College Football's Grid of Shame

[JasonEvans]

The Wall Street Journal printed a chart mapping where all the football teams in the country fall relative to their strength on the field and their conduct off the field. You are either a "weakling" or a "powerhouse" and either "admirable" or "embarrassing."

I am proud to say that Duke is one of the highest regarded teams on the admirable scale, though we appear to be a bit more of a weakling than a powerhouse. Our rivals down the road are slightly more of a powerhouse, but are the 2nd worse team in the country in terms of being an embarrassment to fans.



-Jason "the Tarheels right now are saying, 'Thank god for Penn State!'" Evans

[RepoMan]

ACC has three in the optimal quadrant. Nice work by the Hokies, Hoos, and Pack. Pack fans must love their position relative to UNC.

[killerleft]

I notice that FIU is about 2/3 of the way down toward UNC, just another big reason for us kick their butts Saturday evening!

[luvdahops]

ACC has three in the optimal quadrant. Nice work by the Hokies, Hoos, and Pack. Pack fans must love their position relative to UNC.

The Big 10 actually has 7 in the upper right quadrant - Northwestern, Purdue, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Probably among the reasons they have had an increasingly tough time keeping up with the SEC.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

ACC has three in the optimal quadrant. Nice work by the Hokies, Hoos, and Pack. Pack fans must love their position relative to UNC.

Meanwhile the ACC has 5 in the embarrassing powerhouse quadrant. Not good. And I guess 6 if we count Pitt?

[75Crazie]

Too bad this chart was only started last year. I'd love to see how UNC tracked over say the last 4-5 years.

[mkline09]

I would say that the scale underestimates FIU a little bit. They are by no means a weakling and not quite a powerhouse but they have been to two straight bowls and finished last season 8-5. This season they are a pre season favorite to win their conference (granted it is the Sun Belt) and they received pre season votes to get into the Top 25. So the fact that Duke is slightly in front of them along the powerhouse scale is a bit misleading.

[Olympic Fan]

I would say that the scale underestimates FIU a little bit. They are by no means a weakling and not quite a powerhouse but they have been to two straight bowls and finished last season 8-5. This season they are a pre season favorite to win their conference (granted it is the Sun Belt) and they received pre season votes to get into the Top 25. So the fact that Duke is slightly in front of them along the powerhouse scale is a bit misleading.

Is it? Duke beat FIU in Miami last year and is favored tomorrow by three to five points.

I think a lot of the supposed superiority you see is based on the relative difference between the ACC and the Sun Belt. I think if Duke played their schedule, they would have won 8-9 last year and been in a minor bowl game.