College Football Rankings - UPDATED (by z-score for all and percentile for Nebraska)

[beorach]

*** UPDATED 12/2/16 ***

 

A z-score is the difference between a statistic and the mean for that statistic, expressed in terms of standard deviations. I calculate these for nine categories and average them for each of those...before averaging some of the averages to get rankings. I'm only using data from games between FBS teams and I flip signs so z-scores are expressed as positive for good and negative for bad, regardless of whether we're talking about defense or offense. To give a couple examples, a z-score of 1 means the team's stat is exactly one standard deviation better than the national average for that stat...while a z-score of 0 means the stat matches the average exactly.

 

Let's look at Nebraska first.

 

Passing offense z-score is -0.50, which translates to roughly the 31st percentile. Last season at this time, the z-score was -0.08.

Passing defense z-score is 0.55, which translates to roughly the 71st percentile. Last season at this time, the z-score was -0.66.

Rushing offense z-score is -0.03, which translates to roughly the 49th percentile. Last season at this time, the z-score was 0.08.

Rushing defense z-score is 0.52, which translates to roughly the 70th percentile. Last season at this time, the z-score was 0.85.

Scoring offense z-score is -0.27, which translates to roughly the 39th percentile. Last season at this time, the z-score was 0.44.

Scoring defense z-score is 0.79, which translates to roughly the 79th percentile. Last season at this time, the z-score was 0.10.

Total offense z-score is -0.29, which translates to roughly the 39th percentile. Last season at this time, the z-score was 0.39.

Total defense z-score is 0.78, which translates to roughly the 78th percentile. Last season at this time, the z-score was -0.01.

Turnover margin z-score is 0.37, which translates to roughly the 64th percentile. Last season at this time, the z-score was -1.00.

 

If I treat the composite z-scores as normal ones, Nebraska is statistically: 58th percentile overall; 75th percentile defensively; and 39th percentile offensively. Last (regular) season's were: 51st percentile overall; 52nd percentile defensively; and 58th percentile offensively. Clearly, the stats in the rushing defense category were affected by the ease with which opponents passed on last season's squad...and the strength of schedule was obviously greater this season.

 

For the OVERALL rankings below (only), I used strength of schedule ratings from footballperspective.com to weight the composite z-scores...

 

All FBS Teams Overall Statistical Rankings (considering all those categories listed above for Nebraska)

