College Football: 50 Facts to Get You Psyched for 2012 Season

The random or vital stats and facts that we see in college football have a lot to do with the teams that end up on the winning and losing sides.

Maybe you don't feel the facts are important, but there are several telling stats that reveal which teams were contenders and pretenders in the 2011 college football season.

Already preparing you for the 2012 season, I take a deep dive into the numbers that will get you even more psyched for the season to get underway.

Total Defensive Yards Allowed

Out of the Top 10 teams in terms of defensive yards allowed, five of them were from the SEC. Alabama (1st, 183 YPG), LSU (2nd, 261), South Carolina (3rd, 267), Georgia (5th, 277 YPG) and Florida (8th, 299 YPG).

The bottom line is that the SEC still is the best and out of those five defenses, four of those (minus UF) teams were as good as it gets overall. 

Alabama Fumbles Lost

Trent Richardson was beyond a beast, and he lived up to everything while in Tuscaloosa. The Tide as a team led the nation in fewest fumbles (four), and with their offensive line back intact, they should not struggle much (if at all) when running the ball.

Eddie Lacy, Jalston Fowler and Dee Hart (coming off ACL) will rank among the deepest and most talented backfield in America, so no need to fret with the loss of Richardson. 

Montee Ball

Talk about breaking a boatload of records. Montee Ball set the FBS record for most touchdowns with 39 (hopefully you knew this), but he also set the record for games with two or more touchdowns in consecutive games (13).

Notre Dame Red Zone Woes

Who knows where the Irish would have finished this season if they could of found a way to finish drives in the red zone without turning it over or missing a field goal.

They had 48 trips in the red zone and scored 32 touchdowns, which is not completely awful. However, they connected on just five kicks and seemingly every time they turned it over, it happened to be at critical stages of the game on top of being in the red zone. The Irish were 110th in turnovers with 29!

Cheers to the Irish regaining some of their swagger when it comes down to crucial parts of the game.

Northwestern Wildcats

The Cats have only appeared in 10 bowl games in their program history, but it has been a long time since they have won their last postseason game.

How long you ask?

Try losing nine in a row with your last victory way back in the 1949 Rose Bowl over California!

Kirk Ferentz's Iowa Hawkeyes

Kirk Ferentz has done a fabulous job with the Hawkeyes despite going only 7-6 this past season. He has taken Iowa to four straight bowl games and 10 thus far in his tenure. They have been overrated at times in the last few seasons, but more times than not they continually surprise us.

Chris Petersen

Entering his seventh year with Boise State, Chris Petersen had never lost a game at home until TCU knocked them off last season.

They are currently 37-1 at home and 44-3 in conference play under the smurf coach, but will more of the same occur with Kellen Moore and the entire defensive line now gone (Shea McClellin, Billy Winn, Chase Baker, Tyrone Crawford)?

Florida State

Jimbo Fisher will be in his third season, and the hype will be out again in Tallahassee. Can they live up to the expectations or will they fold?

FSU has had consecutive solid seasons, but as great as their defense could be and as much improved as the offense should be, things won’t be easy.

In fact, it has not been since 2000 where they have won 11 or more games. Before they officially challenge for the title, should we consider them as locks for a BCS bid and 11-plus victories?

Sacks

Pittsburgh under Paul Chryst will need to shore up that offensive line on account they allowed the most sacks in America. It wasn’t even close as they were taken down 64 times compared to the next worst at 47 (Miami, OH). Meanwhile, they were third on defense in the country with 43 sacks.

Geno Smith

Geno Smith was sensational last season in Morgantown with the Mountaineers, and he is now headed to the Big 12.

Smith was eighth in total offense averaging 334 yards per game, and those numbers should escalate despite going up against much tougher competition. 

Fireworks

Outside of Virginia Tech (they didn’t deserve to play in BCS arguably anyways), every team that appeared in a BCS bowl was in the Top 26 and had averaged at least 33 points per game on offense.

Those teams would be nowhere without their defense, but nowadays your squad will get upset every season if you cannot find a way to put up consistent, easy points. 

Pasadena Awaiting

Nebraska has a solid shot of heading to the Big Ten title and winning the conference next season, but they have only appeared twice in the Rose Bowl (2002, 1941) and have never won it!

Meanwhile, Michigan State is 3-1 all-time in Pasadena, but they have not even appeared in it since 1988!

I may be going on a limb, but I like one of these teams to represent the Big Ten next season over favorites such as Michigan or Wisconsin (Ohio State not eligible).

