NORTHCOAST SPORTS’$25 POWER PLAYS © 2017 NORTHCOAST SPORTS SERVICE VOLUME 35 BOWL ISSUE Dec 15, 2018-Jan 1, 2019 DIFF OUR DIFF DIFF OUR DIFF RANK & % ON RANK & % ON NORTHCOAST RANK & % ON RANK & % ON 39 BOWLS NORTHCOAST SOS VTHISS ‘17 to ISSUE!! SOS VS ‘17 to Thank you for purchasing our 2018 RANK ‘18 WI N % 2018 RECORDS 2017 RECORDS ‘18 RANK ‘18 WI N % 2018 RECORDS 2017 RECORDS ‘18 Double Bowl issue. 1 UCLA -4 5 64.7% 37 57.4% -32 66 Virginia Tech 16 50 55.4% 56 54.7% -6 Please remember that this issue was mailed out December 2 Pittsburgh 1 1 68.9% 70 53.5% -69 67 Wyoming -5 72 53.2% 108 47.2% -36 10, 2018 and while many things can and will change we don’t 3 Texas A&M 1 2 68.5% 40 57.1% -38 68 NC State -17 85 50.4% 22 59.2% 63 adjust our ratings. If you’re interested in our Late Phones 4 Tennessee -5 9 63.1% 24 58.9% -15 69 Northern Illinois -5 74 53.1% 109 47.1% -35 (released day of the games) there are specials on page 22. 5 Florida St 1 4 65.9% 12 61.5% -8 70 SMU 29 41 56.1% 47 56.4% -6 6 Utah -20 26 59.4% 67 53.8% -41 71 Florida Atlantic 52 19 59.7% 33 57.7% -14 We are proud to produce the finest bowl guide available and 7 LSU -9 16 60.8% 28 58.6% -12 72 Illinois -47 119 45.1% 65 54.3% 54 while next year’s price is expected to increase to $30 (plus $7 8 Maryland -35 43 56.0% 1 68.7% 42 73 Oregon -21 94 49.2% 64 54.5% 30 priority shipping) you can purchase the entire 2019 season for 9 Georgia 6 3 67.2% 3 67.7% 0 74 Miami, Fl 14 60 54.9% 10 62.2% 50 just $84 email or $124 mail or pay just $25 for the 2019 Bowl 10 Louisville 4 6 63.4% 70 53.5% -64 75 East Carolina 25 50 55.4% 49 55.9% 1 Issue by 1/6/19 (add $6.65 for priority shipping). 11 Vanderbilt 0 11 62.6% 32 57.9% -21 76 Middle Tennessee 20 56 55.2% 119 43.0% -63 12 Oregon St -7 19 59.7% 67 53.8% -48 77 Georgia St 47 30 57.7% 121 42.4% -91 Who played the toughest schedule? 13 Stanford -2 15 62.1% 20 59.6% -5 78 Colorado St -33 111 47.2% 114 44.0% -3 Once the schedules are finalized in spring we like knowing 14 Auburn 4 10 62.9% 2 68.2% 8 79 Louisiana 20 59 55.0% 128 37.9% -69 “how tough” our favorite teams schedule is. Most fans and me- 15 Texas -32 47 55.6% 77 52.6% -30 80 Air Force -10 90 49.6% 61 54.6% 29 dia outlets use the records of their opponents previous years 16 South Carolina 10 6 63.4% 29 58.5% -23 81 Miami, Oh 25 56 55.2% 116 43.4% -60 17 Missouri 4 13 62.4% 87 50.7% -74 82 Virginia -3 85 50.4% 78 52.5% 7 to rank them, but we like to use our power ratings on each 18 TCU -10 28 58.9% 46 56.5% -18 83 New Mexico 0 83 50.8% 79 52.3% 4 team to get a better gauge. 19 Mississippi St 8 11 62.6% 17 60.3% -6 84 UCF 7 77 52.4% 21 59.3% 56 As you can see UCLA, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Tennessee 20 Northwestern -11 31 57.6% 75 53.0% -44 85 San Diego St 13 72 53.2% 84 51.4% -12 and Florida St played OUR 5 toughest schedules! 21 Purdue -11 32 57.5% 53 55.3% -21 86 Fresno St 7 79 51.5% 49 55.9% 30 If you base it on the win % of a teams opponents the 5 teams 22 Oklahoma -13 35 57.0% 26 58.7% 9 87 Tulsa -31 118 45.2% 66 54.0% 52 that played the toughest schedule were: Pittsburgh, Texas 23 Arkansas -15 38 56.6% 9 62.4% 29 88 Hawaii -16 104 47.8% 120 42.7% -16 24 Indiana -10 34 57.1% 54 55.0% -20 89 Ball St -18 107 47.5% 104 48.1% 3 A&M, Georgia, Florida St and UCLA. 25 USC -31 56 55.2% 25 58.8% 31 90 Kent St -25 115 46.3% 73 53.4% 42 The LARGEST difference between our Strength of Schedule 26 Kansas St -34 60 54.9% 98 49.3% -38 91 Temple 23 68 53.7% 56 54.7% 12 compared to the opponent win % is Army. The Black Knights 27 Alabama 8 19 59.7% 6 64.6% 13 92 Central Michigan -14 106 47.6% 112 45.7% -6 faced the #53 toughest schedule ranked by opp win % while 28 Michigan 9 19 59.7% 26 58.7% -7 93 South Alabama 46 47 55.6% 103 48.8% -56 facing only the #107 schedule in our rankings. 