SM
SAM'SMODELS
← BACK TO THE BOARD

Central Michigan at Ohio

Saturday, October 10 · 3:30 PM ET · Peden Stadium
Central Michigan 3-2 23.0
AT
Ohio 3-2 32.2

01 / THE NUMBER

The model makes this Ohio -9.2. The market has it Ohio -3.5, a gap of 5.7 points toward Ohio.

Tested against closing lines on 1,148 games, this model tracks the market rather than beating it. A large gap is a question worth asking, not a signal to follow.

SPREAD
Vegas lineOhio -3.5
ModelOhio -9.2
Difference5.7

02 / PROJECTED SCORE

Central Michi.23.0Ohio32.2

03 / WHERE THE MARGIN COMES FROM

Home field4.4Elo / track record1.8Pass consistency0.7Rush consistency0.6Passing game0.5Running game0.1Central Michi. ←→ Ohio

Each bar is that input's contribution to the projected margin, in points, pointing toward the team it favours. They sum to 7.9 toward Ohio, before calibration.

04 / HOW THEY RATE · percentile vs all FBS

Offence
PassingRushingPass cons.Rush cons.Pass ratePace
Defence
PassingRushingPass cons.Rush cons.Pass ratePace
Central Michigan Ohio
Percentile, 0–100Central Michi. offOhio off Central Michi. defOhio def
Passing1366816
Rushing61641828
Pass cons.0335019
Rush cons.29451941
Pass rate3185159
Pace6965312

Higher is better on both sides — defence is flipped so the shape reads the same way. Percentiles are taken from the opponent-adjusted ratings, so a number earned against a hard schedule ranks above the same number earned against a soft one.

05 / TEAM RATINGS

Per play, vs averageCentral Michi. offOhio off Central Michi. defOhio def
Pass EPA / dropback-0.248+0.075-0.114+0.010
Rush EPA / carry+0.104+0.110-0.008-0.030
Pass success rate-0.098+0.018-0.029+0.004
Rush success rate+0.024+0.047-0.013-0.039
Pass rate-0.215-0.068+0.009+0.004
Plays per game-2.8-0.1-4.1-1.7

Opponent adjusted and shrunk toward last season — after 5 and 5 games, a rating is still part last year. On defence, negative is good.

06 / ELO

RatingCentral Michi.OhioGap
Elo, years of results12481307 +59

Worth 1.8 points of this projection. Elo carries what three games of play-by-play can't: years of results, so a team that has been bad for a decade isn't rated average in September.

07 / SEASON SO FAR

Central Michigan 3-2

at New Mexico7–38
vs Colgate13–10
vs Wyoming24–10
at Miami3–52
vs Akron41–17

Ohio 3-2

at Nebraska21–49
vs Jacksonville State29–27
at South Alabama36–41
vs Stonehill35–7
at Kent State13–10