Random Revelations (college football stats & stuff)

[OrangeAfroMan]

Continued from the decade all-star team thread, THIS is the type of thread I wanted.  One place to share all the oddities and interesting things I learn from all the toiling I do with historical college football data.  I hope that's okay.



So the larger point from the Testaverde post on the other thread - between 1956 and 1994, Testaverde's 1986 season was THE best passing season at a P5-type team.  His rating that year was the same as Missouri's Drew Lock from last year.  Good?  Sure.  But doesn't it sound crazy/amazing that Lock's 2017 season would qualify as the very best passer season over the course of nearly 40 years?!?  But in 2017, it was just kind of 'meh'.  

[OrangeAfroMan]

1994, Kerry Collins finally overtook Testaverde's season as the best.  Penn State's offense that year was all-time great.  And then the very next year, Danny Wuerfffel at Florida exceeded Collins, at 178.  


Since that season, 22 years, there have been 20 passer seasons better than Wuerffel's.  It's become an annual thing.  Isn't that amazing???  

[FearlessF]

it's okay, in the off-season

[FearlessF]

It's become an annual thing.  Isn't that amazing???  

Barry Sweatshirt saw this coming in the 80's
when the rules are changed to favor offense, passing game, points, then it's not really amazing

[OrangeAfroMan]

I gotta go to Thanksgiving, but one more tidbit about possibly the best defense, at least of my lifetime.
1996 West Virginia
WHO???



In terms of yards per play allowed, both rushing and passing, WV's '96 defense is the only one I've found that rates as elite in both.  2.0 yards per rush or less AND 5.0 yards per pass attempt or less.  BOTH!  Incredible!  


And what's more - that Mountaineer team wasn't great - it only went 8-4.  What???  
WV didn't allow a TD until Oct 5th.  Any type of TD.  
3 of their 4 losses were to ranked teams, and their offense only put up a single score in 2 of the losses.  Canute Curtis had a big sack year.  Despite having a 1,000 yard rusher and a 1,000 yard receiver, the offense was retarded by poor B play.  Didn't have good season from the kicker or punter.  Just and all-time elite defense.



Anyway, I just wanted to put that out there.  Greatness deserves to be identified - even if it's by a nerdy guy on a random website on a holiday.  Right?

[OrangeAfroMan]

If this thread should be moved someplace else, go ahead.  Just let me know where.  I'm afraid there's no traffic like the B10 board traffic, though.

[Kris60]

I gotta go to Thanksgiving, but one more tidbit about possibly the best defense, at least of my lifetime.
1996 West Virginia
WHO???



In terms of yards per play allowed, both rushing and passing, WV's '96 defense is the only one I've found that rates as elite in both.  2.0 yards per rush or less AND 5.0 yards per pass attempt or less.  BOTH!  Incredible!  


And what's more - that Mountaineer team wasn't great - it only went 8-4.  What???  
WV didn't allow a TD until Oct 5th.  Any type of TD.  
3 of their 4 losses were to ranked teams, and their offense only put up a single score in 2 of the losses.  Canute Curtis had a big sack year.  Despite having a 1,000 yard rusher and a 1,000 yard receiver, the offense was retarded by poor B play.  Didn't have good season from the kicker or punter.  Just and all-time elite defense.



Anyway, I just wanted to put that out there.  Greatness deserves to be identified - even if it's by a nerdy guy on a random website on a holiday.  Right?

That really was a terrific defense.  But WVU had a lousy offense and special teams that was even worse.  They were 7-0 and ranked in the top 10 when Miami came to town.  They were up 7-3 with like 30 seconds left when Tremain Mack blocked a punt that Miami returned for a TD.  Up until the 13-9 loss to Pitt that cost them a shot at the BCS Title game that was the most devastating loss in my lifetime.  It was an excruciating way to lose a game especially considering it ended an undefeated season.
They barely showed up for Syracuse the next weekend.  The Orange blocked two more punts (yeah, you read that right) and won 30-7 despite only gaining 252 total yards.
Good catch on the stats.  I knew they were #1 in total defense that year but didn’t realize just how good they were against the run and pass.  I can still name every starter off that unit.  Good memories.

[OrangeAfroMan]

A look at the top 10 single-season receiving yardage totals from P5 teams only:
2012 T.Williams - Baylor
2010 Blackmon - OKST
2013 Cooks - ORST
2014 Cooper - ALA
2012 Lee - USC
2011 Wright - Baylor
2012 Bailey - WV
2010 Broyles - OU
2017 Washington - OKST
2016 Westbrook - OU


7 of the top 10 are Big XII.  Not surprising, but still kinda crazy.

[OrangeAfroMan]

Unless he leaves early for the draft, FAU RB Devin Singletary will likely become the all-time rushing TDs leader next season.  He has 66 in 3 years.  Once he gets close, they'll make sure he gets it.  Current leader is former option QB Keenan Reynolds of Navy, with 88.

