Deducting 9 would put them at a dead heat, but if we start deducting points from another team we start getting really hazy manipulating it all since an argument could be made that Stieber should have scored something or DiJulius should have won more or Demas or etc.
we're not manipulating anything or deducting points willy nilly...we're playing whatifs, and in order for Waters, Cox, and Mayes to have "placed their seeds" other people would have had to lose along the way which changes the number of points someone is able to acquire, which is what the discussion was about.
In order for Waters to place first, he would have had to beat Tomasello in the semis. That would put Tomasello on the back side and maybe he loses again and gets 5th/6th, or wins, and wrestles Gilman for 3rd/4th. That is a point shift. Tomasello loses his 6 placement points, his 1 advancement point and Waters gains 6 and 1...that is a 14 point swing in a team race. If Waters wins, he gets his additional 4 points where as the best NATO can get is 4 additional (6th to 3rd) and his .5 adv and any bonus.
So for the visuals:
Missouri and Ohio State have 100 pts
Using the 2015 results:
Nato wins SF match, earns 4 placement, 1 adv point. Ohio State Leads 105-100
Waters wins Cons Semi, earns 3 placement, .5 adv point. Ohio State leads 105-103.5
Nato wins Final, earns 4 placement
Waters wins 3rd, earns 1 placement
Final is 109-104.5.
Now, if Waters wins the SF match, then Missouri is up 105-100. That is a 10 point swing