Onward to Nationals

One week to go until the national championship. Start getting emotionally prepared. Here's a look at how the semifinals will shape up. 

We've ended up with a relatively lopsided arrangement this year, with one semifinal featuring three clear favorites in Oklahoma, LSU, and Alabama, and the other containing a whole bunch of bubble teams. That afternoon semifinal is going to be serious and seriously competitive, so make sure you'll be available to lap up the whole thing at the super convenient time of 1pm CT on a Friday. Everyone's always free then, right?

I'll do the usual previewing next week and break down some of these rotation orders (UCLA starts on floor, so Miss Val will already have broken six vases about it because we know how she feels about starting on floor). But for now, here's the scoring comparison for the teams in each semifinal, including all the usual info along with the scores achieved on each event at regionals. Categories in which a team ranks in the top three (qualifying position) are highlighted in blue.

SEMIFINAL 1

FLORIDA
Regional score: 197.475 [2]
RQS: 197.790 [1]
Season high: 198.225 [2]
Regular season average: 197.536 [1]
VT average: 49.482 [1]
VT RQS: 49.540 [2]
VT regional score: 49.625 [1]
UB average: 49.409 [1]
UB RQS: 49.500 [1]
UB regional score: 49.125 [4]
BB average: 49.225 [2]
BB RQS: 49.360 [2]
BB regional score: 49.325 [3]
FX average: 49.420 [1]
FX RQS: 49.505 [1]
FX regional score: 49.400 [2]

UTAH
Regional score: 196.575 [6]
RQS: 197.670 [2]
Season high: 198.250 [1]
Regular season average: 197.418 [2]
VT average: 49.480 [2]
VT RQS: 49.560 [1]
VT regional score: 49.500 [2]
UB average: 49.398 [2]
UB RQS: 49.500 [1]
UB regional score: 49.075 [5]
BB average: 49.205 [3]
BB RQS: 49.320 [4]
BB regional score: 48.625 [6]
FX average: 49.336 [2]
FX RQS: 49.415 [2]
FX regional score: 49.375 [3]

MICHIGAN
Regional score: 197.000 [4]
RQS: 197.270 [3]
Season high: 197.825 [5]
Regular season average: 197.143 [3]
VT average: 49.264 [4]
VT RQS: 49.330 [4] 
VT regional score: 49.175 [6] 
UB average: 49.264 [3]
UB RQS: 49.370 [4]
UB regional score: 49.150 [3]
BB average: 49.286 [1]
BB RQS: 49.325 [3]
BB regional score: 49.250 [4]
FX average: 49.330 [3]
FX RQS: 49.365 [3]
FX regional score: 49.425 [1]

UCLA
Regional score: 197.500 [1]
RQS: 197.200 [4]
Season high: 197.950 [3]
Regular season average: 196.768 [4]
VT average: 49.325 [3]
VT RQS: 49.375 [3]
VT regional score: 49.300 [5]
UB average: 49.066 [6]
UB RQS: 49.280 [6]
UB regional score: 49.275 [2]
BB average: 49.184 [4]
BB RQS: 49.400 [1]
BB regional score: 49.550 [1]
FX average: 49.193 [4]
FX RQS: 49.340 [4]
FX regional score: 49.375 [3]

GEORGIA
Regional score: 197.025 [3]
RQS: 196.875 [5]
Season high: 197.450 [6]
Regular season average: 196.375 [5]
VT average: 49.217 [5]
VT RQS: 49.280 [5]
VT regional score: 49.400 [3]
UB average: 49.260 [4]
UB RQS: 49.320 [5]
UB regional score: 49.325 [1]
BB average: 48.798 [6]
BB RQS: 49.195 [6]
BB regional score: 48.950 [5]
FX average: 49.100 [5]
FX RQS: 49.295 [5]
FX regional score: 49.350 [5]

STANFORD
Regional score: 197.000 [4]
RQS: 196.720 [6]
Season high: 197.525 [5]
Regular season average: 196.180 [6]
VT average: 49.136 [6]
VT RQS: 49.280 [5]
VT regional score: 49.375 [4]
UB average: 49.091 [5]
UB RQS: 49.420 [3]
UB regional score: 49.025 [6]
BB average: 49.009 [5]
BB RQS: 49.225 [5]
BB regional score: 49.375 [2]
FX average: 48.943 [6]
FX RQS: 49.185 [6]
FX regional score: 49.225 [6] 

There's so much variation in the rankings in this first semifinal, which is why I hope it will be extremely competitive. All of the teams have at least a couple categories in the blue, and five of the six teams are ranked first in at least one category. The top three seeds are leading the overall season categories (obviously), but UCLA and Georgia pick up some ground based on strong regional performances that they hope are indicative of things to come.

