• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

Speed

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
xrayrandy said:
I have also given some thought to the debate regarding football prowess between the north and south. For my part I tend to divide the country north to south geographically roughly along the 37th parallel. You can think of it as a line roughly along the northern borders of North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma , New Mexico, Arizona and bisecting California. I hope not to offend any Virginians, but given the geography of the states I can't think of a better place to draw the line.

Then if you look at schools that have a BCS, AP, USAToday/UPI championship, and give 1/2 credit for split championships, you can come up with the following data.

Over the last 10 years the geographically southern states are winning 8-2 in what is looking like a serious trend.

2000-2005 South 5 to 1
1990-1999 South 6 to 4
1980-1989 South 6 to 4
1970-1979 South 6 to 4
1960-1969 South 6.5 to 3.5
1950-1959 South 6 to 4
Total 35.5 to 20.5

Let that soak in for a moment. The geographically northern states have not dominated NCAA football since the 1940s.
Click to expand...

First, you can forget about California or Oklahoma being "southern", regardless of being in southern half of the US. You think Arizona and New Mexico are "southern" states? How about Hawaii? You call a Hawaiian a "southerner" and you're going to get your ass kicked.

Second, what do national titles have to do with speed? You think that the 1957 Auburn team, the Alabama teams of the early '60s, or the 1963 and 1969 Texas teams were "speed" teams?

Besides, as mentioned earlier (more than once), when the media talks about "southern speed", they're talking about Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, but mostly Florida and Georgia.
 
Upvote 0
MililaniBuckeye said:
First, you can forget about California or Oklahoma being "southern", regardless of being in southern half of the US. You think Arizona and New Mexico are "southern" states? How about Hawaii? You call a Hawaiian a "southerner" and you're going to get your ass kicked.

Second, what do national titles have to do with speed? You think that the 1957 Auburn team, the Alabama teams of the early '60s, or the 1963 and 1969 Texas teams were "speed" teams?

Besides, as mentioned earlier (more than once), when the media talks about "southern speed", they're talking about Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, but mostly Florida and Georgia.
Click to expand...

I agree, teams like USC, Cal, Arizona, and others on the West Coast are just that...West Coast teams.
 
Upvote 0
Since 1950 the schools with the most national championships are as follows" (counting a split championship as 1/2)

6.5 Oklahoma
5.5 Alabama
5.5 Southern California
4.5 Miami
4 Nebraska
3.5 Texas
3.5 Notre Dame
3 Ohio State
2 Tennessee, Penn St., Florida St
1.5 Mich St., LSU
1 Maryland, Syracuse, Minn, Pitt, Georgia, Clemson, BYU, Florida
0.5 Colorado, Ga Tech, Washington, Auburn, UCLA, Michigan

Total 35.5 to 20.5

Note that the top 6 geographically southern programs account for nearly half of the national championships during this period.

Michigan is insignificant with regard to national championships during this time period.
 
Upvote 0
xrayrandy said:
Since 1950 the schools with the most national championships are as follows" (counting a split championship as 1/2)

6.5 Oklahoma
5.5 Alabama
5.5 Southern California
4.5 Miami
4 Nebraska
3.5 Texas
3.5 Notre Dame
3 Ohio State
2 Tennessee, Penn St., Florida St
1.5 Mich St., LSU
1 Maryland, Syracuse, Minn, Pitt, Georgia, Clemson, BYU, Florida
0.5 Colorado, Ga Tech, Washington, Auburn, UCLA, Michigan

Total 35.5 to 20.5

Note that the top 6 geographically southern programs account for nearly half of the national championships during this period.

Michigan is insignificant with regard to national championships during this time period.
Click to expand...

Speed doesnt always translate to national championships. Oklahoma was a power team back in the day, same with Alabama and Texas I believe.
 
Upvote 0
Speed does not equal "good football team", people.

Speed helps and can compensate for lacking in other areas like discipline and know how, but a disciplined slower defense will rock a fast, inept offense to sleep. Usually by being there when they catch the ball light them up like a Christmas tree.

Wilhelm, Reynolds, and Grant weren't the fasted linebackers to ever play the game. But they sure knew how to get to a hole first and fill it when they were on the field. Ask all of the backs that got 100 yards on Ohio State in 2002.

It will be a short conversation.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
xrayrandy said:
Since 1950 the schools with the most national championships are as follows" (counting a split championship as 1/2)

6.5 Oklahoma
5.5 Alabama
5.5 Southern California
4.5 Miami
4 Nebraska
3.5 Texas
3.5 Notre Dame
3 Ohio State
2 Tennessee, Penn St., Florida St
1.5 Mich St., LSU
1 Maryland, Syracuse, Minn, Pitt, Georgia, Clemson, BYU, Florida
0.5 Colorado, Ga Tech, Washington, Auburn, UCLA, Michigan

Total 35.5 to 20.5

Note that the top 6 geographically southern programs account for nearly half of the national championships during this period.

