Writers of Pro Football Prospectus 2008

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2010 NCAA S&P+ RATINGS, DEFENSE

through games of 1/10/11

The S&P+ Ratings are a college football ratings system derived from the play-by-play data of all 800+ of a season's FBS college football games (and 140,000+ plays). There are three key components to the S&P+:

  • Success Rate: A common Football Outsiders tool used to measure efficiency by determining whether every play of a given game was successful or not. The terms of success in college football: 50 percent of necessary yardage on first down, 70 percent on second down, and 100 percent on third and fourth down.
  • EqPts Per Play (PPP): An explosiveness measure derived from determining the point value of every yard line (based on the expected number of points an
    offense could expect to score from that yard line) and, therefore, every play of a given game.
  • Opponent adjustments: Success Rate and PPP combine to form S&P, an OPS-like measure for football. Then each team's S&P output for a given category (Rushing/Passing on either Standard Downs or Passing Downs) is compared to the expected output based upon their opponents and their opponents' opponents. This is a schedule-based adjustment designed to reward tougher schedules and punish weaker ones.

The S&P+ figures used in the tables below only look at the plays that took place while a game was deemed "close," or competitive. The criteria for being "close" are as follows: a game within 24 points in the first quarter, with 21 points in the second quarter, and within 16 points in the second half.

Passing Downs are defined as:

  • second down with 8 or more yards to go
  • third or fourth down with 5 or more yards to go

All other downs are Standard Downs Please note that in the split of rushing and passing S&P+, sacks are counted as passes, as in NFL data, and not runs as in official NCAA totals.

Use the menu above for pages that give more details on total and offensive S&P+, or our other college football ratings, the drive-based FEI.

