Either the computer running NET has bad AI or it takes bribes from SEC/B1G/NBC/Fox alliance as the primary enemy of the alliance is ACC/ESPN. Fox and NBC want to take apart ACC and take a few good piece to enhance their lineup. But first the alliance needs to talk down ACC as much as possible using their influencers.
1. You could actually just look up the actual W/L data in OOC, independent of margin. ITs not some big collusion against the ACC. I'm not saying the NET doesn't have flaws, or that B12 managed to improve themselves from a good to a great conference because of Q4 management.
2. The ACC had the worst Q1 (Win/Loss %), Q1+Q2, Q3 record (by far in Q3) compared to the SEC and B12 in OOC play. Everyone beat up the Q4, the B12 did the best at beating them up and played them the most which very likely led to more skew in their favour. You could certainly argue the gap shouldn't have been as huge and they have been enhanced by Q4 margin, but just looking at W/L's we were behind.
3. Is margin messing around with NET -- sure especially on an individual team level, But why should a system have rewarded a conference like the ACC that wins less than others?
4. It's great that the ACC is doing great now, but what the conference does in OOC does matter. We got less seeds, because we did worse.
5. You can argue OOC play drives too much in this portal world - that is fine. But what is the alternative solution? It would be absolutely great if the P6 set aside two weeks in early February, and played interconference basketball for 3 or 4 games. But until they do you take the metrics that rewards the conference that did best in November and December has to be it.
6. The P6 likes the NET a lot (probably more before 2023/24 though **). It's a system that gets less non P6 schools in the top 30/top 50 than the RPI, because it rewards the conferences that do the best -- that's how you get the riff raff out. Allows for the P6 to get more quality victories - although the RPI did a lot of the same. Inherently it will reward the P6 conference that do the best (compared to the other P6. They are all on an even playing field in that regard -- they know its a system that will reward them well, but you just need to do somewhat better than others to be rewarded more. One can argue whether the metrics result in too severe a gap amongst the best P6 and the worst P6.
** The level of upset though in 23/24 is because the B12 plays more Q4 games than others and it seems to have less "let up" than others ... Their advantage was less about doing well in quality games and having less bad losses like in prior year for example. It has taken a conference that did well/"OK (certainly a bit better than the ACC) and made them look a whole bunch better.
7. I will also add that the B12 went 25-1 in Q3 games. The ACC went 26-8 in Q3 games The ACC probably doesn't have the "option" to destroy Q4 as well as the B12 even if they went that scheduling route. They are just not as good as a conference. I would prefer neither happened.