NQS will take over in next Monday’s rankings, so with the week 7 rankings (which are still arranged by average), I’m updating where the teams currently stand in their NQS quests. Remember NQS is different this season with only four scores counting (minimum 2 away) and no dropped score.
Bold meet scores must be counted and can no longer be dropped.
1. Florida Gators
Average: 197.613
Road Score 1 | 198.150 |
Road Score 2 | 197.500 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 197.850 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 197.500 |
Current NQS: | 197.750 |
Despite Florida’s relatively dominant lead by team average, there’s still work to do maintain a ranking advantage as Florida’s NQS lead over Oklahoma is quite slim. Watch that back-and-forth as we go.
2. LSU Tigers
Average: 197.325
Road Score 1 | 197.550 |
Road Score 2 | 197.325 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 198.050 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 197.275 |
Current NQS: | 197.550 |
LSU is in 2nd place by average but 3rd place by NQS and will have to improve upon those 197.2s and 197.3s to hope to get back to #2.
3. Oklahoma Sooners
Average: 197.132
Road Score 1 | 198.225 |
Road Score 2 | 197.800 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 197.475 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 197.450 |
Current NQS: | 197.738 |
The switch to NQS will allow Oklahoma to drop those two bad meets from earlier in the season and zoom up toward the top, entertaining the possibility of passing Florida for #1 depending on how the scores play out this weekend. Oklahoma has the higher peak score and the lower score to drop, and therefore has more room to improve than Florida does during week 8—and overall, since Oklahoma has three more meets than Florida this season.
4. Utah Utes
Average: 197.113
Road Score 1 | 197.450 |
Road Score 2 | 196.900 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 197.475 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 197.225 |
Current NQS: | 197.263 |
Utah has been competitive with the top teams on average so far, but a deficit emerges when switching to NQS because of the lack of a huge 198 on Utah’s slate (the not-dropping-the-high-score thing this year doesn’t help Utah at all right now. Utah needs some fancy scoring soon in order to hope to hang onto a #1 regionals seeding.
5. Michigan Wolverines
Average: 197.025
Road Score 1 | 197.375 |
Road Score 2 | |
Home/Road Score 1 | 197.650 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 197.225 |
Current NQS: | N/A |
Michigan’s funky schedule means the team won’t be able to fill out an NQS picture until after the March 5th road meet and will therefore be absent from the rankings entirely next Monday. But once there are enough scores, things look healthy here.
6. Arkansas Razorbacks
Average: 196.854
Road Score 1 | 196.875 |
Road Score 2 | 196.675 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 197.350 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 197.250 |
Current NQS: | 197.038 |
Arkansas is experiencing a home-road disparity in scores that will handcuff NQS to some degree, so keep an eye on those final two road scores in March to see if Arkansas can match that home level.
7. Alabama Crimson Tide
Average: 196.842
Road Score 1 | 197.000 |
Road Score 2 | 196.775 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 197.725 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 196.925 |
Current NQS: | 197.106 |
Despite being behind Arkansas by average, Alabama ranks ahead on NQS because of the stronger road-score picture—and not having to drop that massive home 197.7.
8. Minnesota Gophers
Average: 196.613
Road Score 1 | 196.975 |
Road Score 2 | 196.375 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 197.625 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 197.025 |
Current NQS: | 197.000 |
Minnesota’s early-season inconsistency is still making itself known in the NQS situation, so a good road score at the Big Five next weekend should allow Minnesota to challenge the likes of Arkansas and Alabama.
9. Cal Bears
Average: 196.588
Road Score 1 | 197.425 |
Road Score 2 | 196.075 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 197.100 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 195.750 |
Current NQS: | 196.588 |
Cal’s ranking by average is much stronger than its current place in the NQS hierarchy because Cal has competed only four times and can’t drop any scores yet. But because Cal has five meets left and needs only two more good results out of those five in order to have a high NQS, the opportunity for growth is quite high.
10. Denver Pioneers
Average: 196.517
Road Score 1 | 196.600 |
Road Score 2 | 196.375 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 197.000 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 196.725 |
Current NQS: | 196.675 |
Denver has seen its scoring pace drop in recent weeks, putting some pressure on the remaining four meets to be in that 197 zone. Every other team in the current top 10 has at least two 197s so far.
11. BYU Cougars
Average: 196.478
Road Score 1 | 197.075 |
Road Score 2 | 196.425 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 196.975 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 196.825 |
Current NQS: | 196.825 |
BYU is among the teams that really benefits from NQS because of the team’s ample schedule (BYU has already competed 8 times and can drop 4 scores). If we were doing NQS this week, BYU would be 8th.
12. Iowa Hawkeyes
Average: 196.458
Road Score 1 | 196.450 |
Road Score 2 | 196.325 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 196.800 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 196.775 |
Current NQS: | 196.588 |
Iowa’s thing this season (until Saturday’s meet) has been consistency, which is famously not rewarded by NQS, so Iowa currently has a lower NQS total than several of the teams ranked behind it by average.
