Crazy statistic from a crazy guy who likes numbers

[CincySooner]

I've been tracking quarter-by-quarter box scores for OU games since I was a freshman in '98. I count up the scores after each quarter and count each individual quarter as a win, loss, or tie. Its not a predictive thing or anything like that, I just like to keep track.

Anyway, this year's results for OU are REALLY interesting, but before I get into that here are some points of reference. The national title team in 2000 won 75% of their quarters. Other seasons in which they won an outright Big12 championship (02,04,06,07,08,10) averaged winning 70% of their quarters. The down years of 99, 05, 09, and 14 averaged winning 60% of their quarters. (Incidentally, 2005 was the worst at 49%, which is STILL better than Blake's last year which was 37%...barf)

In 2015 OU has won 80% of their quarters.

Tennessee was the only game in which more than one quarter was lost (2). OU has only lost three quarters by double digits this year, 1Q Tennesse, 1Q Texas, and 4Q TCU.

I think it really speaks to the level of focus and preparation that the players and coaches have this year that they've been missing in the recent past. They come out swinging, and they don't let up.

Whatever happens in the playoffs, I'm proud of what the team has accomplished so far this year... BOOMER!!

[olevetonahill]

I found a sack of quarters, Does that help?

[SoonerMarkVA]

I found a sack of quarters, Does that help?

Wanna trade for this sack of wooden nickels?

[olevetonahill]

Wanna trade for this sack of wooden nickels?

Heh.

[Boomer.....]

Cool stat.

[Spray]

I love this. Great stuff. I tend to do the same thing within a game, looking at possessions.

[winout]

Interesting. You can think of each of the quarters in a game a report card. I'd say we are makin' an A at this point.

[Soonerjeepman]

I'd say the coaches prob look at that as well...and even break it down to possessions.

I'm not jumping on the "OU is going to win it all" bandwagon. I do think we have just as good a chance than the others. Clemson is the biggie. The good is we've seen their offense every week...and if our D goes against our O to prep we'll be ready.

Crazy things happen...hope it goes OU's way.

[oupride]

I am a numbers guy too. Although I have tried to track things during the game, I get too distracted watching too many things. One of the things I tend to focus on with the offense/QB is pass attempts/completions, whereas 2 out of 3 things that happen on a pass play could be negative. In other words, an incompletion and an interception would be the 2 negatives. So you can probably guess I am thrilled with each completed pass.

On defense, I tend to look for batted down passes and QB hurries. Those are things that the stats aren't usually tracked. However, QB hurries are becoming tracked more and almost always ends in an incompletion or sometimes better an interception.

With that being said, when the stats are published at halftime I focus on Yards Rushing, 1st downs and time of possession. Those 3 seem pretty good indicators of who is controlling the game.

[BoulderSooner79]

So we've lost 20% of the quarters?? Fire everyone !!

My guess is if you culled late quarters of games where the outcome is decided, the '08 team would come out the best. That team had more games won by half time than any team I remember (but don't trust my memory). Also, the back-ups on D from '08 were not great, so they probably lost a fair number of those garbage quarters. This year's squad continues to dominate late in the game.

[CincySooner]

So we've lost 20% of the quarters?? Fire everyone !!

My guess is if you culled late quarters of games where the outcome is decided, the '08 team would come out the best. That team had more games won by half time than any team I remember (but don't trust my memory). Also, the back-ups on D from '08 were not great, so they probably lost a fair number of those garbage quarters. This year's squad continues to dominate late in the game.

I actually considered culling out those numbers, but I don't really have a good way of determining what is considered "garbage time". However, it turns out that 2008 was really no worse than any of the other "good" years, which averaged 4-5 "lost" 4th quarters. In fact, 2 of those 4th quarters were in games that OU wound up losing anyway (Texas and Florida). The worst 4th quarter year by-far in the Stoops was 2012, followed surprisingly by 2010.

[BoulderSooner79]

I actually considered culling out those numbers, but I don't really have a good way of determining what is considered "garbage time".

Yep, a tough call. For example, it would be hard to consider the 4Q of the TCU game as mop-up duty unless you just *knew* that Parker was going to bat down that 2 pt attempt. ;)

[Turd_Ferguson]

I'm not a numbers guy, but I am a letters guy. The amount of W's compared to L's, is outstanding. :D

[Okie35]

good stuff

[oupride]

Here's another good one. 7 total punt return yards over 51 punts by freshman Austin Seibert, the lowest number in the Big 12 this season. The Sooners allowed 181 return last season. http://oklahoma.247sports.com/Bolt/Oklahoma-excelled-in-hidden-yardage-stat-41879411
Let's hear it for Special Teams!