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Speed

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Not sure if this was ever posted, but...

http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2002/Misc/Speed_Comparison.htm

In last week's ASK CFN, I provided a relatively lame answer to a question asking my thoughts on the comparison of speed in the Big Ten to the SEC. Some SEC fans took this as an insult, but if anything, it should be taken as a complement. The SEC didn't win big games last year cause it's more athletic than anyone else, it won cause it had better football teams and better football players. Unfortunately, there's not a reliable or believable way to get the 40 times of every player on every team in order to do a hard comparison when it comes to speed.

It's my contention that despite the common perception that the Big Ten is slower than the SEC, it isn't. The better teams are just going to have better football players, but that's hard to see in blowout bowl games. Tennessee, Florida and LSU were elite, top ten-type teams last year and the reason for that was cause of their great players and athletes. That doesn't necessarily mean they were any faster.

Many like to point to the Jason Witten touchdown when the big Tennessee tight end pulled away from the Michigan back seven in last year's Florida Citrus Bowl. Once again, this is a specific, great, NFL caliber football player playing for an elite football team making a big play. Don't just take that one instance and base the speed of the whole conference on it.

The most reliable 40 times available come when the NFL scouts get their official readings so I took the times from Pro Football Weekly's 2001-2002 Pro Prospects Preview to look at the top seniors and prospects of last year. Yes, this won't include every great player, but it does give a decent sample for comparison. To add to the comparison, I added in the speed of the Big XII and the Pac 10 players to see if there was any difference between the conferences or geographic regions.

Below is the average 40 time per position and the number of pro prospects that the sample is taken from. Remember, there are more teams in the SEC and Big XII than the Big Ten and Pac 10 and the book only looks at seniors and top juniors, so don't get too hung up on the number of pro prospects at each position. One note, the running backs include fullbacks.
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<table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="4"><tr><td width="20%" bgcolor="#000000"><font size="2" face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF">Position</font></td><td width="20%" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"><font size="2" face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF">Big Ten</font></td><td width="20%" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"><font size="2" face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF">SEC</font></td><td width="20%" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"><font size="2" face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF">Big XII</font></td><td width="20%" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"><font size="2" face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF">Pac 10</font></td></tr><tr><td width="20%"><font size="2" face="Arial">Quarterbacks</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.8 (4)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.875 (2)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.82 (2)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.9 (2)</font></td></tr><tr><td width="20%"><font size="2" face="Arial">Running Backs</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.63 (10)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.775 (4)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.63 (7)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.62 (12)</font></td></tr><tr><td width="20%"><font size="2" face="Arial">Wide Receivers</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.57 (11)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.55 (11)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.53 (9)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.4625 (4)</font></td></tr><tr><td width="20%"><font size="2" face="Arial">Tight Ends</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.93 (5)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.97 (3) </font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.94 (7)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.925 (4)</font></td></tr><tr><td width="20%"><font size="2" face="Arial">Offensive Linemen</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">5.32 (11)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">5.26 (14)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">5.28 (24)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">5.29 (12)</font></td></tr><tr><td width="20%"><font size="2" face="Arial">Defensive Linemen</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">5.048 (16)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">5.017 (13)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">5.032 (10)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">5.16 (6)</font></td></tr><tr><td width="20%"><font size="2" face="Arial">Linebackers</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.77 (12)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.72 (20)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.72 (12)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.68 (9)</font></td></tr><tr><td width="20%"><font size="2" face="Arial">Defensive Backs</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.515 (10)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.543 (20)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.579 (15)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.58 (14)</font></td></tr><tr><td width="20%"><font size="2" face="Arial">Average overall speed of skill offensive players (not including TEs)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.6304 (25)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.64 (17)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.60 (18)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.616 (18)</font></td></tr><tr>
<td width="20%"><font size="2" face="Arial">Average overall speed of linemen (not including TEs)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">5.159 (27)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">5.143 (27)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">5.207 (34)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">5.247 (18)</font></td></tr><tr><td width="20%"><font size="2" face="Arial">Average overall speed of the defensive back seven</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.654 (22)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.6315 (40)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.64 (27)</font></td><td width="20%" align="center"><font size="2" face="Arial">4.619 (24)</font></td></tr></table>
 
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xrayrandy said:
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.
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Wow, back to your own special brand of stupidity, huh? You wanna argue the Melton non-touchdown again, or are you waiting for the game?
Texas didn't win the game because of speed, it won because of Vince Young.
States with warmer climates don't produce more fast runners, they simply give fast runners a chance to train and stay in shape year round.
Since you claim it's fact, can you point me in the direction of the study you read? I'd like some new bathroom reading material.
And no, California isn't a southern state...just ask anyone from California.
 
