More stats for you this morning, as we look at what might be fueling Georgia’s surge this season.
Bruce Feldman has a good piece up on Iowa State’s offensive coordinator and his philosophy about winning what he calls the “double positive”. What’s that?
… Herman’s big on preaching to his players about trying to win “the double positive,” he explains of his biggest stat barometer.
“If you win the turnover battle and the ‘explosive’ game, stats say you win the game 97 percent of the time. [Emphasis added.] We preach that to our kids daily. I think I read a study a few years ago about it and it’s certainly held up in all of my years as a coordinator. I think there’s maybe been one game where we lost them both and still won the game and that happened this year against Northern Iowa.”
Herman defines explosive plays as running plays of 12+ yards and passing plays of +16 yards.
I thought I’d take a stab at seeing how that applies to Georgia’s season.
Turnover margin was the easy part to run down. This season, the Dawgs are undefeated in the six games in which they have a positive turnover margin and they’ve lost the only game with a negative one (which leaves them 2-1 in games with a balanced margin).
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find where Marty tracks explosive plays on a game-by-game basis, so unless I find somebody else with a database on that, it’s something I’ll have to count by hand (that sounds like a good subject for an offseason post). But you can find season totals for big running and passing plays at cfbstats.com, and those show that Georgia is on the right side of these stats as well.
- Offensive running plays of 10+ yards: 63 (1st in the SEC)
- Defensive running plays of 10+ yards: 35 (3rd in the SEC)
- Offensive passing plays of 20+ yards: 31 (2nd in the SEC)
- Defensive passing plays of 20+ yards: 20 (4th in the SEC)
By the way, you may notice that Georgia’s conference standing in those statistical categories is better on offense than it is on defense. There’s something else you can blame on Bobo.
Get The Picture 
We need a new lexicon entry called “Blame Bobo…”
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We already have “Fire Bobo.” Doesn’t that cover it?
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Or we could have one for “Bobo Derangement Syndrome, n., condition present in some Georgia fans which manifests itself as an irrational hatred of Bulldog Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo, with a tendency to blame Bobo for any misfortune, however dubious any connection between the actual performance of Coach Bobo may have to said misfortune. This term does not include persons presenting objectively well reasoned ,thoughtful criticism of offensive performance . “
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But does still include old players of hs and college ball looking for a job. First they have to get the pesent O coordinator fired using aforesaid deranged stats, innuendo and outright fabrications.
While that’s the long def, every word you wrote was needed in your definition. Good post, Brandon.
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Cojones usually has a hard time with this part:
“[…] This term does not include persons presenting objectively well reasoned, thoughtful criticism of offensive performance.”
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Cojones and I don’t play that shit, Bevo.
You’re either with us or against us. Make the right choice. Cojones is a very dangerous man.
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Brandon, also add the Georgia fan’s magnificent ability to guess 80% of Bobo’s playcalls before the snap.
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Honestly, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen “Bobo failed to make adjustments at the half” in the comments here at GTP followed by no substantiation or examples or insight.
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Dear Bobo,
I’m sorry I was wrong and I’ve never been more happy to say it.
Sincerely,
All us Dawgs
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I can think of one +10 yard run on special teams (punt defense), Son of a bisciut eater.
How would special teams effect that explosive play matrix, somehow I don’t think it would look as positive as some of the others.
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Good point. Our ST has been explosively bad at times with some good kick returns by Boykin as the lone highlight.
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Do we have a game this weekend?
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I think we’re off until the SEC Championship game.
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Nice one.
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Some fans think we have a formality this weekend. Heard that the Kentucky players, especially those from the state of Georgia, don’t view it that way. With all the weapons Bobo displays on our O, it will be difficult, but not impossible to upset us. That’s why Kentucky insists we go ahead and play the game.
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The Bulldogs, version 20.11, look forward to the Saturday in front of them……nothing more. Each game is a statement. I hear what they are saying.
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Red, I think I agree with you. They’ve certainly taken care of business after the first 2. We should definitely take care of business this weekend, but stranger things have happened. I’d like to hear more about the focus the players and coaches are putting on this game, before putting on the championship rings.
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In case you missed this article: http://dogbytesonline.com/notebook-bulldogs-know-better-than-to-overlook-kentucky-overhauled-special-teams-show-results-52059/
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Consider this, Russ…..
UK has allowed more sacks than any SEC team. Georgia, on the other hand, leads the conference in said category. I’m thinking Jarvis Jones, the heart and soul of the Georgia defense, is silently preparing to make a run for the national lead. All he needs is a Florida type performance. Sacks create turnovers and bad down and distance scenarios.
The Jarvis Jones influence on the Georgia defense has been a remarkable thing to watch. With each game he becomes an extension of what Grantham is thinking. He is everything Justin Houston will never be……a freakin star in the making.
As you watch the game tomorrow, pay close to attention to where 29 lines up. That will give you a clue as to where UK is not going with the ball. And In typical Jarvis Jones fashion……he runs it down from the backside.
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Good stuff today Senator. You know this is by far the best sports blog, which is why I enjoying coming here daily. Thanks for the reprieve on JoePa news today.
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Thanks, man.
Actually, I appreciate the absence of PSU news more than you do.
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Not so fast, my friends
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/11/paterno_diagnosed_with_treatab.html
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Damn it Senator, if your going to give us the set ups like that at least let us give the punchline. I do blame Bobo just like any rational human being would have blamed him for the 42 points we hung on USC. As to potential shorthand wouldn’t it be texting shorthand ..IBB..I blame Bobo
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I thought Bobo’s Name Was “I Blame” Bobo.
I always Blamed the D not the O since Bobo became the OC.
On a similar note: Russ is a DGD & S/B elevated up to UGA Status.
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If the Dawgs win the SEC Championship Russ should be the permanent mascot for sure.
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Looks like Iowa St got the ole “double positive” working vs the boys that poke cows.
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And giving us the good Bobo vibes counts as your double positive for this blog. Thanks, Senator.
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