We all deal with numbers every day. We all do it almost constantly I our life. Most are immediately obvious. But sometimes there are some interesting HIDDEN sports numbers. Let’s see what HIDDEN NUMBERS we can find in the sports world!
#1 & #2 ….what a great setting & a great game in college football this past week. #1 Ohio State vs #2 Indiana. The matchups of #1 v #2 has taken place several times in college football. For example there were national championship games in 1987 Fiesta Bowl (Miami vs. Penn State) & 2006 Rose Bowl (USC vs. Texas). They weren’t formed as #1 v #2 specific but conference leaders vs another conference leader. Way, way back, there ones like the 1946 China Bowl (Army vs. Navy) and the 1972 Orange Bowl (Nebraska vs. Alabama)
#4 To me, the biggest surprises in NCAA football this year are these 4 teams. Indiana (ranked No. 1 in the nation), Texas Tech(12-1 in Big 12), BYU 11-2 tied with Tech in Big 12 top spot. Tulane 11-2, champs in the American Conference is also ranked. That’s some “fresh”, new names on top, that we haven’t seen for a long, long while.
#13–The Ohio State-Indiana game lived up to its hype. Indiana won 13-10 in this defensive battle. Neither team could really get some offensive momentum throughout the game. The #1 ranked Buckeyes had a Julian Sayin early-game interception; a failed 4th-and-one conversion attempt at the Hoosiers’ five-yard line, and a missed field goal that were vital in dooming the Buckeyes.
#1967…Despite the close loss, Ohio State is a team with a defense that allowed less than 10 points a game and a quarterback in the conversation for the Heisman Trophy.
#32…On the other side of the field, Coach Curt Cignetti must be praised. His work made his team own a degree of toughness on both side of the line of scrimmage. He & his players expressed tremendous Indiana completed a perfect regular season in 2025 with a 13-0 record and earned a first-round bye in the NCAA Football Championship 12-team tournament. It was their 1st Big 10 title since 1967!! In addition, there was plenty of celebrating over snapping the 32-game losing streak against Ohio State that dated back to 1988!
#80…This victory marked Indiana’s first outright Big Ten championship since 1945 (80 years-WOW!) and secured them the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
#13….but only 12 NCAA football teams are going to the Championship Tournament. Apparently @ #13, Notre Dame is on the outside looking in after the surprising (to me at least) omission from the NCAA Football Tournament. We all knew that the choice of a committee choosing 12 teams for the national championship football tournament would be very controversial and would leave out a good team or 2..or 3. I’m really, really shocked by the ND omission. ND did lose their first 2 games—27-24 to Miami and 41-40 to Texas A&M by a total of 4 points. Each of those teams “made” the tournament. But, as I’ve said previously, a loss is a loss….the amount of points difference is irrelevant.
#8…It turns out that those were the two best opponents all year for Notre Dame. It shocked me! ND isn’t one of the top 8 teams? ND Being ignored while Tulane & James Madison are given automatic tickets “in” as conference champions of American Conference & Sun Belt Conference. Do you mean to tell me that Notre Dame isn’t better than both of those conference champions? From my seat, Automatic bids to conference champions of conferences who are not on the highest tier of competition doesn’t necessarily make for the “best” teams filling the spots in a national tournament. For that matter— Should there be ANY automatic bids? Take each year one at a time without constraints and choose the best 12 teams.
…# 16 Sure, there are TWO dominant conferences presently – Big 10 (actually has 19 teams now) & SEC. Clearly, they are the best conferences right now. However, the process should be reviewed every couple years. It won’t be long that the NCAA will expand the NCAA Football Championship Tournamet to 16 teams…no BYES for any team. Adding just 4 teams to push it up to 12 teams with some having a “bye week” doesn’t make much sense to me. To make it really exciting, abandon the seeding method. Name the 16 teams then Draw randomly (on a televised show) the matchups & the sites for the 1st round.
#19…Mizzou’s “signing football class” for 2025 was 19 players. I realize that they have to recruit nation-wide, but really…just 1 St Louis kid & only 2 other players from Missouri? Now, according to Fan Duel rating system, MU did sign the top 2 recruits from the STATE! BRAVO!!
But, Mizzou 3rd signee, was the only one of the next top 50 players(according to this site)!
