Jaymf7
03-07-2007, 03:11 PM
As always, I found Featherston's piece on the front page to be very enjoyable. At its end, he provided some analysis of the relative ACC schedules. After reviewing that a bit, I concluded that it actually understated the disparity.
For a more telling analysis, I would look only at the teams played twice in a season. Indeed, because everyone plays everyone else once, those games can be removed. By eliminating those games and only counting the rematches, the relative difference increases and we see how much more difficult it was for teams like Duke (or NC State) this season.
For example, here are the teams Duke played twice (with opponents ACC records): UNC (11-5), Maryland (10-6), BC (10-6), GT (8-8), Clemson (7-9) -- for a combined record of 46-34, or 58% winning percentage. Perhaps more importantly, not a single "easy" game (if there is such a thing in the ACC).
By comparison, UNC's rematch games were: Virginia Tech (10-6), Duke (8-8), GT (8-8), NC State (5-11) and Wake (5-11) -- combined 36-44 or 45%.
Virginia had an arguably better draw: VT (10-6), Maryland (10-6), NC State (5-11), Wake (5-11), and Miami (4-12) -- combined 34-46 or 43% (and 3 rematch games in which they should have been heavy favorites).
For such a young team, we really had a brutal schedule this year. here's hoping that we won't have to wait until next year to see it pay off.
For a more telling analysis, I would look only at the teams played twice in a season. Indeed, because everyone plays everyone else once, those games can be removed. By eliminating those games and only counting the rematches, the relative difference increases and we see how much more difficult it was for teams like Duke (or NC State) this season.
For example, here are the teams Duke played twice (with opponents ACC records): UNC (11-5), Maryland (10-6), BC (10-6), GT (8-8), Clemson (7-9) -- for a combined record of 46-34, or 58% winning percentage. Perhaps more importantly, not a single "easy" game (if there is such a thing in the ACC).
By comparison, UNC's rematch games were: Virginia Tech (10-6), Duke (8-8), GT (8-8), NC State (5-11) and Wake (5-11) -- combined 36-44 or 45%.
Virginia had an arguably better draw: VT (10-6), Maryland (10-6), NC State (5-11), Wake (5-11), and Miami (4-12) -- combined 34-46 or 43% (and 3 rematch games in which they should have been heavy favorites).
For such a young team, we really had a brutal schedule this year. here's hoping that we won't have to wait until next year to see it pay off.