Daily Blog • June 3, 2010

For more than 7 years I have published an “Experience Chart” in my National College Football Preview. The old version of this chart just took into account the overall experience from the 2 deep for each squad. Last year I revised the Experience Chart and created a New and Improved version. The new chart uses 20% of the experience grade from the old chart, 20% from the % of lettermen returning, 20% from the % of tackles returning, 20% from the % of yards returning and 20% from the career starts of the offensive line.

The most experienced teams when using the old chart were usually the service academies which play a lot of seniors and juniors. Using the old method (which is listed below) the top 5 most experienced teams in terms of upperclassmen in the two deep are: 1. Hawaii 2. Navy 2. Army 4. UAB and 5. Air Force. Iowa St ranks the highest among BCS teams coming in at #10.

The least experienced teams using this method are: 120. New Mexico and 119. BYU. Maryland, Pittsburgh, UCLA, LSU and Vanderbilt are tied at 114. The next paragraph is an explanation of how the chart works and below that is the old version of the Experience Chart.

Experience can be a big thing in college football. A player gains valuable experience for every year he plays and becomes a better player because of it. Players also mature physically while they are in college and there is a big difference between a raw 17 or 18 year old true freshman and a mature and physically stronger 22 year old senior. Some teams that send their players away on missions, like BYU, routinely have Seniors up to 25 years old. There is also a coaching adage that for every freshman starter you have, you lose one game. With that in mind, we compiled the following chart. It lists the total amount of senior starters on the team as well as seniors in the two deep. It also shows all of the juniors, sophomores and freshmen starters and the total amount in the two deep.

To formulate a point system, I awarded 3 points for every senior starter (2.5 for every additional senior in the two deep) 2 points for every junior starter (1.5 for every additional junior in the two deep) 1 point for a sophomore starter (0.5 for every additional soph in the 2 deep then subtracted 1 point for every frosh starter and .5 for every frosh in the two deep. The total points column uses that formula to figure out the points awarded to a team. The number before the team is where they came up in my overall ranking of all the teams in the NCAA. This list was compiled during magazine season and there have been some changes to the 2 deep since it went to press, which may not be accounted for. This chart will give you an idea of the most experienced and least experienced teams in the NCAA this year.

