Goofiest Rankings Ever

[GatOrlando]

Just came across one of those silly rankings done to do something during football dead season. This is a ranking of B1G programs based on returning production.

 

Oregon is rated 16th with a 41 percent clip. Ohio State is 15th btw with 43 percent. The grading is based on percentage of teams offensive stats and defensive stats.  The article does say Oregon recruits very well and develops players at a very high clip but that this upcoming season may be a letdown year much like Michigan this past season. One big difference is Oregon retained it's coach and that's huge.

 

Ranking all 18 Big Ten football teams by returning production entering 2025 season

BADGERSWIRE.USATODAY.COM

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ESPN's Bill Connelly released his annual returning production rankings on Monday

 

[JB89]

Not surprising since it is associated with ESPN.  

[Jon Joseph]

 

Thanks, Gat. Connelly noted that returning production does not correlate with season win-loss totals. Bad teams will likely return lots of bad players.

 

I disagree with Connelly's ranking teams with the same percentage of returning players differently. If and when using Bill's returning production numbers, I round up to the highest rated team with the same percentage of returning players. For example, No. 30 Michigan State, and No. 33 Penn State both return 63% of the 2024 roster.

 

I focus on position group returnees for preseason highly-ranked, Blue Chip Roster programs.

 

For example, Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss returning at the wide receiver position at Ohio State, and adding preseason tight end All-American Max Clare from Purdue, gives me less concern over TOSU losing its OC and untested Redshirt Frosh, Julian Sayin, starting at QB.

 

Another B1G example, not only does Penn State return two outstanding running backs, both of whom lit up OBD's D in the B1G champ game, it returns four of the five O-line starters from 2024, two of five were draft-eligible guys, and has added O-line players from the portal to help the cause. Also, this is OC Andy K's 2nd season with the Nits.

 

I appreciate Connolly putting the numbers together but they don't mean much without a more detailed look. 

 

 

 

[30Duck]

I saw this yesterday with the title, "Oregon Could Regress in 2025" Not exactly Broadway Joe's guarantee that the Jets would win Super Bowl lll. New QB, new OL & DL's, new secondary, new WR's, new RB's. But, as far as I know, Oregon's going to play in 2025. 

[AnotherOD]

On 2/27/2025 at 10:48 AM, Jon Joseph said:

 

Thanks, Gat. Connelly noted that returning production does not correlate with season win-loss totals. Bad teams will likely return lots of bad players.

 

I disagree with Connelly's ranking teams with the same percentage of returning players differently. If and when using Bill's returning production numbers, I round up to the highest rated team with the same percentage of returning players. For example, No. 30 Michigan State, and No. 33 Penn State both return 63% of the 2024 roster.

 

I focus on position group returnees for preseason highly-ranked, Blue Chip Roster programs.

 

For example, Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss returning at the wide receiver position at Ohio State, and adding preseason tight end All-American Max Clare from Purdue, gives me less concern over TOSU losing its OC and untested Redshirt Frosh, Julian Sayin, starting at QB.

 

Another B1G example, not only does Penn State return two outstanding running backs, both of whom lit up OBD's D in the B1G champ game, it returns four of the five O-line starters from 2024, two of five were draft-eligible guys, and has added O-line players from the portal to help the cause. Also, this is OC Andy K's 2nd season with the Nits.

 

I appreciate Connolly putting the numbers together but they don't mean much without a more detailed look. 

 

On 2/27/2025 at 10:48 AM, Jon Joseph said:

 

 

Jon has it right. Maybe Connerly should find a die hard Duck fan to run his takes by before publishing. As great as it looks on paper, few covering 134 teams, as I have seen, has the pulse of a program as well as that a 10-15 percenter, who lives and dies with the team that knows their stuff.

 

Edited Thursday at 09:40 PM by AnotherOD

[GatOrlando]

On 2/27/2025 at 11:48 AM, Jon Joseph said:

 

Thanks, Gat. Connelly noted that returning production does not correlate with season win-loss totals. Bad teams will likely return lots of bad players.

 

I disagree with Connelly's ranking teams with the same percentage of returning players differently. If and when using Bill's returning production numbers, I round up to the highest rated team with the same percentage of returning players. For example, No. 30 Michigan State, and No. 33 Penn State both return 63% of the 2024 roster.

 

I focus on position group returnees for preseason highly-ranked, Blue Chip Roster programs.

 

For example, Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss returning at the wide receiver position at Ohio State, and adding preseason tight end All-American Max Clare from Purdue, gives me less concern over TOSU losing its OC and untested Redshirt Frosh, Julian Sayin, starting at QB.

 

Another B1G example, not only does Penn State return two outstanding running backs, both of whom lit up OBD's D in the B1G champ game, it returns four of the five O-line starters from 2024, two of five were draft-eligible guys, and has added O-line players from the portal to help the cause. Also, this is OC Andy K's 2nd season with the Nits.

 

I appreciate Connolly putting the numbers together but they don't mean much without a more detailed look. 

 

 

 

Automatically if you lose your QB, RB and top WR as Oregon does that is already about 80 percent of most teams production according to Connelly. The man should've consulted with somebody from each team to do a better researched write-up. I mean he is a paid journalist. But for all we know AI could be writing these articles or editing them from ESPN.