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xrayrandy said:
Since 1950 the schools with the most national championships are as follows" (counting a split championship as 1/2)

6.5 Oklahoma-not a Southern school
5.5 Alabama
5.5 Southern California- not a Southern school
4.5 Miami
4 Nebraska- not a Southern school
3.5 Texas
3.5 Notre Dame- not a Southern School
3 Ohio State- not a Southern school
2 Tennessee, Penn St., Florida St- Penn State isn't southern
1.5 Mich St., LSU- MSU isn't southern
1 Maryland, Syracuse, Minn, Pitt, Georgia, Clemson, BYU, Florida- 3-3
0.5 Colorado, Ga Tech, Washington, Auburn, UCLA, Michigan 3 aren't southern.

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.
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the South has 23 (24 if you count Maryland) titles in that frame, not the outrageous 35.5 that you claim. do not forget that we know how to count.

states not in the south account for 31 titles.

when defining Southern speed, it is generally held that the South is comprised of the Confederate states. just because Oklahoma is further south than Ohio doesn't mean it's a southern state. this discussion is fucking retarded if you are just going to arbitrarily label some schools as southern- which clearly are not in the south- simply to back your point.
 
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Because of the nicer weather the average cop in the north is slower than in the south. (Don't debate me on this, I have lived both in Ohio and Florida so my sample size of 2 makes me an expert) Because of this the southern athletes have had to be faster. That and these kids get free shoes. Everyone knows that Ginn and Smith were commuting from Florida so that they could look faster against other slower players.

Southern Speed is a myth now a days because indoor facilities are so much better. Previously, the northerners were put on ice come winter. In Florida we had almost twice as many outdoor sports seasons as up North. I'd bet if you compared athletes in the North and South in the old days, those in the North were stronger and those in the South were faster.

Well we saw how that Miami southern speed did against the slow ass Bucks :biggrin:!

Oh yea, and with being able to recruit all over the country we can take Florida and Texas skill players.
 
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G8erBait said:
Look buddy, I don't really care anymore. If you want to consider Southern California as a Northern team then go right ahead and do so. Heck, if you want to consider Alabama, FSU and Florida as Northern teams then that is cool as well. I gave you a list of National Champions since 1990 and I will let you draw your own conclusions. Based on that list, I think the Southeastern region of the United States plays the best football. :)
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According to stassen.com 1990-present the top 10 programs based upon winning percentage are pretty evenly split.

FSU
Miami
Nebraska
Florida
Tennessee
Ohio State
Michigan
Marshall
Texas
Kansas State

Is not considered part of the south but even if you included them as "southern" it still is 5-5

There is NO merit to any of your arguement about the south being faster or having a better record. Nothing FACTUAL anyway.
 
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As pointed out in my previous post it has been over the past ten years that southern teams have been really pulling away from teh north. Here are the winningest teams over the past ten years per Stassen and 7 of the 10 are from old south confederate states.

1 Florida State 0.79365 100 26
2 Miami-Florida 0.78689 96 26
3 Ohio State 0.77419 96 28
4 Texas 0.76190 96 30
5t Tennessee 0.76000 95 30
5t Virginia Tech 0.76000 95 30
7 Michigan 0.75610 93 30
8 Nebraska 0.75591 96 31
9 Florida 0.74400 93 32
10 Georgia 0.74194 92 32
 
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xrayrandy said:
As pointed out in my previous post it has been over the past ten years that southern teams have been really pulling away from teh north. Here are the winningest teams over the past ten years per Stassen and 7 of the 10 are from old south confederate states.

1 Florida State 0.79365 100 26
2 Miami-Florida 0.78689 96 26
3 Ohio State 0.77419 96 28
4 Texas 0.76190 96 30
5t Tennessee 0.76000 95 30
5t Virginia Tech 0.76000 95 30
7 Michigan 0.75610 93 30
8 Nebraska 0.75591 96 31
9 Florida 0.74400 93 32
10 Georgia 0.74194 92 32
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At the risk of sounding simplistic here, what relevance is there in overall winning percentages? Southern teams play mostly southern teams (and visa-versa) so if they are winning a lot of the games, it does not mean they are better than teams they aren't playing, just dominating their region. The only valid information for something like this would be the results of the games between teams in each region. Overall winning percentage tells us nothing relating to this subject.
 
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