Tuesday, November 24, 2009
If You Can't Be Good, At Least Be Original
One of the things I think we can all agree with Mark Richt on is this: Georgia's turnover ratio is killing the Bulldogs in every aspect of the game.
But just how bad has it been for the Dawgs?
In a word? Epic.
Here are the worst turnover margins by any FBS team in the past decade...
Team Year...TAs...GAs...Margin...Record
Wash St.
......... 2008...13....38....-25....2-11
New Mex St
.........2005...15....38.....-23....0-12
E Michigan
........2002....11....34....-23.....3-9
Wyoming
.........2008...14....36....-22.....4-8
Rutgers
........2001.....20...42....-22.....2-9
C Florida
........2003....12....34....-22.....3-9
Miss. St.
........2003....19....40....-21.....2-10
Miami (OH)
........2009....15....36....-21.....1-11
SMU
.......2004.....11....30....-19.....3-8
Washington
.......2004.....23....42....-19.....1-10
Georgia
.......2009.....8.....26....-18.....6-5
Buffalo
........2000....16....34....-18.....2-9
That's right... with two games left to play, Georgia owns the 11th worst turnover ratio in the last 10 years.
But more than just Georgia's presence on that list, there should be two other things that jump off the page at you.
The first is the takeaways. Most of the teams on that list were exceptionally turnover prone, and while Georgia has coughed it up too much this season, the Dawgs aren't close to historically bad.
But on the defensive side of the ball, no other team on that list has done a worse job of creating turnovers. In fact, here's the complete list of teams that finished the season with single-digit takeaways since 2000.
Team Year Takeaways Record
Marshall 2007 7 3-9
Georgia 2009 8 6-5
Illinois 2005 8 3-8
Illinois 2003 8 1-11
Baylor 2004 9 3-8
Indeed, Georgia has a chance to tack on a few in its final two games, but as things stand, this isn't just a defense having problems. This is a defense that ranks among the worst in recent memory at creating big plays and swinging momentum.
Of course, there is the other number that you have no doubt taken stock of.
Of all the teams listed on both charts, only two have finished the year with more than three wins -- Wyoming last year (which, ironically, beat Tennessee!) and Georgia.
In fact, going back to that first list, the combined record of the other 11 teams is 23-108 (.175).
Georgia's record is 6-5 and they're headed for a bowl game.
I have no idea what to make of that. Do we praise the coaches for overcoming so much adversity? Praise the players? Or blame them? Do we give Willie Martinez credit because this year is such an aberration or blame him for creating so few takeaways?
Quite honestly, amid a season of utter ridiculousness at Georgia, this might be the single strangest stat I've seen.
Posted by David Hale at 9:00 AM Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Some are wise and some are otherwise !
