Daily Blog • December 15, 2010

Each and every day at PhilSteele.com I will be giving you more information and stats on all 35 bowl games so you can become an expert on each bowl matchup. Today’s blog will go over net yards for each of the 70 bowl teams.
Last year for the 2nd year in a row the top 3 teams with the biggest net yard ranking advantage all won their bowl game.

1. Alamo: Texas Tech (6) vs Michigan St (49) Net Yard Ranking Difference: 43 Final: Texas Tech 41-31 WIN
1. Capital One: Penn St (7) vs LSU (50) Net Yard Ranking Difference: 43 Final: Penn St 19-17 WIN
3. GMAC: Central Michigan (27) vs Troy (67) Net Yard Ranking Difference: 40 Final: Central Michigan 44-41 OT WIN

Below is a list of statistical averages for all of this season’s bowl teams when they faced other bowl eligible teams. They are ranked in order of net yard differential. (Net yards are figured by taking the total offense yards per game-total defense yards per game)

BOWL TEAMS VS BOWL TEAMS

 

OFF RUSH RUSH PASS PASS DEF RUSH RUSH PASS PASS NET
RANK PTS YPG YPC YPG % PTS YPG YPC YPG % YDS
1 Boise St 42.8 175.0 5.00 350.8 70.2 17.0 111.2 3.16 178.8 56.6 235.8
2 TCU 40.3 228.2 4.85 255.2 67.5 14.3 103.3 3.85 146.8 45.4 233.2
3 Ohio St 30.9 205.3 4.84 185.9 57.9 16.1 125.6 3.72 160.0 56.3 105.6
4 Arkansas 35.8 147.5 4.40 331.8 67.9 28.1 174.0 4.30 205.6 57.2 99.6
5 Nebraska 35.3 277.7 6.24 174.5 59.3 20.7 159.8 4.13 200.3 52.1 92.0
6 Auburn 37.6 276.3 5.61 185.6 64.2 26.0 116.9 3.67 253.2 62.3 91.8
7 Stanford 34.2 193.2 4.73 274.5 71.1 21.8 139.2 4.61 238.2 60.2 90.3
8 Oregon 49.3 289.5 5.93 229.8 61.7 25.3 146.0 4.11 286.3 55.2 87.0
9 Oklahoma St 42.4 181.4 5.18 354.4 67.1 32.3 155.8 3.85 296.3 64.7 83.8
10 Oklahoma 36.0 120.5 3.13 340.0 64.1 25.3 186.9 4.76 191.9 56.9 81.8
11 Miami, Fl 25.9 191.9 4.77 227.0 53.2 22.1 189.8 4.58 148.3 46.8 80.8
12 West Virginia 20.6 139.3 3.45 184.1 60.6 14.0 86.3 2.65 157.7 56.2 79.4
13 Alabama 27.4 146.1 4.36 255.5 67.4 17.0 127.6 3.60 205.8 58.2 68.3
14 Arizona 30.7 114.6 3.70 323.4 66.9 26.7 162.9 4.10 209.1 57.0 66.0
15 N Illinois 33.4 219.2 5.17 219.0 66.7 24.4 156.0 5.23 219.4 55.0 62.8
16 Michigan St 29.4 164.5 4.65 245.5 67.4 22.3 129.3 3.76 225.9 56.6 54.9
17 Wisconsin 37.3 228.5 5.13 193.5 73.0 25.3 157.5 4.40 215.2 61.5 49.3
18 Navy 31.8 352.4 5.89 81.2 54.2 20.8 186.8 5.66 203.6 65.6 43.2
19 Texas A&M 27.1 139.6 3.58 282.9 58.6 24.3 121.4 3.41 261.9 63.8 39.3
20 Air Force 24.3 290.7 5.38 115.0 49.5 23.1 221.1 5.14 158.0 52.4 26.6
21 Notre Dame 26.0 117.9 3.93 262.2 58.9 21.3 151.4 4.07 204.6 60.5 24.1
22 Illinois 28.6 273.3 5.42 118.3 52.9 28.4 141.5 4.16 226.8 60.4 23.3
23 NC State 30.6 128.2 3.49 263.1 55.4 26.8 120.6 3.60 248.8 60.7 22.0
24 Missouri 29.9 161.4 4.95 254.5 60.5 21.1 173.6 4.51 223.8 57.5 18.5
25 Nevada 29.3 221.8 4.77 196.3 57.5 26.3 136.3 4.66 264.5 62.3 17.3
26 Pittsburgh 23.1 138.4 4.03 197.7 63.0 21.1 125.8 3.72 194.8 58.2 15.6
27 Miami, Oh 17.4 87.4 3.10 254.8 61.1 28.6 143.8 4.13 184.2 56.8 14.2
28 South Carolina 32.5 155.5 4.22 228.7 63.3 24.7 108.8 3.28 261.9 65.2 13.5