Ohio State 1.44

Alabama 1.35

Michigan 1.29

Washington 1.01

Louisville 0.91

Clemson 0.77

Wisconsin 0.76

Colorado 0.76

LSU 0.75

Western Michigan 0.66

Oklahoma 0.58

Penn State 0.57

Auburn 0.56

Washington State 0.54

USC 0.53

San Diego State 0.53

Appalachian State 0.51

Florida State 0.50

Western Kentucky 0.49

Virginia Tech 0.48

Temple 0.47

Boise State 0.44

Houston 0.43

West Virginia 0.42

Florida 0.41

Miami (Florida) 0.39

Iowa 0.39

South Florida 0.36

Troy 0.33

Toledo 0.32

Louisiana Tech 0.31

Navy 0.31

BYU 0.30

Air Force 0.30

Tulsa 0.29

Memphis 0.29

TCU 0.29

Oklahoma State 0.28

Minnesota 0.23

Utah 0.22

Stanford 0.22

Northwestern 0.21

Old Dominion 0.21

Nebraska 0.19

Texas A&M 0.19

Pittsburgh 0.16

Arkansas State 0.15

Colorado State 0.15

Ohio 0.15

Kansas State 0.15

Georgia 0.14

North Carolina 0.12

Indiana 0.12

Texas 0.11

North Carolina State 0.10

Baylor 0.09

Middle Tennessee 0.09

New Mexico 0.09

Notre Dame 0.09

Army 0.08

Georgia Tech 0.07

UCF 0.06

Northern Illinois 0.04

Miami (Ohio) 0.04

UTSA 0.02

UCLA -0.02

Mississippi State -0.05

Tennessee -0.07

Southern Mississippi -0.08

Tulane -0.10

Louisiana-Lafayette -0.11

Eastern Michigan -0.12

Vanderbilt -0.12

South Alabama -0.12

Wyoming -0.13

Central Michigan -0.17

Michigan State -0.17

Idaho -0.17

Georgia State -0.18

Kentucky -0.18

Iowa State -0.19

South Carolina -0.19

Kent State -0.20

Boston College -0.22

Utah State -0.22

Wake Forest -0.22

Georgia Southern -0.22

Ball State -0.24

UNLV -0.24

Missouri -0.25

Nevada -0.25

Cincinnati -0.26

Mississippi -0.26

California -0.27

North Texas -0.28

Charlotte -0.29

UTEP -0.29

Oregon State -0.30

Maryland -0.33

Oregon -0.34

Arkansas -0.35

Duke -0.35

SMU -0.38

Florida International -0.38

Akron -0.40

Buffalo -0.41

Texas Tech -0.43

New Mexico State -0.44

Marshall -0.46

Hawai'i -0.46

Virginia -0.49

Florida Atlantic -0.51

Connecticut -0.53

San Jose State -0.56

East Carolina -0.56

Bowling Green -0.56

Rice -0.60

Massachusetts -0.60

Fresno State -0.64

Arizona -0.65

Louisiana-Monroe -0.67

Syracuse -0.68

Arizona State -0.71

Illinois -0.74

Purdue -0.82

Texas State -0.91

Kansas -0.93

Rutgers -1.19

Rankings per Defensive Categories Only

Alabama 2.19

Michigan 2.09

Ohio State 1.95

Wisconsin 1.77

Florida 1.66

LSU 1.39

Appalachian State 1.29

Clemson 1.26

Temple 1.21

Colorado 1.18

Louisville 1.14

Iowa 1.06

Washington 1.06

Auburn 1.04

San Diego State 1.02

Troy 0.96

Virginia Tech 0.89

Minnesota 0.88

Army 0.86

Miami (Florida) 0.81

Penn State 0.81

Ohio 0.81

Houston 0.81

Stanford 0.78

USC 0.73

Nebraska 0.66

Western Michigan 0.66

Boston College 0.64

Arkansas State 0.64

Indiana 0.63

UCLA 0.63

Georgia 0.63

Boise State 0.62

Miami (Ohio) 0.61

Western Kentucky 0.60

BYU 0.58

North Carolina State 0.56

Florida State 0.54

UCF 0.53

Northwestern 0.50

Wake Forest 0.44

Tulane 0.43

Georgia State 0.43

Air Force 0.40

West Virginia 0.37

TCU 0.37

Utah 0.32

South Carolina 0.28

Louisiana-Lafayette 0.24

Vanderbilt 0.24

Notre Dame 0.22

Washington State 0.20

Kent State 0.18

Cincinnati 0.12

Old Dominion 0.11

Michigan State 0.09

Utah State 0.09

North Carolina 0.07

Kansas State 0.06

South Alabama 0.05

UTSA 0.04

Toledo 0.01

Texas A&M -0.01

Georgia Tech -0.01

Connecticut -0.05

Central Michigan -0.05

Louisiana Tech -0.08

Colorado State -0.09

Oklahoma -0.13

Southern Mississippi -0.13

Tulsa -0.14

Memphis -0.18

Georgia Southern -0.18

Texas -0.20

Northern Illinois -0.21

Oregon State -0.28

Oklahoma State -0.30

North Texas -0.33

Idaho -0.34

Maryland -0.36

Duke -0.40

Eastern Michigan -0.41