Rank
 Team
SR ST
SR 2D
JR ST
JR 2D
SO ST
SO 2D
FR ST
FR 2D
Pts
1
 HAWAII
12
10
9
7
1
5
0
0
93
2
 NAVY
12
4
9
13
1
5
0
0
87
2
 ARMY
14
7
5
7
3
8
0
0
87
4
 UAB
9
8
10
10
3
2
0
2
85
5
 AIR FORCE
10
6
10
8
2
8
0
0
83
6
 OHIO 
13
6
4
8
5
6
0
2
81
6
 SAN JOSE ST
13
5
7
7
2
8
0
2
81
6
 NEW MEXICO ST
12
6
9
7
1
5
0
4
81
6
 IDAHO
11
7
8
7
3
5
0
3
81
10
 IOWA ST
11
2
8
13
3
7
0
0
80
10
 MEMPHIS
11
7
7
7
4
5
0
3
80
10
 UTAH ST
10
6
11
8
1
4
0
4
80
13
 NORTH TEXAS
10
5
6
11
6
5
0
1
79
14
 UTEP
13
6
6
5
2
8
1
3
77
14
 AUBURN
13
5
7
6
2
6
0
5
77
14
 BOISE ST
10
4
11
6
1
11
0
1
77
17
 IOWA 
11
5
8
7
3
6
0
4
76
17
 ARKANSAS ST
9
6
8
8
5
5
0
3
76
17
 MIDDLE TENN
12
3
6
11
3
6
1
2
76
20
 KANSAS ST
11
4
7
8
4
7
0
3
75
20
 TCU
15
5
5
4
2
6
0
7
75
22
 LOUISVILLE
14
6
6
4
2
3
0
9
74
23
 NEBRASKA
12
4
5
7
5
7
0
4
73
23
 UNLV
13
4
6
6
3
6
0
6
73
23
 OREGON
12
4
5
9
5
3
0
6
73
23
 CALIFORNIA
9
6
9
6
3
7
1
3
73
27
 WASHINGTON
7
5
7
10
8
5
0
2
72
27
 ARKANSAS 
8
6
11
5
3
6
0
5
72
27
 LOUISIANA
10
4
8
9
3
5
1
4
72
27
 LOUISIANA TECH
9
6
7
5
6
8
0
3
72
31
 KANSAS
9
7
6
6
7
3
0
6
71
31
 USF
10
6
5
6
6
7
1
3
71
31
 MARSHALL
8
6
9
7
5
3
0
6
71
31
 KENT
11
5
5
6
5
8
1
3
71
31
 TROY
9
3
11
8
2
6
0
5
71
31
 NEVADA
9
3
10
6
3
11
0
2
71
37
 BOSTON COLLEGE
11
4
6
5
5
9
0
4
70
37
 NORTH CAROLINA
13
4
3
7
5
6
1
5
70
37
 INDIANA
7
8
10
4
5
3
0
7
70
37
 COLORADO
8
2
9
11
5
6
0
3
70
37
 SYRACUSE
11
4
6
6
5
7
0
5
70
37
 EAST CAROLINA
9
5
9
7
3
5
1
5
70
43
 AKRON
13
2
6
6
3
8
0
6
69
43
 ARIZONA
9
5
10
6
3
3
0
8
69
45
 ILLINOIS
6
4
8
9
8
7
0
2
68
45
 MISSOURI
7
2
14
6
1
11
0
3
68
45
 RICE
7
4
10
6
5
9
0
3
68
45
 STANFORD
10
4
6
7
6
5
0
6
68
45
 FAU
11
3
5
6
6
9
0
4
68
50
 MIAMI, FL
9
3
9
6
4
8
0
5
67
50
 OHIO STATE
11
4
6
5
5
6
0
7
67
50
 TEXAS
11
5
7
3
4
6
0
8
67
50
 N ILLINOIS
8
4
9
7
5
5
0
6
67
50
 TEMPLE
9
3
10
8
2
5
1
6
67
50
 TOLEDO
5
3
12
9
5
7
0
3
67
50
 COLORADO ST
10
5
9
4
1
8
2
5
67
50
 OREGON ST
9
5
7
4
6
8
0
5
67
50
 FIU
9
3
4
7
9
11
0
1
67
59
 CINCINNATI
7
3
10
8
5
6
0
5
66
59
 SOUTHERN MISS
8
6
11
2
2
8
1
6
66
59
 BALL STATE
8
4
7
6
7
8
0
4
66
59
 BUFFALO
12
4
5
5
3
8
2
5
66
59
 SAN DIEGO ST
12
0
6
8
3
11
1
3
66
64
 WISCONSIN
8
4
10
3
4
10
0
5
65
64
 HOUSTON
9
4
8
4
4
10
1
4
65
66
 NORTHWESTERN
6
3
11
7
5
7
0
5
64
66
 UCF
10
6
7
2
4
6
1
8
64
66
 UTAH
7
8
7
5
6
2
2
7
64
66
 ARIZONA STATE
4
3
13
9
4
7
1
3
64
66
 SOUTH CAROLINA
7
5
8
4
7
8
0
5
64
66
 ULM
7
3
12
6
3
6
0
7
64
72
 PENN STATE
6
4
12
4
4
8
0
6
63
72
 MICHIGAN
6
6
8
5
7
6
1
5
63
72
 WEST VIRGINIA
11
3
7
4
4
6
0
9
63
72
 TULSA
6
4
9
7
5
9
2
2
63
76
 OKLAHOMA ST
8
4
10
3
4
7
0
8
62
76
 MIAMI, OH
10
2
5
5
6
12
1
3
62
76
 WASHINGTON ST
8
4
7
6
7
4
0
8
62
76
 GEORGIA
6
5
9
5
6
7
1
5
62
80
 TEXAS  TECH
12
2
6
4
4
6
0
10
61
80
 EASTERN MICHIGAN
9
4
8
2
4
10
1
6
61
80
 WYOMING
7
3
5
10
9
4
1
5
61
80
 MISSISSIPPI
9
5
7
2
6
6
0
9
61
84
 CLEMSON
6
4
7
9
6
6
3
3
60
84
 GEORGIA TECH
8