29 SMU 22.7 121.1 4.28 261.1 58.4 29.3 150.0 3.82 219.9 63.2 12.4
30 UCF 24.2 180.2 4.29 164.2 61.5 23.6 115.0 3.48 217.6 56.3 11.8
31 Virginia Tech 33.5 199.6 4.82 189.0 58.7 21.4 158.9 4.74 221.9 54.6 7.9
32 Southern Miss 34.3 144.0 3.74 302.3 62.2 40.5 157.5 5.00 281.5 59.7 7.3
33 FIU 28.8 201.8 4.83 218.6 59.0 35.2 181.6 5.28 232.0 56.4 6.8
34 North Carolina 24.1 101.8 3.10 269.1 64.0 27.0 163.1 4.50 202.1 60.8 5.6
35 Georgia Tech 25.4 322.1 5.58 91.9 37.1 30.7 187.1 4.96 222.1 64.7 4.7
36 Florida 24.8 147.3 4.04 178.2 60.3 22.9 139.6 3.76 185.6 56.0 0.3
37 Michigan 29.5 220.5 5.04 254.0 60.3 37.1 223.9 5.12 254.9 61.1 -4.3
38 Louisville 17.3 136.8 3.73 139.7 53.1 17.3 145.2 4.03 136.8 56.3 -5.5
39 LSU 24.0 162.4 4.12 162.1 60.5 20.5 138.1 3.65 193.9 58.2 -7.5
40 Penn St 19.1 138.0 4.07 223.1 52.6 26.5 202.3 5.01 169.4 64.0 -10.5
41 Florida St 28.9 154.0 4.43 209.6 61.6 23.8 145.8 3.74 229.1 57.2 -11.3
42 Clemson 18.1 124.1 3.46 187.6 55.0 19.1 132.6 3.58 194.0 50.6 -14.9
43 Kentucky 23.4 109.7 3.23 278.1 65.6 31.6 176.3 5.06 226.7 57.8 -15.1
44 Boston College 14.6 116.4 3.34 164.0 49.3 22.7 93.7 2.98 208.4 63.5 -21.7
45 Iowa 27.1 106.9 3.35 238.0 63.1 20.4 105.1 3.23 261.4 65.8 -21.7
46 Tulsa 35.0 193.8 4.85 297.3 58.5 40.3 158.0 4.69 363.8 62.0 -30.7
47 Georgia 28.9 123.4 3.75 244.4 60.5 29.3 180.5 4.02 221.8 64.9 -34.5
48 Texas Tech 25.8 149.3 4.07 305.7 63.3 34.3 182.3 4.91 310.2 65.1 -37.5
49 East Carolina 35.0 110.6 4.02 329.4 65.9 47.5 239.8 5.31 237.9 58.4 -37.6
50 USF 14.6 143.1 3.88 131.4 49.7 21.1 160.7 4.06 158.3 58.5 -44.4
51 Syracuse 14.1 115.1 3.60 160.0 54.2 25.1 145.7 3.82 175.1 57.6 -45.7
52 San Diego St 28.2 121.0 5.13 289.4 54.0 30.8 208.0 4.33 254.0 56.9 -51.6
53 Hawaii 30.0 67.8 3.32 323.2 62.1 33.4 192.8 4.48 252.0 65.4 -53.8
54 Utah 20.0 108.3 3.48 223.7 54.6 28.7 120.0 3.44 275.2 65.4 -63.2
55 Mississippi St 17.1 181.7 3.89 130.1 52.3 21.4 152.6 3.99 225.6 59.6 -66.3
56 Connecticut 16.3 160.4 4.32 131.1 51.1 21.3 177.1 4.49 184.1 62.4 -69.7
57 Baylor 29.5 197.2 5.38 266.3 65.9 47.0 186.5 4.89 349.2 74.2 -72.2
58 Troy 34.8 132.0 3.97 259.3 65.7 43.8 215.5 5.42 249.0 65.5 -73.3
59 Maryland 22.6 94.6 3.41 227.1 58.0 26.5 176.5 3.92 225.5 56.1 -80.3
60 BYU 14.7 132.3 3.66 165.0 53.6 26.0 186.3 4.81 197.0 54.8 -86.0
61 Army 22.0 216.0 4.04 75.5 47.7 35.5 174.5 5.06 208.0 60.5 -91.0
62 Ohio 21.3 138.0 3.76 111.5 51.9 24.8 88.0 2.65 261.0 63.1 -99.5
63 Tennessee 16.6 91.9 2.99 230.4 56.7 32.7 184.3 4.64 238.7 62.5 -100.7
64 Washington 19.4 137.6 4.12 194.5 54.2 36.5 228.6 5.40 222.3 65.5 -118.8
65 Fresno St 21.5 115.8 3.56 208.0 52.2 39.5 196.0 5.37 254.8 59.9 -127.0
66 Northwestern 23.8 156.6 4.08 198.4 62.9 41.0 262.8 5.87 232.0 61.7 -139.8
67 UTEP 25.7 152.7 4.63 193.0 56.3 34.3 216.0 5.63 277.0 63.6 -147.3
68 Middle Tennessee 18.3 98.7 2.90 198.7 57.6 37.0 267.7 5.70 181.7 68.4 -152.0
69 Kansas St 22.8 134.0 3.51 207.0 63.2 34.0 285.4 6.93 227.6 60.3 -172.0
70 Toledo 20.6 107.2 3.10 158.8 59.7 40.0 158.6 4.58 281.6 71.4 -174.2

