How is that for a setup for a huge SEC matchup? Like it needed anymore data points to generate national interest, the Alabama Crimson Tide defense leads the nation in our exclusive BLITZIndex ratings as they head to Gainesville to face the Florida Gators this Saturday.
The BLITZIndex is a three-variable equal weighted ranking of key defensive efficiency stats related to fantasy performance – yards per play allowed (YPP), yards per point allowed (YPPt) and points per game allowed (PPG)
After the jump, the best and worst defenses in the country to help with your fantasy college football matchups, or whatever you may want to do with compelling and insightful knowledge about the game…
Three weeks of games, some teams have only played two, huge variance in the strength of schedule – how does anyone know who the best defenses are in college football, and how the Lutzenkirchen do I set my fantasy lineup?
Arizona State LB Vontaze Burfict puts Jason Ford "butt over teacup" as my granddad used to say (Icon SMI)
Fantasy College Blitz will help you with our exclusive, numbers-driven rankings of all 120 FBS college football defenses. I wait until Week 3 to build this so we can have enough data points, and certainly this tool gets stronger as the season progresses – nonetheless, a few teams have truly played at a very high level, regardless of the level of competition faced.
The BLITZIndex is an equal-weighted, three variable ranking of the most important defensive efficiency statistics for the fantasy player – yards per play allowed (YPP), Yards per Point allowed (YPPt) and Points per Game allowed (PPG).
Yes, Kansas and UCLA are as bad as you would expect. And Alabama and UCF are great, but trail the Kansas State Wildcats – facing Eastern Kentucky and Kent State will do that but still a very high level of effectiveness that should carry over to Big 12 play.
Same variables as the defense rankings, but flipped over to the offense. So we want low yards per point (YPPT) to rank higher as it takes fewer yards to score. And high PPG for obvious reasons. Darned if a lot of the same teams are on this list too.
Fantasy College Blitz Offense Rank 04Dec2010
Kellen Moore and Boise started strong on offense, and finished strong on offense as the regular season leader in BLITZIndex Offense (Icon SMI)
1 Boise St.
2 Wisconsin
2 Oregon
4 TCU
4 Auburn
6 Oklahoma St.
7 Ohio St.
8 Stanford
9 Hawaii
10 Northern Ill.
11 Nevada
12 Utah
13 Virginia Tech
14 Georgia
15 Alabama
16 Tulsa
16 Arkansas
18 East Carolina
19 UCF
19 Houston
21 San Diego St.
22 Kansas St.
23 Nebraska
24 Southern Miss.
25 South Carolina
In our exclusive and proprietary college football defense rankings, we look for the most efficient and the most stingy units that could derail your fantasy matchups each week. Now that fantasy season is over, let’s use the same measurements to get an edge on the bowl games!
TCU Horned Frogs and West Virginia Mountaineers fans should be familiar with their defenses being at the top of our list, but after the regular season they are tied at the top when we add up the national rankings of yards per play allowed (YPP), yards per point allowed (YPPT), and points per game allowed (PPG). While TCU leads the nation in YPP (4.0) and PPG (11.4), the Mountaineers top three ranks in all categories squeaks them just ahead of Boise and a tie with TCU.
Our top-ranked West Virginia defense has jacked up many more players than just Rutgers Mark Harrison this week. (Icon SMI)
BLITZIndex RANK DEF 4Dec10
1 TCU
1 West Virginia
3 Boise St.
4 Ohio St.
5 Alabama
6 Iowa
7 Nebraska
9 Missouri
9 Oregon
10 UCF
11 Clemson
12 LSU
13 Syracuse
14 Stanford
14 Temple
14 Texas A&M
17 Florida St.
18 Boston College
19 South Fla.
20 Connecticut
20 Miami (FL)
22 Louisville
23 Northern Ill.
24 Michigan St.
25 Pittsburgh
25 Virginia Tech
Alphabetical list here BLITZIndex 04Dec10(alpha), and notice that I added on the national ranks in total, run and pass ypg allowed for reference only. Offensive study later today.
While I appreciate that the results of my quantitative rankings suggest a weaker set of opponents for everyone’s favorite BCS Busters, I will remind you that regardless of that the TCU Horned Frogs and the Boise State Broncos continue to perform at exceptionally high levels in 2010, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Boise State D, Threat Level Orange (Idaho Press-Tribune)
And performance is all we care about here at Fantasy College Blitz.
While the average defense in college football this year allows 5.5 yards per play, 14.5 yards per point and almost 25 points per game, let me present our “small school” results:
