1. Oklahoma Sooners
NQS: 198.115
Previous ranking: 1
| Road Score 1: | 198.200 |
| Road Score 2: | 198.075 |
| Road Score 3: | 198.050 |
| Home/Road Score 1: | 198.325 |
| Home/Road Score 2: | 198.275 |
| Home/Road Score 3: | 197.975 |
| NQS: | 198.115 |
Maximum possible NQS after next meet: 198.185
Oklahoma recorded its 5th 198 of the season in defeating Alabama over the weekend, clinching the overall #1 ranking for the postseason and leaving only one question—whether the team can use its performance at Big 12s to break the all-time RQS (NQS…) record of 198.120, set by Oklahoma last season. That requires a score of 198.000 to tie, 198.025 to break.
2. UCLA Bruins
NQS: 197.885
Previous ranking: 2
| Road Score 1: | 198.025 |
| Road Score 2: | 197.900 |
| Road Score 3: | 197.700 |
| Home/Road Score 1: | 198.325 |
| Home/Road Score 2: | 198.025 |
| Home/Road Score 3: | 197.775 |
| NQS: | 197.885 |
Maximum possible NQS after next meet: 198.010
UCLA’s “we’re honoring Miss Val by being all over the place” competition did nothing to change the team’s NQS, but because the NQS was high enough to begin with, UCLA is already set at finishing the season #2 regardless of what happens at the conference championship.
3. LSU Tigers
NQS: 197.680
Previous ranking: 4
| Road Score 1: | 198.175 |
| Road Score 2: | 197.450 |
| Road Score 3: | 197.250 |
| Home/Road Score 1: | 198.150 |
| Home/Road Score 2: | 197.900 |
| Home/Road Score 3: | 197.650 |
| NQS: | 197.475 |
Maximum possible NQS after next meet: 197.865
Possible ranking range: 3-4
Our first shakeup in the rankings comes as a result of LSU traveling to the land that COP forgot to score a 198.175 at Arizona, just enough to pass up Florida for #3 in the rankings and therefore get Olympic order in the evening session at the SEC Championship. LSU will be looking to score a 197.950 at SECs, the number required to clinch this ranking position regardless of Florida’s score. Since SECs are in New Orleans this year, LSU will enjoy the benefit of being the de facto home team while also getting to use the number as a road score.
4. Florida Gators
NQS: 197.675
Previous ranking: 3
| Road Score 1: | 198.025 |
| Road Score 2: | 197.500 |
| Road Score 3: | 197.325 |
| Home/Road Score 1: | 198.025 |
| Home/Road Score 2: | 197.850 |
| Home/Road Score 3: | 197.675 |
| NQS: | 197.675 |
Maximum possible NQS after next meet: 197.815
Possible ranking range: 3-4
With a week off, Florida was not able to improve its NQS and has fallen behind LSU in the rankings. Florida will also not be able to control its own destiny for that #3 ranking position as LSU has the higher maximum possible NQS following SEC Championships. Which means that Florida could win SECs and still find itself ranked below LSU if the meet is super close and both teams are getting season-high-type scores, allowing LSU to take advantage of having that higher maximum. Florida’s goal will be to win SECs by more than a tenth AND have LSU stay below that 197.950 marker. If both teams go 198, LSU is staying ahead regardless of who wins.
5. Denver Pioneers
NQS: 197.540
Previous ranking: 5
| Road Score 1: | 197.775 |
| Road Score 2: | 197.450 |
| Road Score 3: | 197.225 |
| Home/Road Score 1: | 197.725 |
| Home/Road Score 2: | 197.675 |
| Home/Road Score 3: | 197.625 |
| NQS: | 197.540 |
Maximum possible NQS after next meet: 197.650
Denver ventured back out on the road over the weekend to score a perfectly acceptable low 197, enough to improve the team’s NQS and stay at #5 but not enough to challenge the higher-ranked teams. Denver is now one of the set teams—able to go no higher and no lower than 5th regardless of the score at Big 12s.
6. Utah Utes
NQS: 197.375
Previous ranking: 6
| Road Score 1: | 197.450 |
| Road Score 2: | 197.375 |
| Road Score 3: | 197.250 |
| Home/Road Score 1: | 197.975 |
| Home/Road Score 2: | 197.625 |
| Home/Road Score 3: | 197.175 |
| NQS: | 197.375 |
Maximum possible NQS after next meet: 197.535
Possible ranking range: 6-8
Utah scored a road season high against Georgia, but as the final score was 197.450, it didn’t make a huge dent against the other teams in this portion of the rankings. We can expect a big number at Pac-12s (once again, Utah as the de facto home team for a road meet), and Utah will need a least a moderately solid number because even though the Utes can move no higher than 6th this weekend, there is still a threat from Georgia and Michigan. That threat can be snuffed out by Utah scoring 197.425 at Pac-12s.