[OrangeAfroMan]

Continued from the "Hypesman" thread......I'll go back to 2000 to now.  Idk if I should make a hierarchy of positions or not...
QB/RB-WR-DB-DL-TE-LB-OL-K-P.....is that fair?  So if there are multiple non-skill position guys in the top 10, I'll pick the furthest right on that hierarchy.  If there's 2 of the same position, then we'll go with the more obscure school.

2000 - WR Santana Moss, Miami (all others are QB or RB)
2001 - OT Bryant McKinnie, Miami
2002 - QB Byron Leftwich, Marshall
2003 - WR Larry Fitzgerald, Pitt
2004 - WR Braylon Edwards, Michigan
2005 - LB A.J. Hawk, Ohio State
2006 - WR Calvin Johnson, GA Tech
2007 - DE Chris Long, Virginia
2008 - LB Rey Maualuga, USC
2009 - DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
2010 - WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
2011 - CB Tyrann Mathieu, LSU
2012 - LB Jarvis Jones, Georgia
2013 - QB Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois
2014 - LB Scooby Wright, Arizona
2015 - QB Keenan Reynolds, Navy
2016 - DE Jonathan Allen, Alabama
2017 - LB Roquan Smith, Georgia
2018 - DT Quinnen Wiliams, Alabama


So, what have we got here?  WR-heavy, for sure.  Voters might like certain position groups from certain schools - Georgia LB, Alabama DL.  Defensive line in general is an interesting case....they tend to only get votes if the voting in a given year is truly diverse, with LB and OL getting votes as well.  But DL tend not to get votes when the others don't, either.  Scooby Wright's 2014 season will be lost to time, and that's fine...but 164 tackles, 31 TFL, and 15 sacks had him behind Jameis Winston's 25 TD, 18 INT season?!?  The hell?!?



What we end up with is a more diverse group of players, which is a good thing.  No, I don't believe Santana Moss was the best player in 2000, but would you argue against Larry Fitzgerald in 2003 or Suh in 2009?  
Doing this would get the likeliest correct player more often than the current system does, no?

[OrangeAfroMan]

Iowa finished 8th in the final AP poll in 2002, 2003, and 2004.  Hmmph.




Other 3-year runs in the poll:
6th - Michigan 1971-72-73
9th - Nebraska 1974-75-76
3rd - Oklahoma 1978-79-80
3rd - FSU 1996-97-98

[OrangeAfroMan]

It would take a big rushing day by Murray (~120 yds), but OU could have 3 guys rush for 1,000 yards on the season (and Murray being a 4,000 yard passer).



That's in-saaaaane. 
That is all.

[Riffraft]

Still remember 1973 where John Hicks an OT for Ohio State came in second in the heisman voting to capelletti. It wasn't a close vote, but still a real standout oddity for the Heisman.

[OrangeAfroMan]

How on earth did the 2000 Warshington Huskies go 11-1???




Won the Rose Bowl
Gave two teams their only loss of the season 
QB finished 8th in the Heisman voting, but had a really bad season
20th in scoring offense, 46th in scoring defense, but went 11-1




What caught my eye was how poor QB Tuiasosopo's season was.  I remember him as a good runner and good-enough passer.  His 8th place finish for the Heisman mirrored my memory of him.  But he was awful.
52.6% completion percentage
14 TD, 11 INT
putrid 115.9 rating
awful yards per attempt (6.6)
So he had a high volume, throwing a lot of passes without much payoff.  
Fine, his strength was as a runner, right?  He must have had 1,000 yards on the ground, or something near that, right?
394 yards rushing
Hmmmph.  Good yards per carry average?
3.1
Shit.  So the guy with the godawful passer rating was also an unproductive, marginal-at-best runner.  Then how in the hell was he 8th in the Heisman???  How did Washington finish 11-1????  And against the 4th toughest schedule that year?!?!?
"Leadership", I guess.  Lots and lots of articles touting leadership.  Ugh.
Washington didn't have a great defense.  Didn't have a good turnover ratio.  Hell, they only picked off 6 passes all year.  Didn't have any return TDs.  Kicker wasn't great.  Punter stunk.  Didn't have a lot of sacks.  What in the hell? 
They beat Miami?  They beat Miami.  Miami, with Dorsey, Portis, Wayne, Moss, Shockley, Reed, Buchanan, Morgan....wtf???
Okay, that's one game, fine.  Upsets happen, great.  
They beat Oregon State.  11-1 Oregon State.  Best Oregon State team ever, Oregon State.  With 1500 yard rusher Simonton, Chad Jackson, and TJ Housmansomething?  wtf?




Aside from the close Miami win, UW had 5 other one-score victories.  None of those teams finished above .500.  They played to their opponent's level, I guess.  The numbers say they should have gone 8-4.  I guess the guy who couldn't pass and was an ineffective runner "led" them to 3 more wins than they should have gotten.



Meh, I don't care, it's just interesting to me.