Defense Def. S&P+
 Rk Success
Rate+		 Rk PPP+ Rk Rushing
S&P+		 Rk Passing
S&P+		 Rk Std.
Downs
S&P+		 Rk Pass.
Downs
S&P+		 Rk
Boise State 146.5 1 134.7 1 171.2 1 140.7 4 158.6 2 138.9 1 144.2 6
TCU 138.7 2 126.2 3 158.7 3 119.9 17 165.9 1 128.5 6 164.6 1
West Virginia 137.8 3 120.7 7 145.7 6 137.6 5 125.3 15 131.5 3 118.4 26
Ohio State 135.6 4 123.9 4 167.1 2 132.7 7 148.9 3 138.4 2 157.9 2
Nebraska 126.1 5 119.1 10 132.6 14 112.6 25 142.5 4 115.9 27 138.5 9
Alabama 126.0 6 119.6 8 143.6 8 127.2 11 132.6 7 131.5 4 149.1 3
Oklahoma 125.5 7 127.9 2 128.6 20 126.1 12 130.0 10 124.0 12 144.4 5
Notre Dame 124.7 8 118.8 11 149.7 5 125.9 13 138.0 5 130.6 5 123.8 17
Miami 123.3 9 123.4 5 128.6 21 119.4 19 131.1 8 127.5 9 118.5 25
Boston College 123.2 10 106.8 35 152.4 4 146.0 2 110.7 36 124.3 11 121.1 21
South Carolina 122.4 11 121.8 6 140.7 9 141.2 3 122.9 20 127.5 8 125.6 15
Clemson 122.2 12 115.5 16 131.5 17 134.4 6 108.8 43 125.5 10 111.3 33
Mississippi State 119.6 13 115.3 17 138.1 12 127.9 10 122.9 21 128.2 7 125.7 14
Texas A&M 119.1 14 115.7 15 130.7 18 123.3 14 119.0 23 122.6 14 126.7 13
Utah 118.8 15 114.8 19 129.0 19 154.3 1 104.8 49 118.3 21 105.4 47
Oregon 117.7 16 111.3 21 133.0 13 116.3 22 124.1 17 114.1 32 142.7 7
Missouri 117.6 17 108.8 27 132.1 16 102.0 56 135.7 6 123.9 13 105.0 49
Stanford 117.6 18 107.6 30 138.2 11 118.9 20 118.5 24 112.1 36 103.0 58
LSU 117.5 19 107.1 34 140.1 10 109.5 37 130.8 9 120.4 17 131.6 12
Texas 117.5 20 119.2 9 119.0 38 109.1 38 129.9 11 115.6 28 140.4 8
Defense Def. S&P+
 Rk Success
Rate+		 Rk PPP+ Rk Rushing
S&P+		 Rk Passing
S&P+		 Rk Std.
Downs
S&P+		 Rk Pass.
Downs
S&P+		 Rk
Illinois 117.5 21 118.7 12 127.6 23 129.6 9 117.4 26 117.3 22 120.4 24
Iowa 116.2 22 107.5 31 144.0 7 119.6 18 123.2 18 112.7 34 144.5 4
Arizona 115.6 23 116.1 14 124.5 29 123.1 15 116.5 28 120.6 16 107.7 41
Florida 115.5 24 110.9 23 126.6 25 113.7 24 121.1 22 122.4 15 122.2 19
BYU 115.3 25 112.3 20 126.1 27 110.2 33 129.8 12 105.0 43 135.6 10
Wisconsin 115.2 26 107.8 29 132.1 15 110.1 35 124.5 16 105.5 42 116.5 27
Maryland 114.5 27 107.9 28 123.2 32 111.2 28 116.5 29 117.0 23 111.2 34
California 114.3 28 114.9 18 125.4 28 110.4 32 127.1 14 116.5 26 132.5 11
Virginia Tech 114.1 29 118.0 13 115.3 43 104.1 48 128.2 13 116.7 24 116.2 28
Central Florida 114.0 30 102.2 49 126.8 24 107.4 41 115.2 30 105.9 41 113.4 29
Florida State 113.8 31 105.7 39 124.4 31 108.7 40 117.1 27 118.4 19 104.9 51
Oklahoma State 113.6 32 106.0 38 126.5 26 121.8 16 108.5 44 119.6 18 98.4 70
Arkansas 112.4 33 111.0 22 124.5 30 111.6 26 122.9 19 116.6 25 120.8 23
South Florida 111.5 34 104.4 42 111.4 46 109.5 36 104.2 51 118.3 20 83.9 105
Pittsburgh 110.3 35 97.1 72 128.5 22 100.3 62 118.3 25 115.0 29 96.3 74
Michigan State 109.6 36 107.1 33 117.2 40 110.5 31 112.8 33 112.8 33 95.0 77
Georgia 109.4 37 106.2 37 120.6 35 108.9 39 113.8 32 115.0 30 110.5 36
N.C. State 109.4 38 104.2 45 117.0 41 115.0 23 106.2 47 102.3 51 112.4 31
Arizona State 109.3 39 109.5 25 115.2 44 131.6 8 95.8 71 114.5 31 106.5 43
Penn State 107.4 40 103.2 46 122.9 33 110.1 34 111.5 34 103.3 45 121.7 20
