Sweet 16 - Best of the Rest

Don't ya just love the offseason. About a week ago I started this series by picking the top 16 programs in college football history. This is the 4th in the series, and you can get caught up by clicking here or over on the Sweet 16 label thingy over there >>>>>.

I'm going to re-print one of the charts that I find to be the most important, the winning percentages when these 16 have played head to head.

1. MICHIGAN 58%
1. TEXAS 58% (tie with identical records)
3. ALABAMA 57.8%
4. NOTRE DAME 55.7%
5. USC 52%
6. AUBURN 51.3%
7. TENNESSEE 50.4%
8. FLORIDA 48.7%
9. GEORGIA 48.2%
10. NEBRASKA 47.3%
11. OKLAHOMA 46.8%
12. PENN STATE 46.3%
13. MIAMI 44.8%
14. FSU 44.4%
15. OHIO ST 43.1%
16. LSU 42.8%

In other words, I don't care if a team has an 85% winning pct against Kentucky, North Carolina, or Duke (unless it's in basketball)

Now for the best of the rest. The winning percentages versus the 16 teams on the list and the total number of games played.

1. GEORGIA TECH 44.5%, 424 GAMES
2. UCLA 40.1%, 152
3. PITTSBURGH 39%, 277
4. SYRACUSE 37.4%, 154
5. TEXAS A&M 34.8%, 241
6. MICHIGAN STATE 34.5%, 262
7. NORTH CAROLINA 34%, 155
8. WASHINGTON 33.3%, 131
9. STANFORD 32.4%, 141
10. ARIZONA ST 31.9%, 47
11. MISSISSIPPI 31.7%, 324
12. MINNESOTA 31.5%, 220
13. COLORADO 31.1%, 182
14. MISSOURI 31.0%, 251
15. MISSISSIPPI ST 30.5%, 409

Not exactly, but not too shabby

That's a wrap of all of the teams that have a 30% or higher win pct. As much as I hate to say it, Georgia Tech should have made the original list. If not for LSU and Florida's recent mega-success, they would have. Tech has an all time winning record vs. Florida, LSU, and Miami. Tech has 2 undisputed MNC's (1917, 1928) and a split title in 1990 with Colorado. Adding Tech would also put UGA's winning pct at 50.9, but a list is a list, and I'm not changin' it (and whoever heard of the Sweet 17....it just don't sound right).

UCLA is the only other team on the planet to break 40%. USC casts a mighty big shadow in LA.

Anyway, here's the rest of the BCS schools in order of win pct against the top 16. When I run across a name that's made a splash recently, I'll put up their win pct and games played for reference.

• ARKANSAS


• VIRGINIA TECH 29.7%, 93


• CALIFORNIA 29.4%, 141


• VANDERBILT


• CLEMSON


• DUKE


• IOWA 28.2%, 222


• PURDUE


• VIRGINIA


• WISCONSIN 26.5%, 190


• BOSTON COLLEGE 25.9%, 112


• ILLINOIS 25.7%, 238


• NC STATE


• OREGON 24.7%, 96


• KENTUCKY


• KANSAS 23.6%, 247


• MARYLAND


• TEXAS TECH


• BAYLOR


• ARIZONA


• NORTHWESTERN


• SOUTH CAROLINA


• WAKE FOREST 20.6%, 69


• KANSAS STATE


• SOUTH FLORIDA


• INDIANA


• WEST VIRGINIA 18.2%, 101


• OKLAHOMA ST


• OREGON ST


• WASHINGTON ST


• IOWA ST


• CINCINNATI


• LOUISVILLE 11.6%, 44


• RUTGERS 7.8%, 52


• UCONN

I hope that all of these numbers will give a little perspective to how these programs have performed.

Anyway, I'm sorting through all of these stats and building up to my official ranking of the top 16. Right now, the Billingsley List is the most reputable that I can find since they've had a poll since 1869. I'm sure that mine won't look quite like that (hint....UGA #1...jk).

To be continued..........