Explanation of the Maps

The offense and defense maps (see right column) are a visual representation of the many different styles used by college football teams. Comparing teams based on tempo, run to pass ratio, run and pass effectiveness, etc., the maps locate teams so that similar teams are close to one another and dissimilar teams are far apart.

In the game breakdowns, the maps focus on past opponents of the two teams. Each past opponent is located on the map. Next to each name is the difference between how that team did and how they were expected to perform. Positive numbers mean the opponent did relatively well compared to how they were expected to do. So, for example, if Alabama is about to play Auburn, and of Auburn's past opponents the teams that are similar to Alabama (close on the map) have positive values, Alabama will be a tough matchup, in terms of style, for Auburn.