It’s Christmas, and while I’m not Santa Claus, that will not stop me from making a list and checking it twice, all to find out who’s naughty or nice.Eight teams remain in the College Football Playoff, and none are perfect. As far as fans are concerned, that’s a good thing. It leads to more uncertainty about how the final three rounds will play out, which is what every college football fan should want.So think of this naughty and nice list as a way of describing why teams could win it all or what could cause them to come up short in their goal of winning the national championship.
Nice: Taking care of the footballIndiana does plenty of things well, which is how you become the No. 1 team in the country and remain the only undefeated team out there. One of the key reasons for its success on offense is that it doesn’t give the ball away. The team’s turnover rate of 5.5% is the best in the field and ranks sixth nationally, and it’s not just dumb luck. I track a stat I call Whoopsy Daisy Rate, which is essentially how many of your offensive snaps include an interception or a fumble (not a fumble lost), and Indiana’s WDR of 1.50% ranks third and is also the best in the field.
When you don’t give the ball away, that gives you more chances to put points on the board, so it’s no surprise that Indiana is also third nationally in points per drive (3.57) and third in percentage of possessions that result in points scored (57.2%). Those are the best marks in the remaining field as well. Who would’ve thought scoring points and taking care of the football could help a team be successful? First I’ve heard of such an idea!Naughty: Not great in pass protectionIndiana’s offensive line has allowed pressure on 28.8% of its dropbacks this season. That’s not a terrible number, as it ranks 41st nationally, but Alabama is the only team left in the field that allows pressure at a higher rate (29.6%, 46th). Their sack rate allowed of 5.0% ranks 43rd as well, and their 2.53 seconds until pressure is allowed ranks 66th, which is the worst in the field. The good news is they have a Heisman-winner at quarterback who doesn’t seem to mind. Fernando Mendoza has a passer efficiency of 150.5 when…
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2025-12-25 14:07:24
