UPDATE: The Pittsburgh Panthers And What's Good is now up at the mothership.
The good news: [Todd] Graham is more proven (and more expensive) than [Mike] Haywood as a head coach, having generated three ten-win seasons in the last four years. He is bringing Texas ties to recruiting, and his style of play will force energy into a program that needed some.
The bad news: Tulsa regressed a bit as they became completely Graham's program. They ranked 54th and 39th in F/+ his first two years (2007-08) but only 86th and 60th the next two; they won 10 games with smoke, mirrors and turnovers in 2010. With a growing number of young, strong recruiters in the Big East, Graham might lack in that regard (and his early commit list for 2012 does not assuage that fear).
We will see if Graham's hire brings long-term uncertainty; but the short-term might be rather attractive with the offensive talent on hand and in a conference less accustomed to the up-tempo attack Graham wants to install.
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Thanks to Dion Lewis, LeSean McCoy, Ray Graham, LaRod Stephens-Howling and company, Pittsburgh has had one of the deeper, more effective rushing attacks in the country in recent years. Despite the departure of both Lewis and head coach Dave Wannstedt, the odds are decent that will continue in 2011. Graham was strong in a backup role last year, the offensive line is pretty experienced (and ranked in the top ten in Adj. Line Yards last year), and new coach Todd Graham's spread attack is extremely run-friendly.
Below is a look at the nation's top run games according to average Rushing S&P+ rank from 2008-10. I've included teams' average Adj. Line Yards rankings as well, just to give you an idea of who was most responsible for the success.
| Top Run Games According to Avg. Rushing S&P+ Rk (2008-10) |
||||
| Team | Avg Rush. S&P+ Rk |
Rk | Avg. Adj. LY Rk |
Rk |
| Alabama | 8.3 | 1 | 5.7 | 2 |
| Florida State | 8.7 | 2 | 26.7 | 14 |
| Wisconsin | 9.7 | 3 | 9.7 | 3 |
| Nevada | 10.3 | 4 | 12.0 | 4 |
| Oregon | 10.7 | 5 | 27.0 | 16 |
| Florida | 11.7 | 6 | 18.0 | 9 |
| Stanford | 12.3 | 7 | 18.0 | 10 |
| Pittsburgh | 13.7 | 8 | 31.0 | 23 |
| USC | 14.0 | 9 | 4.3 | 1 |
| Ohio State | 15.3 | 10 | 14.3 | 6 |
| Georgia Tech | 19.0 | 11 | 16.0 | 7 |
| TCU | 20.0 | 12 | 16.7 | 8 |
| LSU | 21.0 | 13 | 30.0 | 21 |
| Virginia Tech | 22.7 | 14 | 22.7 | 12 |
| Cincinnati | 23.3 | 15 | 18.7 | 11 |
| Arkansas | 23.7 | 16 | 28.3 | 18 |
| Connecticut | 26.7 | 17 | 28.3 | 19 |
| Penn State | 27.3 | 18 | 14.0 | 5 |
| Missouri | 28.7 | 19 | 55.3 | 49 |
| Oklahoma State | 29.7 | 20 | 28.7 | 20 |
| Miami-FL | 30.0 | 21 | 26.7 | 15 |
| Baylor | 30.7 | 22 | 57.7 | 52 |
| Hawaii | 31.0 | 23 | 66.3 | 66 |
| Houston | 31.3 | 24 | 33.3 | 27 |
| Michigan | 31.7 | 25 | 64.3 | 60 |
Full list after the jump.
| Team | Avg Rush. S&P+ Rk |
Rk | Avg. Adj. LY Rk |
Rk |
| Oregon State | 32.3 | 26 | 45.3 | 37 |
| Auburn | 34.7 | 27 | 34.0 | 28 |
| Texas | 36.3 | 28 | 70.7 | 75 |
| Boise State | 39.0 | 29 | 72.7 | 77 |
| Texas Tech | 39.0 | 30 | 33.0 | 26 |
| West Virginia | 40.0 | 31 | 41.3 | 35 |
| Arizona | 41.3 | 32 | 48.7 | 40 |
| BYU | 41.3 | 33 | 38.0 | 30 |
| Navy | 41.7 | 34 | 27.3 | 17 |
| California | 42.3 | 35 | 68.0 | 70 |
| Texas A&M | 42.3 | 36 | 55.3 | 50 |
| Georgia | 43.0 | 37 | 38.3 | 32 |
