Phil Steele Blog • August 5, 2016

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Starts Lost to Injury.

Each year in my magazine and usually in my summer blog series, I list the teams that lost the most or fewest games due to injuries or disciplinary reasons.  Although certain programs are better at keeping players healthy, while other programs tend to screen more rigorously for character (or perhaps are more lenient on punishment), the inclusion of a team on either list is generally attributable to good old fashioned luck. 


For this reason, my research has shown that teams that benefit from great health tend to have a weaker season the next year. Perhaps the best example of the importance of health is the 2000 Oklahoma National Championship team, which did not lose a single starter all season.  On the flip side, injury riddled teams tend to bounce back and improve in the next year.  A past example is Colorado State, which lost 53 starts in 2012 to injury (and suspension) and went 4-8. In 2013, they were much healthier and went 8-6, including getting their first bowl win since 2001.

 

As I list each year, here are the teams that lost the most or fewest starts due to injuries and or disciplinary reasons. As I do every offseason I re-evaluate every article and tweeked some parameters. I adjusted the starts lost threshold to 34 or more (from 32 in ‘14) and 5 or less (from 6 in ‘14). I also found that NO team with 10 or more wins, when also having 34 or more starts lost, improved so therefore they were omitted.

 

 

 




 

Here is my complete list of 2016 Starters Lost to Injury. Green highlight has your teams with 5 or less starters lost on the season. Grey highlight is your teams with 34 or more starters lost and 9 or fewer wins on the season.


    Total Starts Starts
2016 Starters Lost to Injury   Starts Lost Lost
    Lost Percent Rank
W Michigan   2 0.6% 1
Ohio St   2 0.7% 2
LA Tech   4 1.3% 3
Virginia Tech   7 2.3% 4
Kansas St   7 2.4% 5
Southern Miss   7 2.4% 5
Louisville   7 2.4% 5
Washington St   9 3.1% 8
UTEP   9 3.4% 9
Oklahoma St   10 3.5% 10
Boston College   10 3.5% 10
Georgia   10 3.5% 10
Louisiana   10 3.5% 10
Troy   10 3.5% 10
UTSA   10 3.5% 10
Clemson   12 3.6% 16
Illinois   10 3.8% 17
Virginia   10 3.8% 17
NC State   11 3.8% 19
Vanderbilt   11 3.8% 19
Buffalo   11 4.2% 21
Maryland   12 4.2% 22
Kentucky   12 4.2% 22
Fresno State   12 4.5% 24
Utah St   12 4.5% 24
Idaho   13 4.5% 24
Connecticut   12 4.5% 24
USF   13 4.5% 24
Temple   15 4.9% 29
San Diego St   15 4.9% 29
Texas   13 4.9% 31
FIU   13 4.9% 31
Michigan   15 5.2% 33
Nebraska   15 5.2% 33
Baylor   15 5.2% 33
Georgia Tech   15 5.2% 33
Air Force   15 5.2% 33
UCF   15 5.2% 33
South Carolina   16 5.6% 39
Iowa St   15 5.7% 40
Washington   18 5.8% 41
USC   17 5.9% 42
Arkansas   17 5.9% 42
TCU   17 5.9% 42
Tulsa   17 5.9% 42
Toledo   17 5.9% 42
Middle Tenn   17 5.9% 42
Indiana   18 6.3% 48
Pittsburgh   18 6.3% 48
Auburn   18 6.3% 48
Old Dominion   18 6.3% 48
Notre Dame   17 6.4% 52
San Jose St   17 6.4% 52
Charlotte   16 6.6% 54
Colorado St   19 6.6% 55
Boise St   19 6.6% 55
California   18 6.8% 57
Marshall   18 6.8% 57
Nevada   18 6.8% 57
Alabama   23 7.0% 60
Arkansas St   20 7.0% 61
Oregon St   19 7.2% 62
Memphis   21 7.3% 63
Army   21 7.3% 63
North Texas   21 7.3% 63
Cincinnati   20 7.6% 66
ULM   20 7.6% 66
Appalachian St   22 7.7% 68
Colorado   24 7.8% 69
WKU   25 8.1% 70
Minnesota   24 8.4% 71
Misssissippi St   24 8.4% 71
Rutgers   23 8.7% 73
Duke   23 8.7% 73
East Carolina   23 8.7% 73
Georgia Southern   23 8.7% 73
Northwestern   25 8.7% 77
Texas A&M   25 8.7% 77
New Mexico   25 8.7% 77
Ohio   27 8.8% 80
Stanford   26 9.1% 81
Akron   24 9.1% 81
Iowa   27 9.4% 83
Texas Tech   25 9.5% 84
Tulane   25 9.5% 84
Wyoming   30 9.7% 86
Houston   28 9.8% 87
UCLA   27 10.2% 88
Hawaii   32 10.4% 89
UNLV   28 10.6% 90
Ball State   28 10.6% 90
N Illinois   28 10.6% 90
Navy   33 10.7% 93
North Carolina   31 10.8% 94
Wake Forest   31 10.8% 94
Florida St   31 10.8% 94
FAU   30 11.4% 97
Georgia St   30 11.4% 97
West Virginia   33 11.5% 99
Penn St   36 11.7% 100
Kansas   31 11.7% 101
Miami, Fl   31 11.7% 101
UMass   31 11.7% 101
Arizona St   32 12.1% 104
LSU   32 12.1% 104
Rice   32 12.1% 104
Kent St   32 12.1% 104
Michigan St   33 12.5% 108
Purdue   33 12.5% 108
Bowling Green   33 12.5% 108
C Michigan   36 12.6% 111
Missouri   34 12.9% 112
Oregon   34 12.9% 112
Texas St   34 12.9% 112
South Alabama   37 12.9% 115
Mississippi   35 13.3% 116
Florida   38 13.3% 117
Miami (Ohio)   38 13.3% 117
Wisconsin   41 13.3% 119
Utah   40 14.0% 120
BYU   41 14.3% 121
New Mexico St   38 14.4% 122
Arizona   39 14.8% 123
E Michigan   43 15.0% 124
Oklahoma   44 15.4% 125
SMU   42 15.9% 126
Tennessee   52 18.2% 127
Syracuse   50 18.9% 128

 


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