Inside The Stats: Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics

Stats don’t lie. People who interpret them do.
It’s our contention that the final score does not tell the entire story. Looking inside the stats on each game does. See our updated review of the 2019 football season from a statistical perspective below. 
 
INSIDE-OUT STAT WINNERS

A total of 13 FBS teams won games but were outgained in the contest last week. In addition there were 7 more teams in the NFL that also won games ‘inside-out’. From top to bottom in total negative yardage they include:

Appalachian State -144
Illinois -111
Miami Ohio -95
Purdue -90
Nevada -83
Tulsa -74
Texas Tech -68
Minnesota -56
Miami Florida -47
Tennessee -31
Baylor – 14
Colorado -14
SMU -08
Titans -159
Bears -131
Raiders -77
Vikings -76
Dolphins -71
Steelers -33
Packers - 13

LEAKING OIL 

From our MIDWEEK ALERT statistical newsletter, the following two teams on this week’s football card are ‘leaking oil’, one in college football the other in the NFL. These are favorites who have been outgained in each of their last three straight games or more (number in parenthesis indicates how many stat loses in a row they own).

• Duke (5)
• Raiders (3)

PUTTIN’ ON THE STATS

November is the time of the year when our “Puttin’ On The Stats” theory gets put to the test.  What we are basically looking to do is to ‘Play On’ any team as an underdog that won the stats in all – or all but one - of their games through the month of October so long as they continue to stay on pace.  Conversely, we look to ‘Play Against’ any team as favorite that lost the stats in all – or all but one - of their games through the month of October so long as they continue to stay on pace.

According to this week’s MIDWEEK ALERT Football Newsletter the qualifying plays this week would be – ‘Play On’: Baylor and Navy. 
There are no ‘Play Against’ favorites.

We’re back next week with our next INSIDE THE STATS update. 

Good luck this week.    

For more in Marc Lawrence click here.