Michigan is insignificant with regard to national championships during this time period.
Click to expand...

Nothing but a weak rehash of your previous post. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you were "researching" this while I was making my post which rebutted your previous one, so I'll reiterate, once again: Oklahoma and California are not "southern" states as referred to by the media.
 
Upvote 0
I'll agree with Mili on this one; the only schools on that list that I would consider "southern schools" would be...
- 'Bama
- Miami
- Tennessee
- FSU
- LSU
- UGA
- Clemson
- Florida
- Ga Tech
- Auburn
You can't draw a line across the country and call the top "northern schools" and the bottom "southern schools".
 
Upvote 0
You can't draw a line across the country and call the top "northern schools" and the bottom "southern schools".
Click to expand...

There is no other analytical method to define north and south. The states below the 37th parallel are even smaller in area and population than those above, yet produce more fast athletes than those to the north. That fact is supported by track results. States with warmer climates produce more fast runners. This is not a myth it is fact.

The fact that teams from the southernmost states have dominated the sport the past decade coincides with the emphasis in improving speed on football teams. Get used to it. You should expect a team from north of the 37th parallel to win a national championship every 5 years, at best. Fortunately for Ohio State fans, your university is the best of that group when it comes to recruiting and developing fast talented football players.

I only included the data going back to 1950 because it shows that the southernmost states have been producing better athletes for decades as a counter to other posts claiming superiority of northern schools.
 
Upvote 0
xrayrandy said:
The states below the 37th parallel are even smaller in area and population than those above, yet produce more fast athletes than those to the north. That fact is supported by track results. States with warmer climates produce more fast runners. This is not a myth it is fact.
Click to expand...
So what's the secret? Is it that everyone south of the 37th parallel gets to run more in that nicer weather, is it the genetics or is it just that "southern cookin'"? Maybe we just smoke and drink more up here...yeah, that must be it. XRayRandy, I do enjoy some of your posts, and appreciate the time you take to come up with them, but some of this statistical garbage you come up with...:roll1: We can argue track and field stats all day, but I know where I come from(NE Ohio, a FB recruiting hotbed), most football players don't bother with that sport. Maybe it's different in the south, and perhaps therein lay the reason I'm not blown over by your numbers.

Fortunately for Ohio State fans, your university is the best of that group when it comes to recruiting and developing fast talented football players.
Click to expand...
I will say we can agree on this point.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
scooter1369 said:
Wilhelm, Reynolds, and Grant weren't the fasted linebackers to ever play the game. But they sure knew how to get to a hole first and fill it when they were on the field. Ask all of the backs that got 100 yards on Ohio State in 2002.

It will be a short conversation.
Click to expand...

So you're saying that Anthony Davis isn't much of a talker? :wink2:
 
Upvote 0
wow...this thread is beyond dumb

and XRayrandy, we're all a little dumber by reading your posts in this thread. Give it up...there is no statistical case that can be made for why Southern Teams are better due to being in the South...which leads to more fast athletes. That's just dumb. And to compare the quantity of NCs as corroboration to your argument is ridiculous.

I notice that Penn State only receives credit for 2 NCs....but how about those undefeated teams that they had? The '94 PSU team was faster than the '94 Nebraska team.....yet they don't get a NC for that.

The '95, '96, and '98 OSU teams were at least as fast or faster than the NC teams of those years (UF, Nebraska, and Tennessee)....yet we didn't get NCs recorded for those years

...in other words, the NC teams being from the south has NOTHING to do with a statistical comparison to fast athletes' geographical origins.

also......The NFL combines of the past 10 years with OBJECTIVE measurements of speed for all involved.....actually suggest that the BigTen has the FASTEST athletes of all.

I'll give you credit that the southern teams usually look faster and play a faster brand of football. But when they face BigTen teams in bowl games...at least since the BCS era, the BigTen teams look pretty damned fast compared to the SEC teams.

...also, the myth of some sort of genetic advantage for southern athletes is out the window. Look at some of the best NBA players and the best leapers.....many are from the North. Lebron James is the best athlete in the NBA and he is an OHio boy. I would say that there is a strong correlation to being a great NBA athlete to being a great athlete period....unless, of course, you consider the football speed different. If that's the case, then your argument is blown away on a different account.

Shaun Alexander is from Florence, KY...about 11 miles south of the Ohio border. Does that mean he's a purely southern speedster or a a hybrid? Michael Jenkins went to High School in Florida....but was born in Ohio. Hmmm.

also.....The '98 Tennessee Volunteers' fastest receiver was Peerless Price - from OHIO. They won the NC.....you counted that NC as a "southern" NC. Yet the big play in the game was made by Peerless Price.

also....Joe Namath was the best player on those early to mid '60s Alabama teams....he was from: PENNSYLVANIA

this whole argument is stupid......Ohio State Buckeyes alone have debunked the myth.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top