4th Annual Off-Season Study Guide: 2025 FBS Season
Here's who you should be studying this offseason at the college level.
As the year comes to a close, the race for next season begins. Coaches are already looking for answers, but with so much information out there and regional or media biases, it can be tough to decide who to focus on. That’s where MatchQuarters steps in.
It is time to skip outdated box score stats like “Total Yards” and focus on what actually matters: efficiency.
One of my main goals with MatchQuarters is to help you expand your search beyond your region or favorite college defensive coordinator. We all operate in different ecosystems with varying program sizes, and often, the best ideas come from stepping outside your comfort zone.
When evaluating defenses, I focus mainly on efficiency. In the NFL, I look at DVOA; in college, I rely on Brian Fremeau’s BCF Toys (FEI). However, I also hunt for teams that “do more with less.” Because FEI weighs schedule strength heavily, G5 teams are often ranked lower than their Power 4 counterparts—yet the G5 is frequently where you find the most schematic creativity. That’s why I always cross-check efficiency with raw EPA.
Toledo anyone?! I think I’ve covered them before…
This year’s 4th Annual Study Guide is designed to let you dig deep into the film you need to watch, regardless of conference affiliation.
For example, do you want to run more simulated pressures next year?
Scroll down to the interactive Blitz Data, sort by Sim%, and you’ll see Florida (Ron Roberts) and Indiana (Bryant Haines) leading the way. But were they effective? Roberts, the godfather of Creepers, had the Gators 37th in DFEI, while Haines’ Indiana squad finished 3rd.
You can gain further insights by contextualizing the volume of data. New Mexico State is recognized as a top-10 simulation team, yet they only blitzed 22% of the time. So if you are looking to watch a team that runs Sims at volume, you’d be better off watching a team like UConn, which has a high Blitz Rate (44.6%) and a high Sim% (51%).
The information in this year’s Study Guide provides you with a deeper understanding, enabling you to ask informed questions when watching film or discussing strategies with coaches at clinics.
Best of all, this year’s charts are fully interactive. You aren’t limited to a “Top 5”—you get data on all 136 teams.
There is schematic diversity everywhere in college football; you just have to look.
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Below, I identify key categories for analyzing defenses. These include everything from FEI to coverage schemes and blitz rates. I have compiled Top-5 lists for most categories. You may notice some names appear repeatedly, which is common for top units. I omitted the front structures since more teams now run multiple fronts or hybrid spacing. However, the ‘old’ standards are still included, like Pitt (Over), Iowa (Under), Army (East Coast 3-4), and Iowa State (3-High).
» College content from this past season:
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