Week 8 college football Five Factors box scores

This week’s Five Factors box scores are up! Check out all the results here. Week 6’s superior performances in each category are below.

Top 5 success rate margins (vs. FBS)

1. Cal (+38% vs. Oregon State)
2. Boise State (+31% vs. Colorado State)
3. Utah (+25% vs. USC)
4. Fresno State (+25% vs. New Mexico)
5. Alabama (+24% vs. Tennessee)

This Utah team has quickly blossomed into something efficient and destructive. The Utes have gone from 43rd to 19th in S&P+ in just three weeks.

Top 5 yards per play margins (vs. FBS)

1. Cal (+4.6 vs. Oregon State)
2. Missouri (+3.9 vs. Memphis)
3. Air Force (+3.4 vs. UNLV)
4. Florida State (+3.4 vs. Wake Forest)
5. Michigan (+3.2 vs. Michigan State)

Goodness. No mercy, Cal.

Top 5 field position margins (vs. FBS)

1. Marshall (+26.6 vs. FAU)
2. MTSU (+19.5 vs. Charlotte)
3. Georgia Southern (+18.8 vs. NMSU)
4. Clemson (+17.2 vs. NC State)
5. Minnesota (+17.0 vs. Nebraska)

Minnesota dominated in field position and still got blown out. Hard to do.

Top 5 points per scoring opportunity margins (vs. FBS)

1. Oklahoma (+5.3 vs. TCU)
2. Arkansas (+4.6 vs. Tulsa)
3. Purdue (+4.1 vs. Ohio State)
4. Florida State (+2.9 vs. Wake Forest)
5. Clemson (+2.8 vs. NC State)

Bonus points to Iowa, by the way, for gaming the system here — the Hawkeyes didn’t show up on this list because they didn’t allow Maryland a scoring opportunity, period.

Top 5 turnovers luck margins (vs. FBS)

1. FIU (+3.3 vs. Rice)
2. UMass (+3.0 vs. Coastal Carolina)
3. UCLA (+2.8 vs. Arizona)
4. Marshall (+2.5 vs. FAU)
5. Navy (+2.2 vs. Houston)

Translation: UCLA had a turnover margin that was +2.8 ahead of where national averages suggest it should have been. As each turnover is worth approximately five points, that means the Bruins enjoyed about a 14-point boost thanks to turnovers luck. Made quite the difference in a one-point win.