29 Michigan St -33 62 54.5% 17 60.3% 45 94 Western Michigan -3 97 48.8% 79 52.3% 18 Let’s look below at Army’s Schedule this year: 30 Texas Tech -8 38 56.6% 33 57.7% 5 95 UNLV -19 114 46.8% 118 43.1% -4 On the right are tougher opponents with the same record 31 Washington 4 27 59.1% 55 54.9% -28 96 Akron -2 98 48.4% 45 56.6% 53 32 Kentucky -5 37 56.9% 31 58.2% 6 97 UTSA -11 108 47.4% 126 39.8% -18 Duke 7-5 a legitimate 7-5 foe 33 Nebraska 14 19 59.7% 13 60.6% 6 98 Bowling Green -19 117 45.5% 61 54.6% 56 Liberty 6-6 TCU - also 6-6 34 Oklahoma St -7 41 56.1% 86 51.0% -45 99 USF 14 85 50.4% 122 41.6% -37 Hawaii 8-5 Northwestern - also 8-5 35 Iowa St -10 45 55.7% 39 57.2% 6 100 Rice 16 84 50.7% 87 50.7% -3 Oklahoma 12-1 a legitimate tough foe 36 Kansas -67 103 48.0% 40 57.1% 63 101 Nevada -10 111 47.2% 47 56.4% 64 Buffalo 10-3 Washington - also 10-3 37 Rutgers -34 71 53.3% 56 54.7% 15 102 Charlotte 26 76 52.5% 61 54.6% 15 San Jose St 1-11 Rutgers - also 1-11 38 Duke 20 18 60.2% 56 54.7% -38 103 Louisiana Tech -19 122 43.9% 85 51.1% 37 Miami, Oh 6-6 Georgia Tech - also 6-6 39 Penn St -4 43 56.0% 16 60.5% 27 104 Massachusetts 29 75 52.8% 117 43.3% -42 40 Mississippi -23 63 54.1% 51 55.8% 12 105 Coastal Carolina 52 53 55.3% 115 43.5% -62 Eastern Michigan 7-5 Auburn - also 7-5 41 Wake Forest 13 28 58.9% 13 60.6% 15 106 Cincinnati 12 94 49.2% 76 52.7% 18 Air Force 5-7 Kansas St - also 5-7 42 Minnesota -21 63 54.1% 82 52.1% -19 107 Army 54 53 55.3% 87 50.7% -34 Lafayette 3-8 UCLA - also had 3 wins 43 Baylor -20 63 54.1% 52 55.7% 11 108 Buffalo -7 115 46.3% 105 47.7% 10 Colgate 10-2 Michigan - also 10-2 44 Florida 27 17 60.7% 30 58.3% -13 109 Memphis -11 120 45.0% 69 53.7% 51 Navy 3-10 Arkansas - also had 3 wins 45 Notre Dame 10 35 57.0% 4 66.5% 31 110 ULM 12 98 48.4% 98 49.3% 0 46 Washington St -32 78 52.0% 38 57.3% 40 111 Marshall 13 98 48.4% 98 49.3% 0 You can see just how deceiving a teams strength of schedule 47 West Virginia -3 50 55.4% 70 53.5% -20 112 Eastern Michigan 22 90 49.6% 106 47.5% -16 can be when using an opponents win % 48 San Jose St 29 19 59.7% 102 48.9% -83 113 Toledo 23 90 49.6% 91 50.0% -1 The five teams that played a much TOUGHER schedule per 49 Arizona St -40 89 50.0% 40 57.1% 49 114 Houston -13 127 40.8% 91 50.0% 36 our rankings are: Kansas, Colorado, Wisconsin, Illinois and 50 Clemson 37 13 62.4% 7 64.3% 6 115 Liberty 10 105 47.7% 130 0.0% -25 California. 51 Boston College 18 33 57.4% 13 60.6% 20 116 Arkansas St 26 90 49.6% 124 40.5% -34 Finally, the four teams along with Army to play an EASIER 52 California -46 98 48.4% 83 51.5% 15 117 Georgia Southern 36 81 51.2% 91 50.0% -10 schedule are: Coastal Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Navy and 53 Colorado -58 111 47.2% 91 50.0% 20 118 Appalachian St 50 68 53.7% 106 47.5% -38 54 Georgia Tech -13 67 54.0% 22 59.2% 45 119 WKU -7 126 41.5% 125 40.3% 1 Appalachian St.