Defense Def. S&P+
 Rk Success
Rate+		 Rk PPP+ Rk Rushing
S&P+		 Rk Passing
S&P+		 Rk Std.
Downs
S&P+		 Rk Pass.
Downs
S&P+		 Rk
North Carolina 107.2 41 103.1 47 112.9 45 111.6 27 103.2 54 109.4 38 111.1 35
Auburn 106.5 42 104.6 41 121.2 34 118.6 21 109.4 42 109.6 37 120.8 22
Kent State 106.2 43 99.5 59 96.9 64 100.4 61 97.3 67 103.1 46 97.8 72
Syracuse 105.8 44 98.6 64 101.6 56 100.5 60 99.3 61 102.5 50 103.3 57
Purdue 105.4 45 100.7 53 118.9 39 106.5 43 109.9 40 101.7 52 106.2 44
SMU 105.4 46 100.4 54 120.0 36 106.7 42 110.2 38 101.2 56 124.0 16
Oregon State 105.0 47 106.5 36 119.4 37 111.0 29 110.4 37 112.6 35 106.7 42
Louisville 104.8 48 104.3 43 99.7 60 98.1 68 106.9 46 98.3 61 123.5 18
Nevada 103.5 49 102.1 50 98.1 62 92.7 85 105.1 48 88.4 105 108.5 39
Southern Miss 103.4 50 110.0 24 94.0 70 103.3 53 101.5 55 95.8 72 112.4 30
Northern Illinois 103.4 51 100.1 57 94.1 69 98.0 69 98.0 65 93.8 79 103.7 54
Fresno State 102.8 52 109.3 26 101.0 57 94.5 78 114.9 31 105.9 40 89.0 92
USC 102.3 53 100.2 55 115.9 42 103.8 49 107.4 45 102.6 49 102.2 61
Air Force 102.2 54 98.9 62 104.7 50 94.2 79 109.7 41 97.7 65 101.2 65
Marshall 102.0 55 102.7 48 100.3 58 103.5 50 101.4 56 103.0 47 104.8 52
Connecticut 101.9 56 96.5 77 104.3 51 99.5 64 100.2 60 102.8 48 109.5 37
Miami (Ohio) 101.9 57 105.6 40 88.8 80 94.7 75 101.2 57 96.2 71 90.7 87
Tennessee 101.8 58 100.2 56 106.2 48 95.3 73 110.1 39 107.6 39 101.5 64
San Diego State 100.8 59 97.5 69 98.0 63 103.4 52 94.1 76 103.3 44 98.1 71
UCLA 100.3 60 101.8 52 106.0 49 96.9 70 110.7 35 101.4 54 111.6 32
Defense Def. S&P+
 Rk Success
Rate+		 Rk PPP+ Rk Rushing
S&P+		 Rk Passing
S&P+		 Rk Std.
Downs
S&P+		 Rk Pass.
Downs
S&P+		 Rk
Hawaii 100.2 61 97.9 68 104.0 52 105.1 45 96.1 69 99.4 60 97.5 73
Toledo 100.2 62 96.1 81 102.4 55 93.2 83 104.6 50 95.1 75 102.0 62
Texas Tech 98.9 63 107.3 32 91.1 74 106.4 44 95.5 74 95.5 74 108.4 40
Ole Miss 98.5 64 104.3 44 96.7 65 102.3 55 100.6 59 101.5 53 91.7 86
Vanderbilt 98.4 65 98.3 66 103.7 53 104.4 47 95.9 70 100.6 57 108.8 38
Temple 97.7 66 91.5 98 93.5 71 95.2 74 87.8 94 96.6 69 105.9 46
Colorado 96.4 67 98.6 63 100.1 59 111.0 30 89.8 87 101.2 55 90.6 88
Navy 96.3 68 92.1 95 102.8 54 101.9 57 88.8 89 91.2 90 104.9 50
Tulsa 96.0 69 99.8 58 90.6 75 103.4 51 90.8 84 93.3 80 95.3 76
Florida International 95.9 70 99.4 60 84.5 95 85.5 103 98.4 64 91.5 88 102.8 59
UL-Monroe 95.6 71 96.5 76 92.4 73 93.4 81 95.6 73 93.2 81 90.3 89
Buffalo 95.3 72 94.9 84 87.7 85 100.6 59 83.6 105 97.2 68 86.3 100
Kentucky 95.2 73 94.7 87 96.1 67 89.6 94 103.3 53 90.2 98 103.3 56
Washington 95.0 74 97.4 71 96.6 66 93.4 82 100.8 58 100.4 58 102.3 60
Louisiana Tech 94.8 75 94.4 88 98.5 61 94.0 80 98.5 62 95.5 73 93.3 80
Ohio 94.7 76 87.2 113 86.1 90 88.6 97 85.1 101 82.5 112 80.6 109
UAB 94.6 77 98.6 65 88.0 84 89.3 95 97.2 68 97.8 64 85.9 102
Western Michigan 94.6 78 96.3 78 84.5 94 96.8 71 85.8 98 90.4 96 94.4 78
Utah State 94.2 79 96.3 79 94.9 68 85.2 106 103.4 52 91.3 89 101.8 63
Iowa State 94.1 80 87.5 112 106.2 47 98.3 66 90.7 85 97.9 62 104.0 53
