Below is a brief glossary of statistics used at Buckeye Planet followed by a short explanation for why our stats are superior to what we call "raw stats" (Scoring Offense, Total Offense, etc...). Games against FCS opponents are eliminated from consideration.
Differential Scoring Offense (DSO): Points scored divided by the points that opponent gives up to other FBS teams, on average. If your opponent gives up 25 points per game and you scored 50, your DSO is 2 (50 divided by 25). For a season it is the points you scored against your opponents divided by all of the points given up by all of your opponents against other FBS opponents, meaning that your game against each opponent is factored out along with all of the FCS matchups. Numbers above 1 are better than average, below 1 is worse.
Differential Scoring Defense (DSD): Points given up divided by the points that opponent scores against other FBS teams, on average. If your opponent scores 50 points per game and you only gave up 25, your DSD is 0.5 (25 divided by 50). As you can see, lower is better for DSD, so below 1 is better than average and greater than 1 is worse.
Differential Scoring Composite (DSC): Sometimes called "The King of All Stats". Determined by dividing DSO by DSD. It gives a single number that combines scoring offense, scoring defense, and strength of schedule.
Differential Total Offense (DTO): Total Offense divided by the yardage your opponent typically gives up. It works the same way DSO works, only for yards rather than points.
Differential Total Defense (DTD): Total Defense divided by the yardage your opponent typically gains against other FBS teams. Same as DSD, but for yards rather than points.
Differential Yardage Composite (DYC): DTO divided by DTD. Does the same thing for yardage that DSC does for points.
Differential Rushing Offense (DRO): DTO, but for rushing only.
Differential Rushing Defense (DRD): DTD but for rushing only.
Differential Yards Per Carry (DYpC): Diff. Rushing is for Yards per Game, this is for YpC.
Differential Passing Offense (DPO): DTO, but for passing only.
Differential Passing Defense (DPD): DTD, but for passing only.
Differential Passing Efficiency Offense (DPE): Your passing efficiency divided by the passing efficiency given up by your opponent, on average, to all other FBS competition.
Differential Passing Efficiency Defense (DPED): Pass efficiency defense divided by the passing efficiency typically posted by the opponent against everyone else (FBS only).
Rigidity: This is a term used to compare teams based on how well their differential numbers (see above) hold up against better competition. A team that has better performance against better competition will have a rigidity greater than zero, while a team that puffs up their stats against weaklings but fails against stronger opponents will have a rigidity less than zero. Maximum rigidity is 100. Minimum rigidity is -100.
Differential Statistical Analysis (DSA): This is the term for this methodology as a whole.
DSA is superior to normal statistics for two reasons: 1) It builds the context of "Who You Have Played" into the numbers, and 2) It multiplies the number of data points.
Raw stats only compare a team to their opponents. DSA compares a team to everyone their opponents have played. All B1G teams have played 9 games. Raw stats compare each team to their 9 opponents. But each of your opponents have played 8 other teams. So DSA compares each of your performances not against your opponents, but rather against the 72 (9 opponents times 8 other opponents = 72 games) other performances against your opponents.
Differential Scoring Offense (DSO): Points scored divided by the points that opponent gives up to other FBS teams, on average. If your opponent gives up 25 points per game and you scored 50, your DSO is 2 (50 divided by 25). For a season it is the points you scored against your opponents divided by all of the points given up by all of your opponents against other FBS opponents, meaning that your game against each opponent is factored out along with all of the FCS matchups. Numbers above 1 are better than average, below 1 is worse.
Differential Scoring Defense (DSD): Points given up divided by the points that opponent scores against other FBS teams, on average. If your opponent scores 50 points per game and you only gave up 25, your DSD is 0.5 (25 divided by 50). As you can see, lower is better for DSD, so below 1 is better than average and greater than 1 is worse.
Differential Scoring Composite (DSC): Sometimes called "The King of All Stats". Determined by dividing DSO by DSD. It gives a single number that combines scoring offense, scoring defense, and strength of schedule.
Differential Total Offense (DTO): Total Offense divided by the yardage your opponent typically gives up. It works the same way DSO works, only for yards rather than points.
Differential Total Defense (DTD): Total Defense divided by the yardage your opponent typically gains against other FBS teams. Same as DSD, but for yards rather than points.
Differential Yardage Composite (DYC): DTO divided by DTD. Does the same thing for yardage that DSC does for points.
Differential Rushing Offense (DRO): DTO, but for rushing only.
Differential Rushing Defense (DRD): DTD but for rushing only.
Differential Yards Per Carry (DYpC): Diff. Rushing is for Yards per Game, this is for YpC.
Differential Passing Offense (DPO): DTO, but for passing only.
Differential Passing Defense (DPD): DTD, but for passing only.
Differential Passing Efficiency Offense (DPE): Your passing efficiency divided by the passing efficiency given up by your opponent, on average, to all other FBS competition.
Differential Passing Efficiency Defense (DPED): Pass efficiency defense divided by the passing efficiency typically posted by the opponent against everyone else (FBS only).
Rigidity: This is a term used to compare teams based on how well their differential numbers (see above) hold up against better competition. A team that has better performance against better competition will have a rigidity greater than zero, while a team that puffs up their stats against weaklings but fails against stronger opponents will have a rigidity less than zero. Maximum rigidity is 100. Minimum rigidity is -100.
Differential Statistical Analysis (DSA): This is the term for this methodology as a whole.
DSA is superior to normal statistics for two reasons: 1) It builds the context of "Who You Have Played" into the numbers, and 2) It multiplies the number of data points.
Raw stats only compare a team to their opponents. DSA compares a team to everyone their opponents have played. All B1G teams have played 9 games. Raw stats compare each team to their 9 opponents. But each of your opponents have played 8 other teams. So DSA compares each of your performances not against your opponents, but rather against the 72 (9 opponents times 8 other opponents = 72 games) other performances against your opponents.
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