It’s not exactly a mind-blowing revelation that turnovers matter more than most other comparative statistics in college football. This is not news.
What might be newsworthy to you as a consumer of college football content is the ability to see the value of turnovers over the past 11 college football seasons.
With help from freelance researchers Ryan Orlinski and Aaron Calhoun, here are 11 seasons’ worth of data on turnovers… and six other basic statistics that are part of a conventional gameday box score. What emerges is not just an affirmation of the importance of ball security (or, from a defensive standpoint, the ability to take the ball away); what also shines through in these statistics is a magnification of the extent to which other categories serve as a much less likely indicator of victory or defeat.
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LESS, MORE AND EQUAL:
HOW TEAMS FARE ON DIFFERENT SIDES OF STATISTICAL DIVIDES
There are many different ways to peel the onion of statistical measurement. One basic approach is to tally the win-loss records of teams when they accumulate greater, smaller, or equal numbers in various statistical categories. Over the past 11 college football seasons, here are the records of teams as seen through the prism of statistical categories. The records apply to FBS-versus-FBS games only.
RECORDS OF TEAMS WITH MORE FIRST DOWNS, 2003-2013
2003: 397-177; in 29 games, a statistical tie existed
2004: 399-183 with 17 ties
2005: 413-188-23
2006: 458-192-26
2007: 465-179-35
2008: 452-189-42
2009: 440-203-37
2010: 459-186-38
2011: 452-197-31
2012: 449-210-38
2013: 500-165-37
RECORDS OF TEAMS WITH MORE TOTAL YARDS, 2003-2013
2003: 460-141-2
2004: 449-147-3
2005: 461-162-1
2006: 513-161-2
2007: 499-178-2
2008: 511-172
2009: 514-165-1
2010: 526-151-6
2011: 503-167-10
2012: 524-172-1
2013: 571-130-1
RECORDS OF TEAMS WITH MORE RUSHING YARDS, 2003-2013
2003: 484-118-1
2004: 458-134-7
2005: 464-156-4
2006: 526-147-3
2007: 515-161-3
2008: 504-176-3
2009: 508-170-2
2010: 538-143-2
2011: 492-179-9
2012: 529-165-3
2013: 539-160-3
RECORDS OF TEAMS WITH MORE PASSING YARDS, 2003-2013
2003: 328-275
2004: 315-280-4
2005: 336-287-1
2006: 386-290
2007: 369-310
2008: 386-296-1
2009: 372-305-3
2010: 392-288-3
2011: 375-294-11
2012: 396-299-2
2013: 413-284-5
RECORDS OF TEAMS WITH MORE PENALTIES, 2003-2013
2003: 292-242-69
2004: 263-278-58
2005: 275-269-80
2006: 288-306-82
2007: 347-329-3
2008: 347-334-2
2009: 356-323-1
2010: 375-300-8
2011: 309-352-19
2012: 332-284-81
2013: 298-312-92
RECORDS OF TEAMS WITH MORE TURNOVERS, 2003-2013
2003: 111-378-114
2004: 135-347-117
2005: 127-377-120
2006: 148-381-147
2007: 148-397-134
2008: 131-396-156
2009: 123-409-148
2010: 125-411-147
2011: 142-385-153
2012: 142-426-129
2013: 151-397-154
RECORDS OF TEAMS WITH MORE TIME OF POSSESSION, 2003-2013
2003: 381-219-3
2004: 357-237-1
2005: 404-220
2006: 397-271-8
2007: 423-254-2
2008: 442-241
2009: 430-250
2010: 431-248-4
2011: 413-265-2
2012: 424-272-1
2013: 414-287-1