| Utah | 45.0 | 38 | 59.3 | 53 |
| Clemson | 47.7 | 39 | 68.7 | 71 |
| Kentucky | 47.7 | 40 | 47.7 | 39 |
| Ole Miss | 48.0 | 41 | 50.3 | 41 |
| Illinois | 48.3 | 42 | 31.0 | 22 |
| Iowa | 48.3 | 43 | 52.0 | 43 |
| Oklahoma | 48.3 | 44 | 69.7 | 73 |
| NC State | 49.7 | 45 | 32.7 | 25 |
| UAB | 49.7 | 46 | 31.3 | 24 |
| Louisville | 50.7 | 47 | 47.3 | 38 |
| Colorado State | 51.0 | 48 | 38.3 | 31 |
| South Carolina | 51.3 | 49 | 40.3 | 34 |
| Southern Miss | 51.3 | 50 | 53.7 | 45 |
| East Carolina | 51.7 | 51 | 65.7 | 63 |
| Michigan State | 54.0 | 52 | 80.0 | 88 |
| Virginia | 54.3 | 53 | 66.3 | 67 |
| South Florida | 54.7 | 54 | 35.7 | 29 |
| Syracuse | 55.7 | 55 | 23.3 | 13 |
| Notre Dame | 56.7 | 56 | 54.0 | 47 |
| Tennessee | 57.0 | 57 | 60.0 | 55 |
| Tulsa | 57.0 | 58 | 53.7 | 46 |
| Mississippi State | 57.3 | 59 | 42.3 | 36 |
| Fresno State | 59.7 | 60 | 65.0 | 62 |
| Washington | 60.3 | 61 | 54.3 | 48 |
| Nebraska | 61.3 | 62 | 63.0 | 57 |
| Kansas | 62.7 | 63 | 51.0 | 42 |
| Air Force | 63.7 | 64 | 38.7 | 33 |
| Northern Illinois | 64.3 | 65 | 56.7 | 51 |
| Wake Forest | 64.3 | 66 | 82.0 | 90 |
| Louisiana Tech | 66.0 | 67 | 52.7 | 44 |
| Kansas State | 67.0 | 68 | 61.0 | 56 |
| North Texas | 67.0 | 69 | 78.0 | 84 |
| Troy | 67.0 | 70 | 78.3 | 85 |
| Indiana | 69.3 | 71 | 84.0 | 94 |
| Iowa State | 70.0 | 72 | 64.3 | 59 |
| Maryland | 70.0 | 73 | 66.0 | 64 |
| Purdue | 72.0 | 74 | 67.7 | 69 |
| North Carolina | 74.0 | 75 | 72.3 | 76 |
| Memphis | 74.3 | 76 | 67.7 | 68 |
| Northwestern | 76.0 | 77 | 64.3 | 61 |
| Toledo | 77.0 | 78 | 77.3 | 82 |
| Minnesota | 77.3 | 79 | 74.0 | 78 |
| UNLV | 78.7 | 80 | 86.7 | 97 |
| Temple | 79.3 | 81 | 84.7 | 95 |
| Boston College | 80.0 | 82 | 78.0 | 83 |
| Rice | 80.7 | 83 | 88.7 | 103 |
| UTEP | 81.3 | 84 | 76.3 | 81 |
| Rutgers | 81.7 | 85 | 87.7 | 99 |
| Vanderbilt | 82.3 | 86 | 59.3 | 54 |
| Central Michigan | 83.7 | 87 | 87.0 | 98 |
| UCLA | 84.3 | 88 | 78.7 | 87 |
| Florida Atlantic | 84.7 | 89 | 66.3 | 65 |
| Bowling Green | 85.0 | 90 | 104.0 | 114 |
| Utah State | 85.0 | 91 | 85.3 | 96 |
| Eastern Michigan | 85.7 | 92 | 68.7 | 72 |
| Central Florida | 86.7 | 93 | 89.7 | 105 |
| Western Kentucky | 87.3 | 94 | 63.7 | 58 |
| Kent State | 88.0 | 95 | 89.0 | 104 |
| Akron | 89.0 | 96 | 88.0 | 100 |
| San Diego State | 89.7 | 97 | 110.0 | 117 |
| Wyoming | 90.0 | 98 | 75.7 | 80 |
| Arkansas State | 90.7 | 99 | 75.0 | 79 |
| UL-Lafayette | 91.7 | 100 | 80.3 | 89 |
| Florida International | 92.0 | 101 | 93.0 | 112 |
| Marshall | 92.7 | 102 | 95.0 | 113 |
| New Mexico | 92.7 | 103 | 92.0 | 109 |
| SMU | 92.7 | 104 | 78.7 | 86 |
| Ball State | 94.0 | 105 | 84.0 | 92 |
| Buffalo | 95.0 | 106 | 84.0 | 93 |
| Colorado | 96.0 | 107 | 88.3 | 101 |
| Duke | 96.7 | 108 | 107.7 | 116 |
| Army | 97.0 | 109 | 83.0 | 91 |
| Western Michigan | 97.3 | 110 | 92.7 | 111 |
| Middle Tennessee | 97.7 | 111 | 106.3 | 115 |
| Arizona State | 99.3 | 112 | 90.3 | 107 |
| Idaho | 99.3 | 113 | 70.7 | 74 |
| Ohio | 100.0 | 114 | 88.7 | 102 |
| Tulane | 100.3 | 115 | 92.3 | 110 |
| Miami-OH | 102.7 | 116 | 90.0 | 106 |
| UL-Monroe | 103.3 | 117 | 90.3 | 108 |
| Washington State | 109.7 | 118 | 113.0 | 118 |
| San Jose State | 114.3 | 119 | 114.7 | 120 |
| New Mexico State | 118.7 | 120 | 114.7 | 119 |
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