13. UCLA Bruins
Average: 196.445
Road Score 1 | 197.100 |
Road Score 2 | 196.750 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 196.600 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 196.150 |
Current NQS: | 196.650 |
UCLA’s NQS situation is currently a bit better than its average situation because NQS allows the Washington adventure to be dropped, though that 196.150 is still weighing things down.
14. Kentucky Wildcats
Average: 196.350
Road Score 1 | 196.875 |
Road Score 2 | 195.825 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 197.000 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 196.400 |
Current NQS: | 196.525 |
Kentucky will be fairly pleased with the current setup because this score is pretty competitive even with a 195.8 on there itching to be dropped.
15. Georgia Bulldogs
Average: 196.329
Road Score 1 | 196.375 |
Road Score 2 | 196.150 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 197.275 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 196.150 |
Current NQS: | 196.488 |
Georgia is being saved right now by the fact that the top score doesn’t have to be dropped this season. Otherwise, it would be a mess. But that one score can only do so much work and Georgia needs to start matching it immediately. Actually, literally every team wants Georgia to start scoring better now that Georgia is hosting a regional. No one wants to be matched with a low-seeded Georgia in a Georgia regional.
16. Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Average: 196.171
Road Score 1 | 196.650 |
Road Score 2 | 196.175 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 197.275 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 196.550 |
Current NQS: | 196.663 |
Southern Utah enjoys one of the biggest boosts from the NQS switch and would be ranked in the top 10 this week if NQS were happening. So watch out for that in next week’s rankings.
17. Arizona State Sun Devils
Average: 196.163
Road Score 1 | 196.650 |
Road Score 2 | 195.950 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 197.150 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 196.275 |
Current NQS: | 196.506 |
Arizona State’s scores have been all over the map this year, but with five meets left including three away, there’s room to expect those low(ish) numbers to go away.
18. Auburn Tigers
Average: 196.013
Road Score 1 | 196.100 |
Road Score 2 | 195.575 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 197.075 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 197.050 |
Current NQS: | 196.450 |
Auburn’s dramatic disparity between home and road scoring is a thing, and with just two away meets left, there is some real pressure this Friday to take advantage of the glowing warming glow of a meet at Florida to hit for a big road total. It’s necessary if Auburn hopes to get a seeded spot this year (top 16).
19. Illinois Illini
Average: 195.938
Road Score 1 | 196.300 |
Road Score 2 | 196.075 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 196.650 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 195.600 |
Current NQS: | 196.156 |
20. Boise State Broncos
Average: 195.850
Road Score 1 | 196.900 |
Road Score 2 | 196.400 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 196.350 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 196.325 |
Current NQS: | 196.494 |
Boise State has only one road meet left, so last Friday’s away 196.900 was actually an important result to get everything looking shipshape. Which it now does.
21. Ohio State Buckeyes
Average: 195.642
Road Score 1 | 196.400 |
Road Score 2 | 196.000 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 196.375 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 195.950 |
Current NQS: | 196.181 |
22. Utah State Aggies
Average: 195.550
Road Score 1 | 196.250 |
Road Score 1 | 195.975 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 196.225 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 195.325 |
Current NQS: | 195.944 |
23. Missouri Tigers
Average: 195.529
Road Score 1 | 196.850 |
Road Score 2 | 194.800 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 196.175 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 195.750 |
Current NQS: | 195.894 |
With the score pressure on, Missouri delivered against Arkansas last Friday. But with three meets left, the score pressure isn’t done yet. Just deferred for another meet.
24. Iowa State Cyclones
Average: 195.388
Road Score 1 | 196.125 |
Road Score 2 | 196.050 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 195.500 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 193.875 |
Current NQS: | 195.388 |
Iowa State’s 193splosion in the last meet has to count right now, so once that’s dropped, expect a major blast up the rankings.
25. NC State Wolfpack
Average: 195.354
Road Score 1 | 195.425 |
Road Score 2 | 195.025 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 196.125 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 196.025 |
Current NQS: | 195.650 |
26. Maryland Terrapins
Average: 195.279
Road Score 1 | 196.275 |
Road Score 2 | 195.350 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 195.300 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 194.950 |
Current NQS: | 195.469 |
27. North Carolina Tarheels
Average: 195.270
Road Score 1 | 195.600 |
Road Score 2 | 195.250 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 195.300 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 195.200 |
Current NQS: | 195.338 |
28. Kent State Golden Flashes
Average: 195.264
Road Score 1 | 195.650 |
Road Score 2 | 194.825 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 196.375 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 195.850 |
Current NQS: | 195.675 |
29. Western Michigan Broncos
Average: 195.175
Road Score 1 | 196.050 |
Road Score 2 | 195.575 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 196.025 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 195.425 |
Current NQS: | 195.769 |
30. Penn State Nittany Lions
Average: 195.154
Road Score 1 | 196.000 |
Road Score 2 | 194.750 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 195.925 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 195.275 |
Current NQS: | 195.488 |
31. Michigan State Spartans
Average: 195.138
Road Score 1 | 194.500 |
Road Score 2 | |
Home/Road Score 1 | 195.775 |
Home/Road Score 2 | |
Current NQS: | N/A |
Time is of the essence for Michigan State once the team resumes with four meets left on the schedule and three scores to get.