Mississippi State -0.42

Virginia -0.44

Illinois -0.46

Baylor -0.46

Kentucky -0.47

New Mexico -0.47

Buffalo -0.48

Iowa State -0.51

Navy -0.51

South Florida -0.53

Fresno State -0.53

Tennessee -0.55

Charlotte -0.59

Florida International -0.61

Middle Tennessee -0.62

Ball State -0.64

Akron -0.65

Nevada -0.67

San Jose State -0.67

UNLV -0.70

UTEP -0.73

SMU -0.74

Mississippi -0.74

Missouri -0.77

Arkansas -0.78

Pittsburgh -0.79

Massachusetts -0.83

Hawai'i -0.85

Purdue -0.90

Kansas -0.95

Wyoming -0.96

East Carolina -0.97

Marshall -0.98

Arizona -1.02

Bowling Green -1.05

Rutgers -1.06

New Mexico State -1.06

Texas State -1.32

Rice -1.36

California -1.37

Florida Atlantic -1.43

Arizona State -1.45

Syracuse -1.47

Louisiana-Monroe -1.52

Oregon -1.55

Texas Tech -1.99

Rankings per Offensive Categories Only

Oklahoma 1.59

Louisville 1.55

South Florida 1.49

Western Michigan 1.31

Navy 1.31

Washington 1.24

Louisiana Tech 1.18

Pittsburgh 1.13

Western Kentucky 1.12

Ohio State 1.09

Toledo 1.09

Tulsa 1.04

Texas Tech 1.01

Alabama 0.97

Washington State 0.95

Middle Tennessee 0.93

Oklahoma State 0.92

New Mexico 0.87

Michigan 0.83

Clemson 0.81

Oregon 0.80

Boise State 0.80

Baylor 0.78

Memphis 0.73

West Virginia 0.68

California 0.68

San Diego State 0.63

Florida State 0.60

Texas 0.54

Wyoming 0.53

USC 0.52

Houston 0.49

Old Dominion 0.49

Colorado State 0.49

Virginia Tech 0.47

Air Force 0.45

Penn State 0.45

Tennessee 0.45

TCU 0.42

Colorado 0.41

Texas A&M 0.36

Northern Illinois 0.36

LSU 0.32

Auburn 0.31

Appalachian State 0.29

North Carolina 0.26

Missouri 0.23

Temple 0.23

Mississippi 0.20

Mississippi State 0.18

Southern Mississippi 0.18

Kentucky 0.15

Kansas State 0.14

Troy 0.13

Utah 0.11

Georgia Tech 0.10

Miami (Florida) 0.09

Notre Dame 0.08

Iowa State 0.05

Ball State 0.05

Arkansas 0.00

Eastern Michigan -0.03

BYU -0.09

Northwestern -0.11

UNLV -0.14

Wisconsin -0.14

Arizona -0.15

UTSA -0.15

East Carolina -0.18

Indiana -0.19

Florida Atlantic -0.20

Arizona State -0.20

Syracuse -0.21

Stanford -0.23

SMU -0.26

Nebraska -0.27

Arkansas State -0.27

Iowa -0.28

Hawai'i -0.29

North Carolina State -0.29

Idaho -0.29

Nevada -0.30

UTEP -0.32

Ohio -0.34

Oregon State -0.37

New Mexico State -0.37

UCF -0.38

Michigan State -0.39

Bowling Green -0.39

Central Michigan -0.39

Maryland -0.40

Georgia -0.42

Louisiana-Monroe -0.43

Army -0.45

Minnesota -0.46

Duke -0.47

Florida International -0.50

Miami (Ohio) -0.51

Louisiana-Lafayette -0.51

Akron -0.52

Utah State -0.55

Rice -0.55

South Alabama -0.56

Charlotte -0.59

Georgia Southern -0.60

UCLA -0.63

Florida -0.65

Vanderbilt -0.68

Virginia -0.70

North Texas -0.72

Marshall -0.74

Massachusetts -0.80

Purdue -0.81

San Jose State -0.85

Tulane -0.85

Cincinnati -0.86

Buffalo -0.89

Georgia State -0.99

South Carolina -1.01

Kent State -1.06

Kansas -1.13

Illinois -1.22

Fresno State -1.26

Wake Forest -1.28

Connecticut -1.30

Boston College -1.36

Texas State -1.46

Rutgers -1.65

B1G Schedule Rankings

Michigan State (toughest)

Ohio State

Michigan

Wisconsin

Rutgers

Northwestern

Penn State

Illinois

Iowa

Nebraska

Indiana

Minnesota

Purdue

Maryland (weakest)

p.s. - This doesn't mean the top team is necessarily the best. All I'm sharing is a ranking of the best statistical performances versus other FBS teams, relative to the statistical performances of all other FBS teams.

[beorach]

Bumping for updated version's visibility (as opposed to starting a new post)... GBR!

[beorach]

That's the sound of the fifteens while they're hittin' in my trunk...