AND THEN THERE WERE TEN
Chances are pretty good your team has no shot at a championship this year.
For the lucky 10 remaining teams, here's where you stand regarding Gap value:
Actual rank is displayed to show that, hey, there's a disparity.
Auburn has won their fair share of close games, and has the weak Gap numbers to show for it. But, they don't seem to get any of the flack LSU does. Why? Because CAMERON NEWTON THAT'S WHY. What I'm trying to say is
Freak Athlete QB + Appropriate Play Calling = Exciting Football
(LSU may be lacking both elements of the above equation)
(Ohio State may be lacking one element of the above equation BUT I WON'T TELL YOU WHICH ONE HAHAHA)
When we look at the week's Top 25 for PPP ratio, I get a non-AQ fan's wet dream:
Weak schedule, or legit teams? We won't know for a couple weeks... or ever.
Boise-TCU/Utah championship game?
PICKS
Tonight! UCLA at Oregon (-24)
UCLA: 0.944 PPP, 0.4 Gap
Oregon: 3.157 PPP, 10.3 Gap
You, Bronco fan, will be pleasuring yourself to a full page spread of Rick Neuheisel for the next two weeks if the Bruins can pull off the upset. The numbers say otherwise (THANK GOD).
Wisconsin at Iowa (-5.5)
Wisconsin: 1.747 PPP, 4.4 Gap
Iowa: 2.594 PPP, 9.7 Gap
Ohio State found themselves on the receiving end of a mudhole-stomping at Madison last week, but Iowa presents the Badgers a totally different task. I think the Hawkeyes have a defense that is built to stop the power run game, something Ohio State (as inconceivable as it is to think) doesn't have.
LSU at Auburn (-6)
LSU: 1.777 PPP, 4.5 Gap
Auburn: 1.792 PPP, 3.2 Gap
If you took the team names away from the numbers, you'd be convinced you're looking at a Tuesday night CUSA game, and not two top 10 teams in the SEC West. I think Gap number has more weight than PPP this year, so I'll go with LSU. I also like playing Russian roulette with a garbage disposal unit... and my hand.
Nebraska (-5.5) at Oklahoma St.
Nebraska: 2.870 PPP, 7.5 Gap
Oklahoma St.: 1.947 PPP, 4.1 Gap
Nebraska's defense still works (allegedly), while the offense should realize that Oklahoma St. isn't Texas and magically start scoring points again.
Oklahoma (-3) at Missouri
Oklahoma: 1.511 PPP, 6.9 Gap
Missouri: 3.215 PPP, 18.3 Gap
Another week, another #1 goes on the road to face a dangerous conference opponent. The Sooners will lose and Boise will get jumped by LSU/Auburn. We'll all have a chuckle.