Just how good are their stats?
Want to know how the teams stack up? Here's a unique statistical tool that allows you to not only compare multiple teams to one another but to understand how those statistics stack-up within the competition a team has faced. As an example, let's say the Bears are about to play USC and they are rushing for 180 yards a game. While that number sounds pretty good, how do we know that the number isn't overly inflated by weak opponents who couldn't stop the run against a high school team? These statistics help complete that picture.
To view statistics, first select whether you'd like ot include the Opponent Comparision. These are the numbers I referenced above and are what make these statistics unique, so I'd recommend answering yes. If you answer no, you'll just get the regular stats you could get from ESPN or Yahoo!Sports. Next, select the teams you want to compare. You can do as few as 1 and as many as all of them if you've got a while to wait while the system goes and compiles all of the statistics. Notice that you can choose between all of the Pac-10 teams and all of their opponents in 2007 but you can't pick the two I-AA teams. (As an aside, we should all be proud that there are only 2 of them in the list representing only 2 of the 31 non-conference games.) Finally, click the Compare Teams button (you may have to scroll down). Your statistics will appear in a new window.
To understand these statistics, you only need to understand one thing beyond normal statistics, that the opponent statistics refer to the opposite side of the ball. Going back to my above example, for Cal's theoretical 180 yards a game leading up to the USC game, the opponent column refers to the average rushing yards per game that Cal's opponents gave up. Said another way, this is their defensive statistic. The reason for the swap, of putting the defensive statistic next to the offensive statistic for Cal, is that it gives a comparision point. If the opponents were giving up 200 yards a game, Cal's 180 per game doesn't look very good. On the other hand, if the opponents were giving up only 120 a game, all of a sudden Cal's running game looks mighty impressive.
Got it? Good.
These statistics will update as each game is played so have fun checking them out as the games happen.