Coefficient of Determination:
The coefficient of determination (r-squared), without getting all technical, is a statistical representation of how well a piece of data predicts an outcome. I determined r-squared for Total Offense, Total Defense, Scoring Offense, and Scoring Defense as predictors of a team's winning percentage.
- Scoring Defense - .573
- Scoring Offense - .572
- Total Defense - .425
- Total Offense -.275
More Stats:
Another revealing defensive statistic is pass efficiency defense. The top 5 are Florida, Alabama, Iowa, Oregon, and Texas...all vying for a spot in the championship game. Texas and Florida are atop the 3rd down defense and TCU, Florida, Boise State, Alabama, and Iowa are all in the top 10 in first down defense.
Hawkeyes:
So it's no real wonder why the Hawkeyes are winning...it's defense. Iowa is 3rd overall in pass efficiency defense and in the top 20 for both total defense (19) and scoring defense (13). The defense has only given up over 20 points twice, against Michigan (21) and Indiana (24) (Arkansas State scored 21, but 7 were off an interception). When you hold a team to under 20 points, you win a lot of games, even if the offense is only averaging 25.7 points per game.