Tough Break

Notre Dame doesn’t have the toughest schedule in America, but it has to be fairly close on account they will be facing nine teams that played in a bowl game last season. That is not counting Miami, FL., which most think will be improved though they are still ways away from becoming BCS contenders.

Interceptions

North Carolina State led the nation with 27 passes intercepted as All-American David Amerson had 13 of them. The Pack are rising and they could sneak into the Top 25 by season’s end.

Sack Masters

The Seminoles were picked by Phil Steele as the top defensive line in the nation heading into last season, but some would argue the interior of their line wasn't as good as a few SEC teams.

Next season look for the best up front in Tallahassee as no team has had more sacks than FSU over the last two seasons (88).

Pass-Happy Offenses

The Big 12 is clearly a pass-happy league and the facts back it up. Mike Gundy and Oklahoma State were in the Top Five in passing attempts (595) and second in yards per game (387).

Baylor (351 YPG), Oklahoma (349), West Virginia (346) and Texas Tech (345) were all in the Top 10 as well. When half of your conference ranks in the Top 10 for passing yards, you know you spin it better than anybody out there.

No Passing Zone

The SEC is almost always going to be about running the pigskin, but an average team cannot pass it 40 times a game because their quarterback will get lit up.

In fact, in terms of passing yards allowed per game the SEC had 10 teams in the Top 25 of America (Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Arkansas).

Nick Saban

In the three seasons in which Nick Saban has taken his Tide to a BCS bowl (five seasons total), Alabama has gone 23-1!

To dominate the SEC more times than not is uncommon, but Saban has done just that thus far.

Bayou Bengals

LSU had several dominating statistics on defense, but they had a few more interesting ones. They were just 106th averaging 152 yards passing a game, and yet they averaged 35 points per game.

Their defense was spectacular, but they took care of the ball on offense coughing it up only 10 times for the entire season. (They were tied with Wisconsin for the nation lead.)

The biggest question remains as to how much of an improvement will Zach Mettenberger be, and can he maintain this phenomenal and positive stat for the Tigers?

ACC

As a die-hard college football and ACC fan, it is tough to realize the staggering facts.

In BCS games, the Florida State Seminoles and Virginia Tech Hokies are the only teams to have ever won a BCS game. They both did it once as the entire conference is a combined 2-13 all-time (13.3 percent).

Miami (FL) Hurricanes

Since heading over to the ACC back in 2004, the 'Canes have been abysmal in the ACC.

College football would be much better off with “Da U” dominating or at least being nationally relevant, but that has just not been the case in recent years.

Entering their ninth season in the ACC, they have gone just 25-39! 

Rocky Bottom

The Tennessee Volunteers are another one of those teams that have been horrid in recent memory.

Great programs like the Vols have high expectations, so when you have failed to record a double-digit win season in four consecutive seasons, things can start to get rough around town.

The year was 2006 when Tennessee had a winning record on the road (4-1). If they want to go bowling again, they will have to at least play close to .500.

Now-or-Never

The Georgia Bulldogs will very likely be a Top 10 team in the preseason and perhaps a Top Five team. Mark Richt has not appeared in a BCS game since 2007, which seems like a long time for Dawgs nation.

UGA has an excellent chance of winning the Eastern Division, but they miraculously avoid Alabama, Arkansas and LSU (two years in a row) on the slate.

Nobody is expecting a 13-0 season, but they might just be favored to go 12-0 before facing a likely dominant SEC West winner.

Steve Spurrier

The visor throwing man himself has led South Carolina to its most wins in consecutive games in South Carolina history at 20, but can he take them to a BCS bowl?

The biggest reason for the recent surge has been the ability for SC to protect their house. For the third season in a row, they have lost just one game at home (one per season).

Maize & Blue

The Maize and Blue are arguably the most decorated program in all of sports and certainly college football along with a few others (ND, 'Bama, etc).

However, they had their worst two-year stretch in 2008 and 2009 going 8-16. They went 7-6 in Rich Rod’s final season, but Brady Hoke pulled a godly act in his very first season along with his defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. 

Going to a BCS bowl is amazing to watch if it is your favorite program. The obvious fact is what Michigan has done on defense in just one season. They went from the 110th defense (450 YPG) in total defensive yards allowed in 2010 to the 17th rated defense in 2011 (322 YPG).

Brutus Lacking Punch

Back in 2010, the Buckeyes were 20th in the country averaging 448 yards per game. With all of the distractions, it was expected for Ohio State to struggle a bit.

However, they seemed to being going backwards at times last year.

They were 107th averaging an abysmal 318 yards per game, which was the fifth worst among any BCS team. Urban Meyer is in town and we should expect a much improved offense along with the improvement from Braxton Miller. 

