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..........

Advances in Technology

Hear ye, Hear ye all brave supporters of the train wreck that is sometimes known as Yellow Jacket Nation.

In these times of adversity, it is common to lash out at your adversaries, to hide behind great deeds of times long gone. John Heisman, Bobby Dodd, Pepper Rodgers, Bobby Ross….those were simpler, better times. Greatness is but a distant memory and the future can be described as “bleak” at best. It can be a bit disheartening at times.

You have lost your mojo and it currently resides some 75 miles northeast, wrapped in one of Mohamed Massaquoi’s dirty game socks and buried in a time capsule, which will one day be unearthed and rightfully returned….in slightly less than mint condition.

You must not waver in your resolve. You must not simply accept the verbal barrage that is dumped upon you in seemingly unlimited quantities. What you really need is……ammunition. A quick retort when confronted with unflattering facts, an edge that will reverse the tides and give you the upper hand in any argument. I offer that to you now, as a gift, with humility, and ask for nothing in return.

Just consider……

(1) Since the Falcons have come to Atlanta, your football team has never been ranked lower than 6th in the state. In all honesty, most of those years, the Jackets can claim the prestigious 3rd spot. Sure, I know that occasionally a program of Georgia Southern’s caliber will knock you out of that spot. Maybe Valdosta State or Parkview or Lowndes County will sneak in every once in a blue moon. But, in general, you will consistently rank a solid third. You can take pride in the fact that in that same time period, UGA can only claim the top spot 15 or so times. Sometimes the Falcons are actually better than the Dawgs, but no one can diminish your accomplishment of consistently finishing in the top 5.

(2) You have a new coach that will bring a new space age offensive system with him. Trust me on this one, defensive coordinators are already experiencing sleepless nights in anticipation of facing the Techsters this season. Try dazzling your persecutors with your newfound knowledge of the triple / quintuple / multiple option power run, run, and run machine and watch as they tuck their tales and run, run, run away.

(3) This one’s the absolute clincher. Be forewarned, it takes some intestinal fortitude. If you’re going to sell this one, you have to reach down and grab your stinger, lower the estrogen level just a bit, because you know as well as I, it’s coming. There’s no avoiding it. You will be harassed by a Dawg fan….. “7 in a row, 7 in a row, 7 in a row”. I can’t stress the importance of maintaining your composure at this point, but it is key. This is your chance to stifle that obnoxious co-worker, friend or relative once and for all. You’ve gotta suck it up, look ‘em eye to eye, and repeat verbatim “So freakin what….FSU’s got 12 straight on us & runnin…..Yeah, that’s right, who’s our daddy now?”

Guaranteed to work every time. Glad I could help.