32. West Virginia Mountaineers
Average: 195.120
Road Score 1 | 195.350 |
Road Score 2 | 194.775 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 195.400 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 195.175 |
Current NQS: | 195.175 |
33. Eastern Michigan Eagles
Average: 194.994
Road Score 1 | 195.975 |
Road Score 2 | 195.150 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 195.825 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 195.800 |
Current NQS: | 195.688 |
34. Arizona Wildcats
Average: 194.894
Road Score 1 | 195.650 |
Road Score 2 | |
Home/Road Score 1 | 195.075 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 194.875 |
Current NQS: | N/A |
35. Oregon State Beavers
Average: 194.835
Road Score 1 | 195.850 |
Road Score 2 | 195.250 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 196.200 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 194.925 |
Current NQS: | 195.556 |
36. Ball State Cardinals
Average: 194.833
Road Score 1 | 195.975 |
Road Score 2 | 195.550 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 195.275 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 194.425 |
Current NQS: | 195.306 |
37. Central Michigan Chippewas
Average: 194.750
Road Score 1 | 195.950 |
Road Score 2 | 195.050 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 196.300 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 194.075 |
Current NQS: | 195.344 |
38. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Average: 194.604
Road Score 1 | 195.350 |
Road Score 2 | 195.250 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 195.100 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 194.725 |
Current NQS: | 195.106 |
39. Towson Tigers
Average: 194.492
Road Score 1 | 194.475 |
Road Score 2 | 194.475 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 196.150 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 194.225 |
Current NQS: | 194.831 |
40. Temple Owls
Average: 194.021
Road Score 1 | 194.850 |
Road Score 2 | 194.525 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 195.100 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 193.650 |
Current NQS: | 194.831 |
41. Northern Illinois Huskies
Average: 193.913
Road Score 1 | 194.800 |
Road Score 2 | 194.250 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 194.825 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 193.350 |
Current NQS: | 194.306 |
42. New Hampshire Wildcats
Average: 193.863
Road Score 1 | 192.050 |
Road Score 2 | |
Home/Road Score 1 | 195.350 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 194.375 |
Current NQS: | N/A |
43. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Average: 193.860
Road Score 1 | 195.975 |
Road Score 2 | 194.025 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 194.050 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 192.750 |
Current NQS: | 194.200 |
44. Lindenwood Lions
Average: 193.813
Road Score 1 | 193.900 |
Road Score 2 | 193.000 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 195.250 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 195.000 |
Current NQS: | 194.288 |
45. TWU Pioneers
Average: 193.790
Road Score 1 | 195.125 |
Road Score 2 | 194.750 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 194.050 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 192.725 |
Current NQS: | 194.163 |
46. Washington Huskies
Average: 193.610
Road Score 1 | 194.125 |
Road Score 2 | 193.500 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 194.050 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 193.500 |
Current NQS: | 193.795 |
47. Pittsburgh Panthers
Average: 193.466
Road Score 1 | 193.875 |
Road Score 2 | 192.850 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 195.700 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 194.525 |
Current NQS: | 194.238 |
48. George Washington Colonials
Average: 193.275
Road Score 1 | 193.600 |
Road Score 2 | 192.950 |
Home/Road Score 1 | |
Home/Road Score 2 | |
Current NQS: | N/A |
49. Southeast Missouri Redhawks
Average: 192.358
Road Score 1 | 194.425 |
Road Score 2 | 193.950 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 192.450 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 191.725 |
Current NQS: | 193.138 |
50. Illinois State Redbirds
Average: 191.865
Road Score 1 | 194.900 |
Road Score 2 | 190.225 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 194.150 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 192.075 |
Current NQS: | 192.838 |
51. Air Force Falcons
Average: 191.375
Road Score 1 | 192.650 |
Road Score 2 | 192.575 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 192.225 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 191.400 |
Current NQS: | 192.213 |
52. William & Mary Tribe
Average: 189.450
Road Score 1 | 189.450 |
Road Score 2 | |
Home/Road Score 1 | |
Home/Road Score 2 | |
Current NQS: | N/A |
53. Long Island Sharks
Average: 189.167
Road Score 1 | 188.850 |
Road Score 2 | 188.075 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 190.575 |
Home/Road Score 2 | |
Current NQS: | N/A |
54. Centenary
Average: 187.825
Road Score 1 | 189.925 |
Road Score 2 | |
Home/Road Score 1 | 185.725 |
Home/Road Score 2 | |
Current NQS: | N/A |
55. Bowling Green Falcons
Average: 179.171
Road Score 1 | 190.550 |
Road Score 2 | 179.525 |
Home/Road Score 1 | 193.250 |
Home/Road Score 2 | 190.375 |
Current NQS: | 188.425 |