…#24 It was an absolutely horrendous 24 hours for Sherron Moore! He was fired as Head Football Coach from Michigan. Then less than 24 hours later, he was arrested for assault on his wife. Sooo…next time you think that YOU’RE having a bad day…keep Sherron Moore in mind 😊
#25… Mizzou football teams was ranked the #25 in the College Football Rankings in the week 16 poll. Mizzou was UNRANKED in the AP Top 25 poll!! Those first 4 cupcakes, followed by a 4-4 mark in conference didn’t impress the post-season voters. Please, MU, if you want national recognition–upgrade that non-conference schedule. Wouldn’t home-home series with Illinois or Iowa be attractive to the fans and the team?
#150…Another incredible signing that seems to me will end “biting” the Phillies in the “behind”. Signing 32 year old, Kyle Schwarber to a 5 year, $150m contract seems more “hopeful” than practical for a man his age.
…#1869– Fans have ALWAYS wanted Champions in a sport. Way back in 1869, Rutgers and Princeton are recognized now as splitting the national championship in the inaugural season of the sport. The two schools competed in a home-and-away series, each team winning at home. Two total games — and two national champions. Individual honors followed quickly, Minnesota won the 1935 title, finishing 8-0. This was also the 1st year of the Heisman Trophy, taken home by Chicago running back Jay Berwanger.
#35…After 35 years of announcing, I don’t think that there is any question that Joe Buck belongs in the HOF! Sure….his introduction into the “Big Time” announcing jobs as a young man was easier because of his Dad’s work. But….Joe has clearly demonstrated his magnificent skills behind the microphone & camera that earned him this recognition! Congrats Joe!
…#42 For 42 years, the national college football champion was determined off the field! From 1950-1992 there were two different polls that “determined the national champion”. The UPI & the AP polls. Often, but not always, they did not chose the same team as the College Champion by naming them the #1 team in their poll at the end of the season. At that time, Contractual Obligations of Conferences to play in certain bowls often prohibited the top 2 teams from facing each other in a “championship” bowl.
#4—With the Super Bowl on the Horizon, there are still 4 teams who have NEVER played in the Super Bowl which began in 1967(which initially was called the AFL-NFL Championship game)– Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars.
…#59—59 Super Bowls have been played. There are 5 other teams who have played in Super Bowl but haven’t won a Super Bowl!! The Minnesota Vikings have been in the championship game-4 times but never won. All in the 1970’s (btw…the Vikings have the 8th highest winning % (54.5%) of all-time. The Vikes also lost 6 conference championship games (round prior to the Super Bowl). Buffalo Bills (4 times)– The first Super loss was easily the most painful. In that game, Place kicker Scott Norwood missed wide right on a 47-yd FG attempt in the final seconds to drop the Bills to a 20-19 loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XXV. It is be the closest Buffalo has ever come to a title. They then made the next 3 Super Bowls but lost in each one and lost by a combined 65 points (with none closer than 13 points).
#30… St Louis U is ranked #30 in NCAA Mens-Basketball as of this week. Now! most sports fans will poo-poo that ranking (as I usually would) but… consider… that #30 ranking has them ahead of #31 Kentucky; #32 Indiana; #33 Tennessee. The Billikens are in rare “air” at this point of the season. With #34 Auburn & #35 USC still ranked behind them. I can’t imagine ANY OTHER TIME that the Billikens were EVER ranked ahead of ALL of those strong basketball programs in my lifetime!! I think the Billikens will be a very good team this year. Speed, Height, good coaching, good shooters are all part of this special Billiken team. Despite my optimism…don’t go out & buy your tickets for Indianapolis for the NCAA Final Four quite yet.
….#10…Checking out the A-10 Mens basketball conference (St Louis U conference) thus far, the league looks very balanced. The 2025 records at this point are– George Mason 9-1; St. Bonaventure 9-1; Richmond 8-1; St LOUIS U 8-1; George Washington 8-2; Davidson 7-2; Dayton 7-3; Rhode Island 7-3; VCU 6-3; Duquesne 6-3. Now, I realize most, if not all, of those games are non-league and some, maybe-many, of the teams on the early schedule are the cupcakes that the school has scheduled for the purpose of holding a glittering record until Conference action opens up in January. But, it does appear, at least to my eyes, that the A-10 is stronger now than in many of the previous years. Time will tell.
…#0…. There’s nothing left here! Now its up to you to respond to any # that you wish! Thanks for the time & read! Bob
bobryansportsblog 