Wait, I am not done with the facts.

Urban Meyer will be coaching his fourth different team, and did you know that he has averaged nine wins in his first year with that new team?

Having won eight games with Bowling Green ('01), 10 with Utah ('03) and nine with Florida ('05), Meyer has a knack for making a quick impression.

Post Broyles Depression

Landry Jones is a top-five quarterback in the nation heading into the 2012 season, but he looked lost and awful during a few stretches after Ryan Broyles tore his ACL.

Before their bowl victory against Iowa, Jones had no touchdowns and five interceptions! This is the same Landry Jones that had 32 touchdowns and only nine interceptions at the time.

There is no reason to get worried in Norman, though, outside of Kenny Stills and Jaz Reynolds, the rest are a bunch of talented and unproven youngsters that will need to come through.

Zach Line

SMU Mustangs running back Zach Line was out for the season in the third-to-last game of the season against Navy with a torn left foot tendon.

He was seventh in the nation in rushing yards per game (122) and needs to get some love. SMU is a solid dark horse to  not only win C-USA but to perhaps become a contender for a BCS bowl. 

Getting Gigged?

The Aggies have been a respectable program and always will be prestigious.

However, they are heading to the big boys league in the SEC West, and A&M has lost their last five games against SEC opponents (seven if you count Mizzou) by a combined score of 198-118!

Mack Brown

Though the Longhorns have gone just 13-12 the last two seasons, Mack Brown has had one hell of a tenure.

From 2001-2009 he had won at least 10 games in every season, but Texas only lost four home games during that time.

Mike Gundy

Mike Gundy was mediocre after his first three seasons going 18-19, but he has since gone 41-11 (23-3 the last two seasons).

When you think his offense and program will falter after losing Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden, remember he is an offensive genius and has a smart one calling up the plays in Todd Monken. The Pokes may not be in the Top 10, but they will have their say in the Big 12 in 2012.

Gary Pinkel

Though he started coaching in 2001 with Missouri, Gary Pinkel is one of those underrated coaches that never seems to get enough credit.

It would have helped if he played in the BCS title or at least a BCS game back when he had Chase Daniel as his signal-caller in 2007, but give Pinkel some love.

The Akron-born coach has registered three 10-win seasons in the last five seasons, and people might forget about those fairly gaudy numbers with the Tigers headed to the SEC. (Wins will not be easy to come by.)

Frank Beamer

The Hokies would obviously be nowhere if it were not for Frank Beamer with what he has done in Blacksburg.

After another successful and underrated year, Beamer’s boys ended up winning 10 or more games for eight-straight seasons. It could be nine-straight despite losing Jayron Hosley and David Wilson in 2012.

Bill Snyder

Along with Frank Beamer, it might be time to put Snyder in the Hall of Fame as soon as possible. I mean, both have done so much for their kids, program and community and obviously for college football.

The stat on Snyder would be bowl appearances (13), which is the second most among any active coach in the nation under one program. (Beamer is first with 19, then Snyder is tied with Bob Stoops and Mack Brown.)

Third Downs Can Mean Everything

The Auburn Tigers exceeded my expectations last season with the brutal schedule they had, but the defense was significantly worse compared to their 2010 team that won it all.

On third downs in 2010, Auburn only allowed a first down on 37.16 percent (35th) of the time (68-for-183). This past season, Auburn allowed a first down on third down 48.39 percent (107th) of the time (90-for-186).

Greatness or Was It All Luck?

Andrew Luck and the Cardinal were the top offensive team in the country in terms of the red zone. They had 69 drives from the 25-yard line and inside, but they scored points on 67 of those trips.

The Cardinal had 27 passing touchdowns, whereas they ran it 26 times. (Fifty-three touchdowns shows exceptional balance.)

So, how much will these ridiculous numbers worsen without Luck next season?

RGIII

Robert Griffin III put on clinics every weekend, and he was rewarded by winning the Heisman last season. He put the Bears on the national map with virtuoso performances over TCU, Oklahoma and Texas.

Baylor was second in the country in yards per game (587), and many are wondering if they can keep it up or if they fall off the planet in the Big 12?

Mike Leach Factor

Mike Leach coached the Texas Tech Red Raiders from 2000-2009, but there was a time span (’02-‘09) where he led the country in passing or at the very worst finished the season in the Top Three of passing yards per game (led nation in passing six times).

Now with Washington State and an All-American caliber of a receiver in Marquess Wilson, can Wazzu do the same with Leach at the helm?

