Michigan and Alabama played an overtime game that went for 212 minutes on cable for ESPN. The Wolverines ran 59 plays, which includes overtime. Washington, in regulation against Texas, went 231 minutes and put up 70 plays. Over the course of the year we are looking at a match-up between a team, Washington, that has ran 914 plays against a Michigan team that ran 867.
That’s a 47 play difference over 14 games, or just over 3 play difference per game. 65 for the Huskies to 62 for the Wolverines.
Not a big difference.
Now, let’s drill into their 3 “biggest” or “toughest games” with respect to caliber of opponent. Michigan has Penn State 54 plays, Bama 59 plays including OT and Ohio State 60 plays. Washington has Oregon at 78 and 61 then Texas at 78. No overtime for the Huskies, only one for the Wolverines.
In the words of my guy George Whitfield, “styles make fights.” The difference in these six games, three for each is a 14 play difference. For sticklers, 57.6 vs 72.3. This game is about styles winning out. Against their best opposition Michigan plays a below average number of plays. In games against Washington’s best opposition they play more plays.
Styles make fights, that’s what this game is all about.
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