SBNation's Football Study Hall College Football Statistical Profile Index

Looks good to me!

Bama, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Clemson in the playoff...sounds good.
Of course...I like any that has Bama in it.

It's worth noting that Alabama is also #1 on Sagarin (not just the BCS component, but in all of them): http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/

The rankings are different, for instance he had USC at #2 on his predictor (but 9 and 10 in other categories), but the raw numbers of what Alabama has accomplished this far is very much in their favor. I find myself missing the BCS computers at this point, they would favor Alabama.

KrAzY3 said:

It's worth noting that Alabama is also #1 on Sagarin (not just the BCS component, but in all of them): http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/

The rankings are different, for instance he had USC at #1 on his predictor (but 9 and 10 in other categories), but the raw numbers of what Alabama has accomplished this far is very much in their favor. I find myself missing the BCS computers at this point, they would favor Alabama.

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I miss the computers also. They are biased toward certain data (just like human polls are biased with Baylor's record and point total) but that part is missing now from the selection committee. Like it or not, "data" is a part of football. It used to stick in my craw when people would throw off on the computer part of the BCS system using the "computer bias" excuse, pretending the human polls were not biased.

Just remember that computers can tell us has the better team, but they can't tell us which team will play best on a given Saturday. At the end of this season no computer would predict the Ole Miss/Alabama outcome. Those games happen every week in this sport. Those games teach us humility.

B1GTide said:

Just remember that computers can tell us has the better team, but they can't tell us which team will play best on a given Saturday. At the end of this season no computer would predict the Ole Miss/Alabama outcome. Those games happen every week in this sport. Those games teach us humility.

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I don't think we meant computers are perfect. They are like the polls and I shake my head sometimes at both. You are right though, every computer (I think) and every odds maker predicted a Bama victory over Ole Miss.

IH8Orange said:

I took a look at this index, which has Alabama ranked first and is based on the Footall Outsiders S&P ratings system.

College Footbal Statistical Profile Index

Here's a little more information about the index: clicky

It's got a lot of information about each team. An almost overwhelming amount of information. Maybe an erotic amount of information for stat geeks like me.

It includes a prediction tool that currently picks us to win all our remaining games of the season, finishing off with a 40-11 thumping of the Gus Busts. :biggrin2:

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I like this site already! :biggrin2:

Redwood Forrest said:

I miss the computers also. They are biased toward certain data (just like human polls are biased with Baylor's record and point total) but that part is missing now from the selection committee. Like it or not, "data" is a part of football. It used to stick in my craw when people would throw off on the computer part of the BCS system using the "computer bias" excuse, pretending the human polls were not biased.

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Yup I'm sure we all know that had the BCS still been in place, we would have faced Florida State in the championship game. I think we all know how that would have turned out...

B1GTide said:

Just remember that computers can tell us has the better team, but they can't tell us which team will play best on a given Saturday. At the end of this season no computer would predict the Ole Miss/Alabama outcome. Those games happen every week in this sport. Those games teach us humility.

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B1G, I couldn't agree more. We look at these behemoths from afar, and see giant football machines. Get up close and look at the teen-age eyes under the helmet. What if a starter's girlfriend breaks up with him on Friday night? What if he fails a big test? What if the coach says something to upset him? These are teenagers, not professionals. One reason I LOVE college sports!

GP for Bama said:

Bama, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Clemson in the playoff...sounds good.
Of course...I like any that has Bama in it.

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With that loss to Texas, they're really gonna have to run the table now - Baylor? TCU? sure don't look good for the sooners!

Redwood Forrest said:

I miss the computers also. They are biased toward certain data (just like human polls are biased with Baylor's record and point total) but that part is missing now from the selection committee. Like it or not, "data" is a part of football. It used to stick in my craw when people would throw off on the computer part of the BCS system using the "computer bias" excuse, pretending the human polls were not biased.

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I felt like the BCS really had the formula down towards the end. The computers only made up one third, but they inserted a bit of logic into the discussion. I don't think you can disregard the "eye test", watching a team play, or what not, but I also don't think human beings are always good at discerning the "truth" so to speak in a pile of data.

B1GTide said:

Just remember that computers can tell us has the better team, but they can't tell us which team will play best on a given Saturday. At the end of this season no computer would predict the Ole Miss/Alabama outcome. Those games happen every week in this sport.

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A computer at best can give us the odds. So yeah, there's no point in putting too much emphasis on them. Sagarin had USC at #2, and they lost to Washington so... yeah.