USC Trojans

USC got revenge against the Irish in South Bend last year which put away some of the awful memories where the Trojans went 8-5.

The tougher part was getting their eight-game home win streak snapped against the Irish, and the 2012 matchup could have national title stakes on the line in this one. 

Matt Barkley

Matt Barkley will be asked to win the Heisman, become the first pick in the draft on top of bringing back a BCS title to Trojan nation.

Those near impossible expectations have been thrown out there because Barkley put on a clinic last season with all of the numerous records that he set.

Barkley set records for completion percentage and single-game USC records for completions, touchdowns, passing yards and total offense.

Barkley even broke Matt Leinart’s record (38) for the most passing touchdowns in conference history when he threw for six touchdowns against UCLA, which gave him 39 on the season.

Robert Woods

Robert Woods broke Keyshawn Johnson’s record for most receptions in a season as he also broke the conference record (111).

The incoming junior receiver looks like he may become the best receiver on the planet with Matt Barkley threading the needle to him. Will the Trojans be stopped at any point during the season?

Oregon Against USC

This will likely decide the Rose Bowl and possibly a berth in the BCS title game. The Ducks were upset at home by USC last season, which was considered a slight upset.

However, five of the last seven times they have met, we have seen the favorite come out victorious. It is very likely that they meet twice next season, and the Trojans are expected to be ranked in the preseason Top Two.

I wish we could see a best-of-seven series, but watching the offensive superstars go bonkers twice in one season is just fine and dandy in my book.

Chip Kelly

The offensive genius had previously gone to two-straight BCS bowls and they lost. Kelly last season ended that streak with a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin.

The telling stat is the Ducks' ability to put up both yards and points. For two-straight years now, Oregon has been in the Top Four in scoring offense and yards. 

BCS Busting

There have been six non-automatic qualifying teams to crack the BCS, with Boise State doing it twice alongside TCU and Utah, who have also gone BCS hunting twice (also Hawaii once).

Will there be a eighth non-AQ in the 2012 season, or should we expect Boise State to accomplish it for a third time?

Big Ten

Even though the SEC is clearly the best conference in the nation, the Big Ten has had their opportunities to shine on the brightest of stages.

The Big Ten leads the nation in BCS appearances (25), but they have gone just 12-13. The SEC is next best with 23 trips, though they have a sensational record of 16-7.

Top Three Not SEC

Out of the three teams with the most BCS appearances, none of them are from the SEC.

As dominating as the SEC has been (and it is clear as day they are the king), Ohio State leads the nation with nine trips to the BCS. Oklahoma is next with eight, and USC has seven appearances. 

Stanford Is the New Notre Dame?

The Cardinal were never known for their recruiting, and the program was not respected because they just couldn't win enough until Andrew Luck arrived. Now David Shaw has taken over as the prized recruits are coming in left-and-right. 

The key fact on the Cardinal was their latest recruiting ranking (I use Rivals here) as they were ranked fifth in the nation for the 2012 recruiting class.

Stanford couldn't do jack in recruiting, and all of a sudden they are landing superstar linemen and gifted skill players. It is amazing what coaching and winning can do for you.

Clemson Tigers

The Clemson Tigers are on the rise, and it may come down to taking care of business after their game against Florida State in September.

Dabo and the boys were way too inconsistent last season, and yet the expectations are up to the roof for the 2012 season.

Clemson has not won 10 games in a season since 1990! 

Is it a lock for them to notch 10 plus victories in 2012 or will we be disappointed once again?

Heisman Winners

In the last 12 seasons, 10 of the Heisman winners have been at the quarterback position.

The quarterback position is the one that everybody loves and follows whole-heartedly, so will the trend continue?

SEC Dominance

The SEC has won six-straight titles and that is a fact. However, some really believe their reign of supremacy (if you want to call it that) will be over in terms of winning the BCS title.

There are a few teams that could upset the champs, but some believe an SEC dark horse is waiting and lying in the weeds.

Bobby Petrino and the Razorbacks could be that team, or perhaps Georgia is a more complete football team.

Petrino has gone 2-2 against Les Miles, whereas he is 0-4 against Alabama. He must be able to beat the Crimson Tide if Petrino ever wants a crack at an SEC title.

Richt and the Dawgs avoid all three SEC West heavyweights ('Bama, LSU, Arkansas), which gives them an excellent chance of running the table if they can take care of business in their division.

So, will we witness the Razorbacks knocking off Saban and the Tide (or UGA perhaps wins SEC), or will we continue to see the favorites ('Bama, LSU) dominate the conference?

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