Inside The Stats: Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics

Stats don’t lie. People who interpret them do.

As we like to say, final scores on the scoreboard do not tell the entire story. A deeper dive into the stats on each game does. See our review of the 2019 football season to date from a statistical perspective below.

INSIDE-OUT STAT WINNERS

A total of 14 FBS teams won games but were outgained in the contest last week. In addition, there were 5 more teams in the NFL that did the same thing. From top to bottom in total negative yardage they include:

Houston -152

Penn State -124

Illinois -107

Liberty -85

Kansas State -82

Texas A&M -65

Cincinnati -60

Florida -32

Wyoming -27

Wake Forest -25

BYU -17

Georgia Tech -12

UTSA -06

Virginia Tech -01

Bills -76

Cardinals -18

Colts -08

Ravens -07

Packers -03

LEAKING OIL

From our MIDWEEK ALERT statistical newsletter, the following three teams on this week’s college football card are ‘leaking oil’. There are no qualifying teams in the NFL. In rotation order, these are favorites who have been outgained in each of their last three straight games.

• Army

• Texas A&M

• Western Michigan

 IN THE STATS

From our statistical sister publication, the MIDWEEK ALERT, we can chart the statistical progress of each team on a game-by-game weekly basis. We also like to weigh teams that are underdogs with both a better offense and a better defense. We call them BODs. These are the BODs on this week’s card:

• Miami Florida

• TCU

• Chiefs

INSIDE THE STATS

Once again from the MIDWEEK ALERT, here are college football teams through six games of the season that are either 100% ITS     (In The Stats) or 0% thus far this campaign:

College Football: 100% - Alabama, Baylor, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Missouri, Navy, Ohio State, Oklahoma, UAB, and Utah.

College Football: 0% - Akron

BAD HOMER

Here’s another bar bet that you’ll likely win every time at your favorite pub this weekend: Name the only team in the NFL that has been outgained in the stats in every home game this season, but won the stats in every road game.

If you read the MIDWEEK ALERT and did not say the Jacksonville Jaguars then shame on you.  It’s there in black and white for you to read. Back next week with an overview of the upcoming college and pro football card.

For more in Marc Lawrence click here.