🏈 Bama v Texas, more numbers

[shipley00]

You've heard the numbers. Texas has the #1 Rushing Defense in the nation. Alabama has the 2nd best Rushing Defense. Alabama is #2 in total defense and Texas is 3rd. Texas is 18th overall Passing offense with two time Heisman candidate Colt McCoy, where as Alabama's Hesiman candidate is "only 12th in yards per game". Alabama defeated the #2 team in the nation handily, while Texas struggled to squeak past a lesser Nebraska team. So what do the numbers all mean?

In the grand scheme of things, numbers mean little. We all know that. It's all about execution, drive, and determination as much as it is about skill. That said, the numbers behind the numbers often reveal either the available skill or the amount of drive and determination a team has on a given day or over a given season. I think it's safe to say if Texas and Alabama played a conference USA type schedule, they would be competing for the top two spots in every major category on a regular basis, but they don't, so how do they stack up? You can always tweak the numbers to suit your desired outcome. Since numbers are less important than results, I did my best to remove my crimson color glasses to see, based on the big numbers, how do the two teams match up. I looked at the statistics of the numbers to get a meaningful cutoff, hopefully, without much bias.

Texas is "suppose" to have a superior passing game, and the top rushing defense according to the hype. Alabama is "suppose" to have an excellent rushing game and the #7 Passing Defense in the nation. Will Alabama be able to run with any success against Texas? Will Texas be able to light up the field against the Alabama secondary? Let's look at the numbers behind the numbers.

<TABLE class=MsoNormalTable style="WIDTH: 5in; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=480 border=0><TBODY><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt"><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 206.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=276></TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 68.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=92> Alabama
</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 48.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=65>

Texas​

</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt"><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 206.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=276>Games vs. top 15 Rushing Offenses
</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 68.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=92>

4​

</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 48.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=65>

0​

</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt"><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 206.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=276>Games vs. the 51st or lower Rushing Off
</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 68.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=92>

4​

</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 48.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=65>

10​

</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt"><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 206.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=276>Avg Yd allowed v 51st or lower Rush Off
</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 68.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=92>

55.75​

</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 48.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=65>

38.3​

</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt"><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 206.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=276>Avg Yd allowed vs. the Top 50 Rush Off
</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 68.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=92>

94.88​

</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 48.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=65>

141.67​

</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt"><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 206.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=276>Games vs. the Top 10 Total Defenses
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1​

</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 48.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=65>

2​

</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt"><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 206.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=276>Avg Pts Scored vs. the Top 10 Total Def
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32​

</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 48.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=65>

14.5​

</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt"><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 206.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=276>Games vs. the Top 50 Passing Defenses
</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 68.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=92>

8​

</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 48.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=65>

3​

</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt"><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 206.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=276>Avg YPG Passing vs. the Top 50 Pass Def
</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 68.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=92>

160.88​

</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 48.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=65>

192.67​

</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt"><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 206.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=276>Games vs. the 76th or less Rush Def
</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 68.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=92>

5​

</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 48.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=65>

5​

</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt"><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 206.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=276>Avg Rush Yd v the 76th or Less Rush Def
</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 68.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=92>

225​

</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 48.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=65>

211.6​

</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt"><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 206.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=276>Avg Rush Yard vs. the Top 75 Rush Def
</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 68.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=92>

210.13​

</TD><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; WIDTH: 48.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=65>

116.13​

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