Contrast that with the relatively clean-looking second semifinal. Rare is the category in which the top three seeds don't rank in the top three, with only the doubts looming over LSU's bars rotation and the strength of Nebraska's vault as true complications to that picture.

SEMIFINAL 2

OKLAHOMA
Regional score: 197.625 [1]
RQS: 197.895 [1]
Season high: 198.500 [1]
Regular season average: 197.675 [1]
VT average: 49.456 [1]
VT RQS: 49.495 [2]
VT regional score: 49.525 [1]
UB average: 49.408 [1]
UB RQS: 49.475 [1]
UB regional score: 49.275 [2]
BB average: 49.363 [1]
BB RQS: 49.530 [1]
BB regional score: 49.375 [2]
FX average: 49.448 [1]
FX RQS: 49.505 [2]
FX regional score: 49.450 [1]

LSU
Regional score: 197.175 [3]
RQS:197.650 [2]
Season high: 198.375 [2]
Regular season average: 197.484 [2]
VT average: 49.455 [2]
VT RQS: 49.540 [1]
VT regional score: 49.475 [2]
UB average: 49.298 [2]
UB RQS: 49.390 [2]
UB regional score: 49.050 [5]
BB average: 49.284 [2]
BB RQS: 49.355 [2]
BB regional score: 49.200 [3]
FX average: 49.448 [1]
FX RQS: 49.560 [1]
FX regional score: 49.450 [1]

ALABAMA
Regional score: 197.575 [2]
RQS:197.490 [3]
Season high: 197.800 [3]
Regular season average: 197.175 [3]
VT average: 49.371 [4]
VT RQS: 49.460 [3]
VT regional score: 49.425 [3]
UB average: 49.206 [3]
UB RQS: 49.390 [3]
UB regional score: 49.350 [1]
BB average: 49.200 [3]
BB RQS: 49.335 [3] 
BB regional score: 49.500 [1]
FX average: 49.398 [3]
FX RQS: 49.465 [3]
FX regional score: 49.300 [4]

AUBURN
Regional score: 196.900 [5]
RQS: 197.045 [4]
Season high:197.750 [4]
Regular season average: 196.635 [4]
VT average: 49.196 [5]
VT RQS: 49.345 [5]
VT regional score: 49.400 [4]
UB average: 49.152 [4]
UB RQS: 49.265 [4]
UB regional score: 49.225 [3]
BB average: 49.088 [4]
BB RQS: 49.315 [4]
BB regional score: 49.100 [5]
FX average: 49.200 [4]
FX RQS: 49.315 [6]
FX regional score: 49.175 [6]

NEBRASKA
Regional score: 196.950 [4]
RQS: 196.900 [5]
Season high: 197.325 [5]
Regular season average: 196.618 [5]
VT average: 49.400 [3]
VT RQS: 49.450 [4]
VT regional score: 49.375 [5]
UB average: 49.034 [5]
UB RQS: 49.220 [5]
UB regional score: 49.175 [4]
BB average: 48.984 [6]
BB RQS: 49.110 [6]
BB regional score: 49.000 [6]
FX average: 49.198 [5]
FX RQS: 49.325 [5]
FX regional score: 49.400 [3]

OREGON STATE
Regional score:196.750 [6]
RQS: 196.680 [6]
Season high: 197.250 [6]
Regular season average: 196.352 [6]
VT average: 49.155 [6]
VT RQS: 49.285 [6]
VT regional score: 49.350 [6]
UB average: 48.998 [6]
UB RQS: 49.215 [6]
UB regional score: 48.975 [6]
BB average: 49.059 [5]
BB RQS: 49.145 [5]
BB regional score: 49.125 [4]
FX average: 49.141 [6]
FX RQS: 49.360 [4]
FX regional score: 49.300 [4]