Game design /w surface leveling the competition?

[Tom Line]

Proof is in the pudding. Analyze the xml data from FRC spy and you'll see the same powerhouse teams at the top. And yet - two of the absolutely top teams, teamed together, got beaten in the quarterfinals by the eighth seed.

Good teams still can do well. But there has been a broad evening across the board. For the top teams - this will be a tough adjustment. You can't simply destroy the other alliance anymore. There's a big chunk of luck involved.