrong. Should I call them out? Hell, yeah; it matters.
The D1A playoffs are a month away, and the system to pick half of the teams that play in the postseason is not working.
Here's Why I Say That
This is the current D1A top 20 as voted by coaches and members of the media:
1. Saint Mary's; 2. Life; 3. Cal; 4. BYU; 5. Lindenwood; 6. Indiana; 7. Navy; 8. Penn State; 9. Arkansas State; 10. Arizona
All fine so far. No complaints. Not quite what I have for the top 10 but close.
FloRugby's top 10 is...
1. Saint Mary's; 2. Life; 3. Cal; 4. BYU; 5. Lindenwood; 6. Navy; 7. Penn State; 8. Indiana; 9. Arizona; 10. Ohio State
Now, look at the next 10 from Nos. 11-20:
D1A Rankings (All Voters):
11. Army; 12. Notre Dame College; 13. Central Washington; 14. San Diego State; 15. Grand Canyon; 16. Ohio State; 17. Colorado State; 18. Utah; 19. UC Davis; 20. Kutztown
FloRugby Rankings:
11. Arkansas State; 12. Notre Dame College; 13. Army; 14. Grand Canyon; 15. Davenport; 16. Kutztown; 17. Iona; 18. San Diego State; 19. Wisconsin; 20. UCLA
It's very different. Most of those differences are somewhat philosophical. I think that Ohio State and Wisconsin pushed Indiana in the Big Ten and deserve kudos for that (funnily enough D1A as a whole has Indiana higher than I do but doesn't rate the teams that lost close games to IU).
I rank Iona at No. 17, which is just a choice, really, and Davenport at No. 15 is arguable. But...
One Team Shouldn't Be There
How in the world can anyone rank Central Washington at No. 13? I have no personal issues with CWU. The players are good student-athletes, the coaches are fine people, and the program is laudable. But... the Wildcats haven't put in any results that would make you say they're a top 20 team. They've beaten some D1AA teams that aren't particularly strong and lost to UC Davis, Saint Mary's, and Lindenwood (at home).
The rankings have UC Davis six spots below CWU, and yet the Aggies beat Central in January. The rankings have Central Washington ahead of San Diego State, a team that beat UC Davis. UCLA, which tied SD State and Utah, isn't anywhere near the top 20.
And, really, it's worse than that. This voter put Central Washington at No. 25. That means that the average ranking for the Wildcats from all the other voters was better than 13th — possibly No. 12 or No. 11.
And One Team That Should Be Higher
Grand Canyon, which played BYU and Arizona very close and beat Utah and San Diego State, is ranked at No. 15, behind the Aztecs.
Again, no disrespect to Central Washington men's rugby. Keep doing what you're doing, and you'll be fine. It's good that you play Western Washington tonight and Colorado on Saturday, followed by BYU. All of those games could bump you up, and deservedly so if you play well.
(Update, Central Washington beat WWU 43-0.)
But right now, CWU has only played three well-regarded D1A teams and lost convincingly to all three. That doesn't make the Wildcats the 13th-best team in the nation. And Grand Canyon has done just about everything you could ask (you try putting 22 points on BYU) and has been ignored.
And It Matters
It matters because the playoffs are decided based on the rankings. The conference winners from PAC, California, Mid-South, Big Ten, Rugby East, Red River, and Rocky Mountain all get in automatically, but nine other spots are based on the rankings.
If the playoffs started today, CWU would be in the playoffs, and Grand Canyon, UC Davis, Davenport, and Utah would not.