Defense Def. S&P+
 Rk Success
Rate+		 Rk PPP+ Rk Rushing
S&P+		 Rk Passing
S&P+		 Rk Std.
Downs
S&P+		 Rk Pass.
Downs
S&P+		 Rk
Troy 93.6 81 101.8 51 80.4 105 87.0 100 94.2 75 90.2 100 105.4 48
Rutgers 93.6 82 96.5 75 86.3 89 103.0 54 81.8 108 91.2 91 106.0 45
Middle Tennessee 93.1 83 90.6 101 81.3 103 84.8 107 85.8 100 92.4 85 77.7 114
Florida Atlantic 92.5 84 90.3 102 89.3 78 91.0 87 88.1 93 91.7 87 87.0 97
Army 92.5 85 92.8 94 88.6 82 90.5 90 92.6 80 91.0 92 86.6 98
Georgia Tech 92.4 86 94.2 90 87.2 86 94.7 76 87.4 95 92.7 82 95.8 75
Arkansas State 92.0 87 94.8 85 88.8 81 90.5 89 92.7 78 90.1 101 101.0 66
Baylor 92.0 88 90.8 100 90.1 76 90.0 93 91.0 83 94.1 78 88.1 94
Idaho 91.9 89 89.8 103 92.8 72 88.0 98 93.2 77 97.8 63 87.8 95
Duke 91.8 90 96.2 80 87.1 87 99.5 65 82.3 107 97.4 66 84.2 104
Kansas State 91.8 91 98.1 67 83.5 98 92.8 84 88.3 92 100.3 59 66.5 120
North Texas 90.3 92 96.8 74 77.8 111 90.6 88 82.7 106 89.6 102 89.0 91
Northwestern 90.2 93 89.6 105 89.7 77 82.6 111 97.4 66 90.7 93 91.9 85
Michigan 90.2 94 96.8 73 84.7 93 92.1 86 88.4 90 96.3 70 80.4 110
Cincinnati 90.1 95 95.2 83 79.1 109 100.9 58 77.5 113 90.4 97 92.9 81
Central Michigan 90.0 96 89.3 107 86.9 88 90.2 92 87.3 96 88.9 104 100.9 67
Wake Forest 89.5 97 89.2 108 88.8 79 88.6 96 88.3 91 81.9 113 99.8 68
Virginia 89.0 98 94.7 86 79.3 108 83.1 109 92.4 81 95.1 76 83.5 106
Houston 88.7 99 91.9 97 83.2 99 86.2 101 89.2 88 92.1 86 74.3 117
UL-Lafayette 88.7 100 94.2 89 83.0 100 90.4 91 85.8 99 90.6 94 87.3 96
Defense Def. S&P+
 Rk Success
Rate+		 Rk PPP+ Rk Rushing
S&P+		 Rk Passing
S&P+		 Rk Std.
Downs
S&P+		 Rk Pass.
Downs
S&P+		 Rk
Tulane 88.1 101 93.5 92 79.4 106 78.4 116 98.4 63 90.5 95 83.0 107
San Jose State 87.9 102 89.8 104 88.6 83 85.4 104 92.3 82 94.9 77 86.5 99
Wyoming 87.8 103 88.1 110 85.2 91 85.6 102 87.0 97 92.7 83 88.7 93
Akron 87.6 104 92.0 96 74.8 117 100.1 63 72.9 119 81.0 115 80.1 111
Minnesota 87.2 105 99.2 61 80.7 104 98.3 67 80.2 110 97.3 67 75.4 115
Western Kentucky 86.8 106 88.2 109 82.0 102 75.3 118 95.6 72 77.6 119 103.6 55
Kansas 86.8 107 87.6 111 85.1 92 87.4 99 84.7 102 89.1 103 79.7 113
East Carolina 85.7 108 95.3 82 79.4 107 84.4 108 90.2 86 87.4 108 84.2 103
Rice 85.5 109 97.4 70 77.1 113 105.0 46 76.1 116 90.2 99 92.8 82
Indiana 85.4 110 94.1 91 75.2 116 95.3 72 76.7 115 87.7 106 71.8 118
Washington State 84.6 111 90.8 99 84.1 97 82.7 110 92.6 79 92.6 84 90.0 90
Bowling Green 84.1 112 84.0 114 82.4 101 81.2 112 84.4 103 81.8 114 93.7 79
Memphis 84.0 113 92.8 93 77.9 110 94.6 77 77.0 114 86.0 110 81.8 108
Ball State 83.4 114 79.9 119 73.8 118 78.5 115 74.5 118 77.8 118 79.7 112
Colorado State 82.7 115 83.8 115 84.2 96 85.3 105 81.4 109 87.4 109 74.9 116
UTEP 80.4 116 75.9 120 76.1 114 72.2 120 78.3 112 78.1 117 92.1 84
New Mexico 80.0 117 83.3 117 77.7 112 76.7 117 84.2 104 85.0 111 86.0 101
New Mexico State 77.5 118 89.3 106 66.5 119 74.4 119 79.1 111 79.7 116 98.6 69
UNLV 75.0 119 82.1 118 75.2 115 80.4 113 75.5 117 87.5 107 92.2 83
Eastern Michigan 73.3 120 83.4 116 61.0 120 78.5 114 65.2 120 73.3 120 67.7 119