Here are this year’s top 10 differences in net yard rankings

1. Holiday: Nebraska (5) vs Washington (64) Net Yard Ranking Difference: 59
2. Las Vegas: Boise St (1) vs Utah (54) Net Yard Ranking Difference: 53
3. Humanitarian: Northern Illinois (15) vs Fresno St (65) Net Yard Ranking Difference: 50
4. Fiesta: Oklahoma (10) vs Connecticut (56) Net Yard Ranking Difference: 46
5. GoDaddy.com: Miami, Oh (27) vs Middle Tennessee (68) Net Yard Ranking Difference: 41
6. Little Caesar’s Pizza: FIU (33) vs Toledo (70) Net Yard Ranking Difference: 37
7. Texas: Illinois (22) vs Baylor (57) Net Yard Ranking Difference: 35
8. Poinsettia: Navy (18) vs San Diego St (52) Net Yard Ranking Difference: 34
9. Armed Forces: SMU (29) vs Army (61) Net Yard Ranking Difference: 32
10. Music City: North Carolina (34) vs Tennessee (63) Net Yard Ranking Difference: 29

The Holiday Bowl has the biggest net yard ranking difference with the Huskers outgaining their bowl opponents by 92 ypg while the Huskies are being outgained by 118.8 ypg. Boise St also has a huge advantage against Utah as they have outgained their opponents by 235.8 ypg while the Utes are being outgained by 63.2 ypg.

Sometimes the difference in ranking is not enough when evaluating the difference. Two years ago USC was #1 in Net Yards and they took on Penn St who was #9 in Net yards and while there was only a ranking difference of 8, USC actually had a 123.9 net yard advantage which was the fifth biggest difference.

Last year there were 7 teams who have a Net Yard Difference advantage of 100+ and they went 5-2. Net Yards in ()

1. New Mexico: Fresno St (1.2) vs Wyoming (-238.0) Net Yard Difference: 239.2 Final: Wyoming 35-28 2OT Loss
2. GMAC: Central Michigan (10.7) vs Troy (-161.3) Net Yard Difference: 172 Final: Central Michigan 44-41 OT WIN
3. Alamo: Texas Tech (89.7) vs Michigan St (-45.0) Net Yard Difference: 134.7 Final: Texas Tech 41-31 WIN
4. Capital One: Penn St (89.3) vs LSU (-45.3) Net Yard Difference: 134.6 Final: Penn St 19-17 WIN
5. Music City: Clemson (4.4) vs Kentucky (-123.0) Net Yard Difference: 127.4 Final: Clemson 21-13 WIN
6. Meineke Car Care: Pittsburgh (105.0) vs North Carolina (-9.9) Net Yard Difference: 114.9 Final: Pittsburgh 19-17 WIN
7. Fiesta: TCU (183.8) vs Boise St (83.4) Net Yard Difference: 100.4 Final: Boise St 17-10 Loss

Here are this year’s top net yard differences: Net Yards in ()

1. Las Vegas: Boise St (235.8) vs Utah (-63.2) Net Yard Difference: 299
2. Holiday: Nebraska (92) vs Washington (-118.8) Net Yard Difference: 210.8
3. Humanitarian: Northern Illinois (62.8) vs Fresno St (-127) Net Yard Difference: 189.8
4. Rose: TCU (233.2) vs Wisconsin (49.3) Net Yard Difference: 183.9
5. Little Caesar’s Pizza: FIU (6.8) vs Toledo (-174.2) Net Yard Difference: 181

Don’t forget to join my “Bowl Confidence Contest”that has great cash prizes!! Check out the homepage for more details. Picks are due by Saturday December 18th at 2:00 pm EST.

Also make sure to check PhilSteele.com everyday for complete information and coverage on all the bowl matchups. On the homepage click on the Bowl matchups link, where you will find all 35 bowl games. Click on the bowl logo for each game to get all the information you need to become an expert!