Fun with the early season RPI rankings
It's that time of year, after the high school football championships, before the bowls crank up and before conference basketball starts in earnest. Yes, it's time to take a peek at the RPI and see just what sort of wackiness those numbers have cooked up.
As always, the RPI did not disappoint.
Ladies and gentlemen, your No. 2 team in the country ... Miami!!!!
(Sadly, I probably need to add Florida just to make sure you're not confusing the Hurricanes with the Red Hawks of Oxford, Ohio)
Yes, the 'Canes are No. 2, right behind St. Mary's. (Yes, that's a bit weird too, but let's stay focused on Miami for now).
How, exactly has Frank Haith pulled this off? Well, it helps to be undefeated, but at this point in the season, that's not saying a whole lot. It also helps - immensely - that margin of victory is not part of the equation. So that four-point squeaker over Morgan State - the same team that got drubbed by Maryland (No. 119 Maryland, by the way) - is just a W in the books, thank you very much.
The other key factor for Miami is its huge win over ... Providence??? Yes, the Friars are No. 13 in the RPI, so that's a big Top 25 win for the Canes.
I know what you're thinking, "Why, exactly, is Providence No. 13?"
Because they beat No. 10 Arkansas, silly.
"Why, exactly, is Arkansas ..."
Okay, let's just stop that before our collective head starts to hurt.
The nice thing about the RPI right now is that it doesn't mean squat. So rather than outrage, we can greet these statistical anomalies with laughter.
And besides, as Jeff Carlton just pointed out, "What's good for Frank Haith is good for America."