Jordan Todman stiff-armed many defenders, not just the Orange, on his way to a Doak Walker Award snub (Icon SMI)

The Huskies need a win at South Florida this weekend and Connecticut, only a few short years removed from D-1AA (now known as FCS) competition, will head to a BCS Bowl.

Of course Connecticut has lost it’s fair share of games this season. That fact is likely to cause some outrage amongst the elitist elite of college football. The Huskies have lost to Michigan (the very same Michigan with Greg Robinson as it’s defensive coordinator) and Temple (I don’t care how much better the Owls are, losing to Temple is never a good thing).

Say what they will, and they will say a lot, Connecticut has a lot of talent and the Huskies are rolling. Let’s take a look at the make up of the likely 2010 Big East Champion (Is this a reverse jinx? Do I put a lot of parentheses in a paragraph?)

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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:

• TCU – 4.2 yppl, 20.5 yppt, 10.91 ppg
• BOISE – 3.7 yppl, 19.9, yppt, 11 ppg

The All-FBS BLITZIndex numerical ranking is here and as expected, four Conference USA teams in the bottom 10. Also, a nice setup for de facto Big East title game though with #3 D West Virginia at #21 Pitt on Friday at noon. For your playoff match-ups, use the BLITZIndex_21NOV10(alphabetical).

BlitzIndex Defense Rank for 21Nov
1    TCU
2    Boise St.
3    West Virginia
4    Alabama
5    Ohio St.
6    Iowa
7    Oregon
8    Nebraska
9    LSU
9    Missouri
11    Clemson
12    Florida St.
13    Arizona
14    Temple
15    Syracuse
16    UCF
17    Texas A&M
18    South Fla.
19    Miami (FL)
19    Michigan St.
21    Pittsburgh
22    Oklahoma
23    Stanford
23    Virginia Tech
25    Connecticut

TCU at the top of the heap again, even after letting a tough San Diego State team hang around and score 35 on them – they padded their points per game stats all year to compensate. Here is my exclusive ranking, an equal weighted index of yds/play, yds/pt and pts/gm allowed to determine the best college football defenses in the land.

Miami Hurricanes defense , shown here ground-and-pounding GT, consistently near the top of our rankings all season (Icon SMI)

FantasyCollegeBlitz Blitzindex 14Nov
1    TCU
2    Boise St.
3    West Virginia
4    LSU
4    Ohio St.
6    Oregon
7    Alabama
7    Iowa
9    Temple
10    Nebraska
11    Clemson
12    Missouri
13    Syracuse
14    Florida St.
15    Arizona
16    Miami (FL)
17    Michigan St.
18    Mississippi St.
19    Maryland
20    South Fla.
21    Oklahoma
21    UCF
23    Utah
24    Rutgers
25    Virginia Tech

and to help you with roster setting for your playoffs (mind the byes), lots easier to use the alphabetical sort. BLITZIndex_Nov14(alpha)

TCU continues to lead the nation in fantasy stinginess – Horned Frogs pace FBS with top ranks in points per game allowed (8.5) and yards per point allowed (25.4), while narrowly in second in yards per play allowed (4.0, to Boise’s 3.7)

Does TCU defense and Superfrog make you horny baby? Does he? (Icon SMI)

Median scores for the three variables I use to rate the nation’s defense: 5. 4 yds/play, 24.4 pts/gm, 14.6 yds/pt.

BlitzIndex 07Nov10

1    TCU
2    Boise St.
3    West Virginia
4    Iowa
5    Ohio St.
6    Oregon
7    Alabama
7    Temple
9    LSU
10    Mississippi St.
11    Missouri
12    Clemson
13    Arizona
14    Michigan St.
15    Utah
15    UCF
17    Nebraska
18    Syracuse
19    San Diego St.
20    Maryland
21    Florida St.
22    Northern Ill.
23    Pittsburgh
24    Texas A&M
25    South Florida

To more easily identify your playoff fantasy matchups, use the alphabetical study: BLITZIndex_nov8(alpha)

TCU still rocking the top of the national college football defense rankings, leading the nation in Yards per Point allowed (25.1, or you gotta go 150 yards to score a TD equivalent) and also Points per game allowed (8.67, with only 16 in last five).

Do not fret, Tennessee Tech - TCU makes most offenses look this way. (Icon SMI)

The Horned Frogs should expect a slugfest when they battle for the Mountain West lead this weekend against the #3 ranked defense of the Utah Utes.

BLITZIndex Rank Nov 1
1    TCU
2    Boise St.
3    Alabama
3    Utah
5    West Virginia
6    Arizona
7    Iowa
7    Ohio St.
9    Oregon
9    Florida St.
11    LSU
12    Mississippi St.
12    UCF
14    Missouri
15    Illinois
16    Nebraska
16    Syracuse
18    Temple
19    Clemson
20    South Fla.
21    Maryland
22    Pittsburgh
23    San Diego St.
23    Miami (FL)
25    Northern Illinois
25    Michigan St.

yes, you read that right – two MAC squads in the Top 25 of all defenses in the land, and Kent State is not far behind. Bottom Ten and alphabetical list to help you set your final regular season weekly lineups after you… Read the rest of this entry →