They are currently ranked 11th nationally in scoring offense with 36.3 ppg. However, if you look at how they got there, I wonder if it raises any questions. Excluding the Citadel, this is the current rank in scoring defense for every team they played, along with the ppg scored against them by Clemson:
#18 UGA -- 3 points
#119 App State -- 66 points
#102 NC State -- 59 points
#120 Stanford -- 40 points
#92 FSU -- 29 points
#117 Wake -- 49 points
#90 UVA -- 48 points
#70 Louisville -- 21 points
#43 VaTech -- 24 points
#73 Pitt -- 24 points
Average rank in total defense for all teams they have faced is 84.4.
Our offense is 38th in ppg with 30.6 points. If you look at how we got there, here are our opponents rank in scoring defense and our point scored:
#79 ODU -- 23 points
#28 UK -- 31 points
#59 LSU -- 36 points
#115 Akron -- 50 points
#7 Ole Miss -- 3 points
# 11 Alabama -- 25 points
#21 OU -- 35 points (mostly by D, of course)
#37 A&M -- 44 points
#55 Vandy -- 28 points
#29 Missouri -- 34 points
Average rank in total defense for all teams we have faced is 41.3
One of our creampuffs, ODU, has a higher ranked scoring defense (79) than the average of all of Clemson's opponents (84.4). On the other hand, only one of Clemson's games (UGA) came against a team that has a higher ranked D than the average of our opponents.
We faced one team outside the top 100 while Clemson faced 4, and 3 of those were actually conference games. Conversely, we faced 6 teams who are top 50 in defense. Clemson has faced 2 and put up 3 points 24 points in those games. In our top 50 matchups, we managed 34 points, 44 points, 35 points (ok, D game against OU), 25 points, 3 points and 31 points.
We will actually be the best defense they have faced all season, ahead of even UGA. Once you get past UGA at 18, the next best D they have faced is # 43. The 3rd best D they have faced is #70. Seven of their 10 games have come against teams ranked outside the top 70.
Also, notably, Clemson beefed up their ppg by piling on against App State, NC State and Stanford (#s 119, 102 and 120, respectively in scoring D). We put up points against A&M's #37 D and Missouri's #29 D.
All that to say, it's really impossible to compare each team's relative offensive production. There simply is no possible comparison between the levels of defenses each team has faced. Seven of Clemson's 10 games have been against teams ranked outside the top 70 in total defense. Six of our 10 games have come against teams ranked inside the top 50, and only 2 are against teams outside the top 70. None of this is to say they won't show up and pile up a ton of points on us.
Is our 30.6 ppg against an average scoring defense of 41.3 more impressive than Clemson's 36.3 ppg against teams with a scoring D of 84.4? The head-to-head will give us the answer to that.
Disclaimer: Yes, I only looked at the total points scored. As in our OU game, I didn't account for defensive scores. Also, the scoring average does include the game against Citadel and Wofford, but those were about the same score for each team, so a wash statistically.
#18 UGA -- 3 points
#119 App State -- 66 points
#102 NC State -- 59 points
#120 Stanford -- 40 points
#92 FSU -- 29 points
#117 Wake -- 49 points
#90 UVA -- 48 points
#70 Louisville -- 21 points
#43 VaTech -- 24 points
#73 Pitt -- 24 points
Average rank in total defense for all teams they have faced is 84.4.
Our offense is 38th in ppg with 30.6 points. If you look at how we got there, here are our opponents rank in scoring defense and our point scored:
#79 ODU -- 23 points
#28 UK -- 31 points
#59 LSU -- 36 points
#115 Akron -- 50 points
#7 Ole Miss -- 3 points
# 11 Alabama -- 25 points
#21 OU -- 35 points (mostly by D, of course)
#37 A&M -- 44 points
#55 Vandy -- 28 points
#29 Missouri -- 34 points
Average rank in total defense for all teams we have faced is 41.3
One of our creampuffs, ODU, has a higher ranked scoring defense (79) than the average of all of Clemson's opponents (84.4). On the other hand, only one of Clemson's games (UGA) came against a team that has a higher ranked D than the average of our opponents.
We faced one team outside the top 100 while Clemson faced 4, and 3 of those were actually conference games. Conversely, we faced 6 teams who are top 50 in defense. Clemson has faced 2 and put up 3 points 24 points in those games. In our top 50 matchups, we managed 34 points, 44 points, 35 points (ok, D game against OU), 25 points, 3 points and 31 points.
We will actually be the best defense they have faced all season, ahead of even UGA. Once you get past UGA at 18, the next best D they have faced is # 43. The 3rd best D they have faced is #70. Seven of their 10 games have come against teams ranked outside the top 70.
Also, notably, Clemson beefed up their ppg by piling on against App State, NC State and Stanford (#s 119, 102 and 120, respectively in scoring D). We put up points against A&M's #37 D and Missouri's #29 D.
All that to say, it's really impossible to compare each team's relative offensive production. There simply is no possible comparison between the levels of defenses each team has faced. Seven of Clemson's 10 games have been against teams ranked outside the top 70 in total defense. Six of our 10 games have come against teams ranked inside the top 50, and only 2 are against teams outside the top 70. None of this is to say they won't show up and pile up a ton of points on us.
Is our 30.6 ppg against an average scoring defense of 41.3 more impressive than Clemson's 36.3 ppg against teams with a scoring D of 84.4? The head-to-head will give us the answer to that.
Disclaimer: Yes, I only looked at the total points scored. As in our OU game, I didn't account for defensive scores. Also, the scoring average does include the game against Citadel and Wofford, but those were about the same score for each team, so a wash statistically.
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