4
9
3
4
8
1
7
60
84
 USC
10
2
4
10
5
5
3
5
60
87
 TULANE
7
4
6
4
9
8
0
6
59
87
 BOWLING GREEN
9
3
7
5
5
6
1
8
59
87
 MISSISSIPPI ST
7
3
6
8
8
5
1
6
59
87
 FRESNO  ST
13
0
4
5
3
12
2
5
59
91
 DUKE
10
2
6
5
6
5
0
10
58
91
 NC STATE
8
1
5
9
8
7
1
5
58
91
 MINNESOTA
8
2
9
7
4
4
1
9
58
91
 NOTRE DAME
6
3
8
6
7
8
1
5
58
95
 VIRGINIA 
6
2
11
6
4
7
1
7
57
95
 MICHIGAN ST
8
4
8
2
6
6
0
10
57
95
 BAYLOR
5
8
6
4
8
4
3
6
57
98
 WAKE FOREST
6
1
11
8
4
5
1
8
56
98
 FLORIDA ST
6
1
10
7
5
8
1
6
56
98
 VIRGINIA TECH
6
3
10
5
6
4
0
10
56
98
 WESTERN MICHIGAN
5
4
9
3
8
8
0
7
56
98
 ALABAMA
4
3
10
7
7
6
1
6
56
103
 PURDUE
6
2
10
5
4
10
2
5
55
103
 OKLAHOMA
7
3
8
4
5
9
2
6
55
103
 TENNESSEE
11
2
3
5
6
7
2
8
55
103
 W KENTUCKY
8
1
4
8
10
5
0
8
55
107
 RUTGERS
7
2
6
6
7
9
2
5
54
107
 FLORIDA
8
5
8
2
3
6
3
9
54
109
 CENTRAL MICHIGAN
8
1
5
7
6
10
3
4
53
109
 KENTUCKY
8
0
8
6
4
10
2
6
53
111
 TEXAS A&M
4
3
8
5
8
10
2
4
52
111
 CONNECTICUT
6
2
8
4
7
9
1
7
52
111
 SMU
4
2
12
5
4
9
2
6
52
114
 MARYLAND
6
2
8
4
6
10
2
6
51
114
 PITTSBURGH
5
2
9
6
7
5
1
9
51
114
 UCLA
3
3
12
6
5
5
2
8
51
114
 LSU
6
1
11
4
4
8
1
9
51
114
 VANDERBILT
4
3
11
3
4
12
3
4
51
119
 BYU
5
5
8
6
1
5
8
6
45
120
 NEW MEXICO
7
0
6
3
7
11
2
8
44

Please check PhilSteele.com everyday to get my Top 30 Countdown, which posted #15 Auburn yesterday. Thru June 16th, I will post both magazine pages on a new team ranked in the Top 30 and you can get an early look on how I breakdown your favorite team. Remember those magazine pages are available for only 24 hours for you to download. Today, Iowa comes in at #14.

Also on PhilSteele.com around June 15th, we will be posting the players who are no longer with each team since the magazine went to press more than a month ago. What I do in my personal magazine is circle the players and that way you can tell at a glance which teams suffer the most attrition and those that do not lose anybody. Remember when Oklahoma won their National Title in 2000, not a single starter missed a single start due to injury. This list will be updated DAILY so check it often. Also during the season we will provide an updated starts lost list for each school so you can see which schools are banged up and which fall into the zero starts lost category. This section will also update late additions.

Also the official on sale date of the magazine is June 8th, but some people have already seen them in the bookstores where the cost is just $8.95. We did get a shipment into our offices this past week and if you want to order thru the offices the cost is $13.70 with postage. Call 1-866-918-7711 or visit the PhilSteele.com store to order yours today.

I will be back tomorrow with the final look at the Experience Chart with the five different factors added together.

Only 91 DAYS LEFT UNTIL THE FIRST COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME!!!