EPA
EPA per play
Expected Points Added. Every down, distance, and field position has an expected point value; EPA is how much a play raised or lowered it. Averaged per play, it is the best single number for how efficient an offense (or defense) is. CFBD calls it PPA, predicted points added.
Why coaches careIt credits a 6-yard gain on 3rd-and-5 far more than a 6-yard gain on 3rd-and-12, which is how coaches already think.
From our coverageWake Forest’s offense is +0.394 EPA per play, 2nd in FBS, against an SMU defense allowing +0.104 (75th).See the live FBS leaderboard →SR
Success rate
Share of plays that stay on schedule: at least 50% of the needed yards on 1st down, 70% on 2nd, and 100% on 3rd or 4th.
Why coaches careIt measures consistency, the "staying ahead of the chains" that play-callers chase. Pair it with explosiveness for the full picture.
From our coverageTexas’ defense allows a 33.9% success rate, 8th nationally.See the live FBS leaderboard →XPL
Explosiveness
Average EPA on successful plays only. Success rate tells you how often a unit wins a snap; explosiveness tells you how big the wins are.
Why coaches careA defense can be stingy and still bleed chunk plays, and that is a different coaching fix.
From our coverageUtah’s defense ranks 131st in explosiveness allowed: “when it breaks, it breaks big.”See the live FBS leaderboard →HAV
Havoc rate
Share of a defense’s plays that end in a tackle for loss (sacks included), a forced fumble, an interception, or a pass breakup.
Why coaches careHavoc is disruption. It drives drive-killing negative plays and turnovers, and offensive havoc allowed exposes protection problems.
From our coverageLSU’s defense is 5th in havoc rate. Texas’ offense allows havoc on 18.5% of plays, 127th.See the live FBS leaderboard →STF
Stuff rate
Share of runs stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Why coaches careThe cleanest run-game health check for a line coach: are we getting beaten at the point of attack?
From our coverageMichigan’s line went from 13.7% stuffed (7th) in 2025 to 17.0% (54th) in 2026.See the live FBS leaderboard →LY
Line yards
Rushing yards credited to the offensive line: losses count 120%, the first 4 yards 100%, yards 5–10 at 50%, and nothing beyond 10, which belongs to the back.
Why coaches careIt separates blocking from a great runner making something out of nothing.
From our coverageTexas averages 2.61 line yards per carry, 130th, and LSU allows 2.28, 5th.PPO
Points per opportunity
Points per drive that reaches the opponent’s 40. Our stand-in for finishing drives, since CFBD season data does not include red-zone touchdown rate.
Why coaches careMoving the ball is half the job. This is the other half.
From our coverageTexas scores 4.58 points per trip, 10th, even though its run game ranks 118th in EPA.See the live FBS leaderboard →PD
Passing downs
Second-and-8 or longer, and third or fourth down with 5 or more to go. Passing-downs success rate shows who wins when the offense is behind the chains.
Why coaches careDefensive coordinators live here: pressure packages, simulated pressure, and coverage disguise all show up on passing downs.
From our coverageUtah converts on 40.4% of its passing downs, 6th-best nationally.SP+
SP+
Bill Connelly’s opponent-adjusted efficiency rating, expressed in points relative to an average FBS team. Offense and defense are rated separately.
Why coaches careIt adjusts for schedule, so a 9–0 against weak teams and a 6–3 against strong ones can be compared honestly.
From our coverageLSU is 6–3 and No. 21 in the CFP, but No. 7 in SP+.See the live FBS leaderboard →TAL
Talent composite
247Sports’ roster-strength rating built from the recruiting rankings of every player on the roster, transfers included.
Why coaches careComparing talent rank to SP+ rank is the fastest way to see which staffs are overachieving or underachieving with what they have.
From our coverageUtah ranks 58th in talent and 9th in SP+. Michigan ranks 11th and 36th.PGWE
Postgame win expectancy
For each game, the probability a team would win given how the game was actually played (not the final score). Summed across a season, it gives “expected wins.”
Why coaches careIt flags teams that are luckier or unluckier than their record, which is useful for picks and for grading coaches.
From our coverageAuburn has won 1.4 more games than expected; Kiffin’s LSU is a full win short.LOE
Lift Over Expected
Our coaching-hire metric: how much a new coach’s SP+ improved compared with what a team at the same starting point typically gains. Expected change = 0.44 − 0.285 × (prior SP+).
Why coaches careBad teams tend to bounce back on their own. This strips that out so a hire gets credit only for lift beyond the norm.
From our coverageChesney +26.0 and Morris +25.9 lead 2026 Power Four hires.