Breaking down the BCS
By now you've seen the BCS Rankings that were released yesterday.
But have you seen how Penn State stacks up against the rest of the BCS top ten in terms of major statistical categories?
Here are your top ten BCS teams:
1. Texas (7-0)
2. Alabama (7-0)
3. Penn State (8-0)
4. Oklahoma (6-1)
5. USC (5-1)
6. Oklahoma State (7-0)
7. Georgia (6-1)
8. Texas Tech (7-0)
9. Ohio State (7-1)
10. Florida (5-1)
TOTING THE ROCK
Now here is that same top ten reshuffled and ranked by rushing yards per game. (BCS ranking is italicized). Keep in mind, this list only includes the top ten BCS teams.
1. Oklahoma State (283.14) 6
2. Penn State (234.63) 3
3. Alabama (209.29) 2
4. USC (197.5) 5
5. Texas (193.43) 1
6. Florida (193) 10
7. Ohio State (182.13) 9
8. Georgia (169.43) 7
9. Oklahoma (164.14) 4
10. Texas Tech (138.57) 8
You have to run the football productively to win games. Only the Red Raiders fail to crack the top 50 nationally in rushing yards per game.
THE LONG BALL
Again, the BCS top ten reshuffled based on passing yards per game.
1. Texas Tech (418.4) 8
2. Oklahoma (380) 4
3. Texas (290.6) 1
4. USC (274) 5
5. Georgia (260.1) 7
6. Penn State (247.5) 3
7. Oklahoma State (218.3) 6
8. Florida (211.13) 10
9. Alabama (161.9) 2
10. Ohio State (140.1) 9
If you look at the yards these teams throw for per game, only the top six in this list from Texas Tech to Penn State rank in the top 50 nationally. The Red Raider offense makes up for its lack of a ground game with an all-out aerial assault. Tech leads the country in passing yards per game and averages 38.4 more yards than the second BCS school on this list.
Ohio State, the team with the lowest passing yards per game of the top ten BCS schools, is ranked 108th nationally.
RUN STUFFERS
Let's take a look at the BCS defenses. Here's the top ten rearranged by rushing yards allowed per game.
1. Texas (48.1) 1
2. Georgia (61) 7
3. Alabama (66.1) 3
4. USC (83.7) 5
5. Texas Tech (92.4) 8
6. Florida (96.3) 10
7. Ohio State (97.1) 9
8. Penn State (103.9) 3
9. Oklahoma (111.6) 4
10. Oklahoma State (116.7) 6
The top four teams here, from the Longhorns to the Trojans all rank in the top ten nationally against the run. All of the rest rank in the top 35 with the Cowboys being the 35th ranked team against the run in the country.
Texas, Georgia and 'Bama are two, three and four nationally.
How about them Horned Frogs from TCU? While not a BCS team, the Frogs only give up 21 yards per game. I would hate to be a running back and have to play them.
D-BACKS W/MAD SKILLS
How do the BCS teams defend the pass? Let's take a look.
1. USC (136.5) 5
2. Penn State (159. 38) 3
3. Ohio State (168.25) 9
4. Florida (178) 10
5. Oklahoma (204.14) 4
6. Georgia (208.71) 7
7. Alabama (209.86) 2
8. Oklahoma State (219.14) 6
9. Texas Tech (258.57) 8
10. Texas (275) 1
Hmm. You wanna beat Texas? Throw the ball! The Longhorns are ranked 111th out of 119 Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools. Is this the best kept secret in college football?
SACK MASTERS
The most important position in all of sports is quarterback. The most important job on defense is to hit the quarterback. Here's how well the BCS teams do at getting to the QB and bringing him down.
1. Oklahoma (26) 4
2. Texas (24) 1
3. Penn State (23) 3
4. Texas Tech (18) 8
5. USC (15) 5
5. Florida (15) 10
7. Ohio State (14) 9
8. Georgia (13) 7
9. Alabama (12) 2
10. Oklahoma State (8) 6
Penn State's Aaron Maybin is tied for second in the nation with 10 sacks. Texas' Brian Orakpo has 7.5 and Texas Tech's Brandon Williams has 7.
HEROES ON FOURTH DOWN
You have to do it all to win it all and that includes playing well on special teams. Field position is crucial so here's a look at the BCS teams and their successes punting the football.
1. Oklahoma State (41.32) 6
2. Texas (39.78) 1
3. Ohio State (38.86) 9
4. Georgia (37.96) 7
5. Florida (36.43) 10
6. Penn State (36.04) 3
7. USC (35) 5
8. Alabama (33.07) 2
9. Oklahoma (32.87) 4
10. Texas Tech (31.46) 8
OK, maybe I got a little carried away with this one. The difference between the Cowboys and the Red Raiders is just 9.86 yards. Hey, though. That could be the difference between a made or a missed field goal.
Now let's reorder the top ten based on these previous six rankings. My scoring system was simple, the top team got one point, the second team got two, the third got three and so on. The lower a team's score, the better. Here's how it adds up:
1. Texas (7-0) 23 pts.
2. USC (5-1) 25 pts.
3. Penn State (8-0) 27 pts.
4. Georgia (6-1) 33 pts.
5. Florida (5-1) 34 pts.
6. Oklahoma (6-1) 35 pts.
7. Oklahoma State (7-0) 37 pts.
8. Ohio State (7-1) 37 pts.
9. Texas Tech (7-0) 39 pts.
10. Alabama (7-0) 39 pts.
I gave Oklahoma State the nod over the Buckeyes simply because of Ohio State's one loss. Tech earns the tiebreaker over 'Bama on a bonus stat. Crimson Tide ball carriers have fumbled six times this season. Tech runners have lost just four fumbles.
--Travis