Adjusted offense/defense rank for Georgia and Michigan State

Average rank of offense Georgia played was 82.30. Georgia finished 3rd in total defense.
82.30+3=85.30 divided by 2 for an adjusted total defensive rank of 42.65.
Average rank of offense MSU played was 66.23.  MSU finished 5th in total defense.
66.23+5=71.23 divided by 2 for an adjusted total defensive rank of 35.62.

Average rank of defense Georgia played was 47.85. Georgia finished 37th in total offense.
47.85+37=84.85 divided by 2 for an adjusted offensive rank of 42.43.
Average rank of defense MSU played was 57.46. MSU finished 60th in total offense.
57.46+60=117.46 divided by 2 for an adjusted total offensive rank of 58.73.

For anyone who hasn't read my previous adjusted stats posts I get them by averaging the rank of every team played adding the opposite stat (i.e. average offensive rank of opponents + defensive rank of team and dividing by 2) to adjust stats for relative quality of opponents. Any 1AA team is automatically given a rank of 120 (last) which is dead last if they were a 1A team.

When adjusted it raises Michigan State's defense slightly ahead of Georgia's. Georgia's offense already looked slightly better, 30 yards rushing per game while even in passing, and when adjusted Georgia pulls a bit further ahead of Michigan State. Again these appear to be two evenly matched opponents.

Michigan State: By the numbers

Here is a look at the raw data comparing Michigan State and Georgia.

	UGA	Nat. Rank	MSU	Nat. Rank
Passing yards	241.2	50	247.5	44
Passing yards allowed	165.1	8	168.4	12
Rushing yards	172.69	40	142.92	75
Rushing yards allowed	103.38	10	104.31	12
Total offense	413.8	39	390.4	60
Total defense	268.5	3	272.7	5
PPG scored	32.2	33	30.8	38
PPG allowed	19.6	16	17.5	9
Punt returns	6.68	81	11.7	24
Punt returns allowed	16.9	119	9.92	86
Punting average	43.46	22	39.47	75
Kickoff returns	22.4	48	24.31	13
Kickoff returns allowed	23.47	92	23.69	100
Kickoff average	65.68	18	65.17	26
First downs	21.6	38	19.8	67
First downs allowed	14.3	2	16.2	12
Sacks	2.62	18	3.15	7
Sacks allowed	2.23	83	1.23	26
Tackles for loss	7.23	18	6.85	27
Tackles for loss allowed	5.77	67	5.08	35
Turnovers gained	29	16	22	50
Turnovers lost	22	63	15	9
Turnover margin	7	23	7	23
3rd down %	43.50%	39	39.56%	74
Opponent 3rd down %	28.81%	3	33.70%	17
Red zone TD %	63.46%	42	60.78%	62
Red zone FG %	19.23%	69	21.57%	57
Red zone total %	82.69%	57	82.34	58
Redzone trips	52	36	51	39
Opp. Red Zone TD %	66.67%	94	60%	64
Opp. Red Zone FG %	22.22%	70	17.14%	33
Opp. Red Zone total %	88.89%	108	77.14%	30
Redzone trips allowed	27	6	35	20
FG%	60.60%	98	72.70%	47
Time of possession	33:48:38	6	31:27:69	27

Truthfully from a statistical point of view these two teams may be the best match up of the bowl season. Georgia averages about 30 more yards per game rushing. Outside of that the offenses and defenses put up nearly identical numbers. Michigan State appears to be slightly better all around in special teams but their numbers don't really blow me away. The one stat that concerns me quite a bit is the sacks and tackles for loss allowed by Georgia. Michigan State is one of the best in the country at getting sacks and tackles for loss. Georgia is in the bottom half of the country in giving them up. Georgia must improve in that area to give their offense a chance against will be one of the better defenses in the nation. All in all it should be a great game.

How Georgia stacks up against the SEC's best.

For comparison's sake I did UGA, AU, AL, AR and LSU so that the supposed three best teams in the SEC west could be compared to UGA. I threw in AU since that is the next team on our schedule. After averaging the offenses that a team faced I added that teams defensive rank to that number since a defensive ranking for a team would be compared the the offenses it went against. Then I added those two numbers and averaged them to come up with an adjusted ranking that took into account where a team is ranked and their strength of schedule on that side of the ball. I then did the same for the defenses a team faced and added in that teams offensive numbers. Hopefully it will make sense after looking at my chart.

UGA schedule	offense	defense
Boise State	13	13
USCe	81	9
CC*	120	120
Ole Miss	113	98
Miss. State	56	40
UT	97	31
Vandy	103	30
UF	94	14
NMSU	46	112
average rank	80.33	51.89
	UGA D rank	UGA O rank
	7	35
total	87.33	86.89
adjusted rank	43.67	43.44
Auburn schedule	offense	defense
Utah State	25	28
Miss. State	56	40
Clemson	15	66
Florida Atlantic	119	69
USCe	81	9
Arkansas	23	55
UF	94	14
LSU	78	3
Ole Miss	113	98
average rank	67.11	42.44
	AU D rank	AU O Rank
	75	89
total	142.11	131.44
adjusted rank	71.06	65.72
LSU Schedule	offense	defense
Oregon	7	62
North Western State	120	120
Miss. State	56	40
West Virginia	12	23
UK	117	70
UF	94	14
UT	97	31
AU	89	75
Alabama	29	1
average rank	69	48.44
	LSU D rank	LSU O Rank
	3	81
total	72	129.44
adjusted rank	36	64.72
Arkansas Schedule	offense	defense
Missouri State	120	120
New Mexico	114	119
Troy	72	114
Alabama	29	1
Texas A&M	9	93
AU	89	75
Ole Miss	113	98
Vandy	103	30
USCe	81	9
average rank	81.11	73.22
	Ark. D rank	Ark. O rank
	55	23
total	136.11	96.22
adjusted rank	68.06	48.11
Alabama schedule	offense	defense
Kent State	120	31
Penn State	88	8
North Texas	110	104
Arkansas	23	55
UF	94	14
Vandy	103	30
Ole Miss	113	98
UT	97	31
LSU	81	3
average rank	92.11	41.56
	AL D rank	AL O rank
	1	29
total	93.11	70.56
adjusted rank	46.56	35.28

What all this shows me is that after you account for schedule UGA has really earned its offensive and defensive rankings in total yards on offense and defense every bit as much as the teams that are considered to be amont the elite in the nation. Falling just behind Alabama on offense and just behind LSU on defense. Alabama's first place defense has had the benefit of playing against on average a 93rd ranked offense just as Georgia's has benefited from playing against on average the 87th best offense. That means that as far as difficulty there is little difference and therefore it is reasonable to say that Georgia's defense would stack up well against Alabama's schedule.

There are a great number of other factors that go into it but this gives some objective comparison to strength of schedule of these teams. Any suggestions for other comparisons are welcome. All rankings are national and taken from cfbstats.com .