Iowa at the Halfway Point

[tksirius]

I can never decide if I think Total Offense should be measured by yards per game or points per game. They're usually similar (Iowa is 61 in YPG, 53 in PPG). I think they're both flawed stats though, but I don't really know of any decent advanced metric at the moment.

At the same time I never know if total offense even matters in the first place. You have Purdue as a top 10 offense in the country...with losses to NW, Mizzou and Eastern Michigan. You have Memphis as a top 7 offense because they play zero defense and uptempo offense.

My point is...I dont know what my point is. Points are fun

All you need to know is never question a Ferentz. That's advice I'm taking from here on out.

 

[AreWeThereYet]

Careful, you start by looking at Iowa's individual stats for 5 min. and next thing you know it's an hour later and you're neck deep in FAU's team defensive stats from 9 years ago. Place is a rabbithole of pure football data.

Too Late!

 

[DDThompson]

Offensive YPG is irrelevant as a national statistic. The Big10 plays a different style of ball than the BigXII and the Sunbelt.

Who gives a rip if BigXII teams average 550 YPG when 9 of those games are against other BigXII teams that don’t wanna play defense while Iowa averages 400 YPG against a handful of teams of the 9 conference teams that do play defense.

And the talent level of the Sunbelt vs. Big10 — why is it so important to compare their stats with the Big10’s?

 

[ModebaSan]

I don’t think any team in the nation has ever had two tight ends have over 100 yds. receiving, EVER! What we’re doing with Fant and Hockenson is akin to what New England did with Gronkowski and Hernandez. TE’s are faster down the field than what linebackers can cover, and safeties are too short to out jump them for jump balls. Matchup nightmare for any team. IMHO, if we can win out, we will face Michigan in the B1G Championship game. If that happens, I think we can win. We would be coming off what should be another beatdown of Nebby, while Michigan would be coming off an emotionally draining game vs. OSU. Then we can make it as the #4 seed in the CFP. And you know what that means, we would face #1 Alabama. Our type of offense is Sabans worst nightmare. Besides having Sabans number while he was at MSU and LSU, our TE’s would scare the hell out of him. I know Im way ahead of myself right now, but a guy can dream cant he? If it actually came to be, then you can say, you heard it here first! Lol! Go Hawks!

 

[deanvogs]

Offensive YPG is irrelevant as a national statistic. The Big10 plays a different style of ball than the BigXII and the Sunbelt.

Who gives a rip if BigXII teams average 550 YPG when 9 of those games are against other BigXII teams that don’t wanna play defense while Iowa averages 400 YPG against a handful of teams of the 9 conference teams that do play defense.

And the talent level of the Sunbelt vs. Big10 — why is it so important to compare their stats with the Big10’s?

Totally agree, and I have been temped to make that argument here several times, but it would fall on deaf ears anyway. I do like the stat that Deace has been tracking all year the Yards per play gained by your offense minus Yards per play allowed by your defense. Right now they ranked 3rd in this category in the B1G.

 

[4thngoal]

Offensive YPG is irrelevant as a national statistic. The Big10 plays a different style of ball than the BigXII and the Sunbelt.

Who gives a rip if BigXII teams average 550 YPG when 9 of those games are against other BigXII teams that don’t wanna play defense while Iowa averages 400 YPG against a handful of teams of the 9 conference teams that do play defense.

And the talent level of the Sunbelt vs. Big10 — why is it so important to compare their stats with the Big10’s?

I agree for the most part. There is a line or balance though however.
In some old 10-7 games, nobody had very many yards.
However as the rules have changed and everyone wanted high scores, the game has changed. Thus so has the line or balance.
Do you need 500 ypg to win a NC? Absolutely not.
But I would guess 250 isn't going to get it done either.
Lastly. When you figure in bad punts, the new kick off rules and just generally how field positions have changed, it's news worthy when a 90 yard drive happens, when it used to be much more common.