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BCS Top 10 Red Zone Offenses

By Rich DeCray
MADISON, WI - OCTOBER 1: Montee Ball #28 and the Wisconsin Badgers possess one of the best Red Zone offenses in the country.
MADISON, WI - OCTOBER 1: Montee Ball #28 and the Wisconsin Badgers possess one of the best Red Zone offenses in the country.

The current debate is the Oklahoma red zone offense and the ability, or lack there of, to punch it in. While we here at CCM constantly compare ourselves to the media favorites in the Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers, where do we stand from a statistical stand point? There is no doubt that trading 3 points for 7 points will get any team into trouble especially in a BCS Bowl Game. Here is the stat breakdown:

Team Games Played Attempts Scores Score % TD TD % FG FG%
LSU Tigers 7 35 34 97.14 28 80.00 6 12.14
Alabama Crimson Tide 7 34 30 88.24    21      61.76     9     26.47  
Oklahoma Sooners 6 34 31 91.18 19 55.88 12 35.29
Oklahoma St. Cowboys 6 40 37 92.50 28 70.00 9 22.50
Boise St. Broncos 6 34 27 79.41 25 73.53 2 5.88
Wisconsin Badgers 6 33 32 96.97 29 87.88 3 9.09
Clemson Tigers 7 31 25 80.65 19 61.29 6 19.35
Stanford Cardinal 6 31 31 100.00 25 80.65 6 19.35
Arkansas Razorbacks 6 26 25 96.15 19 73.08 6 23.08
Oregon Ducks 6 30 28 93.33 24 80.00 4 13.33

Stanford remains the only team capable of scoring in the red zone each and every time while our beloved Sooners score over 90% of the time. We as fans are unsatisfied knowing that fact that TDs in the red zone are few and far between. A statistical look shows that Oklahoma has literally a 50/50 shot at scoring a TD while in the red zone. Not the numbers fans want to see in the chase for eight.

However, the biggest confusion is the notion that Alabama (who everyone expects Oklahoma to play in the NCG) has this elite red zone offense. They have a power runner in Trent Richardson but are just above the Sooners in red zone TDs scored and the third worst statistically. If the case were for LSU, there would be no question but to compare OU to Bama is a bit ludicrous seeing as their numbers are roughly the same with the Sooners converting more red zone trips into scores. 

This simple diagram does not change the fact that Oklahoma has a problem, a problem that has persisted for some time now and has no end in sight. It most likely will not change the minds of many readers on Bama either but if there are teams to fear in the red zone, fans might want to start looking toward Stanford and Wisconsin.

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