What defines a close game: Opinions?

[theboardref]

So I can't go back and change the poll to include 8, so should I just think of 7 as 8?

 

[Manster7588]

I'm going write in. FOUR or less is close.

 

[DetroitDevil]

trading scores or stops all the way to the end.

 

[4down20]

I completely agree with the depending on time issue. My major issue is unless a buncha people help me crunch numbers and look at each game individually and judge i gotta go off of point value when the clock strike 0.

8 is the best you can do there like others have said then. But it's not perfect obviously.

Is final score all you have?

 

[theboardref]

8 is the best you can do there like others have said then. But it's not perfect obviously.

Is final score all you have?

Simply because I want to get this done within a few weeks yes. This whole concept is far from perfect because obviously there are games where a team scores a late td etc, but how with the amount I want to get thats all I have. Some coaches have coached over 300 games so I am literally digging through at minimum a few thousand games then seeing if the team was ranked post season top 25 and mid season top 25, but the top 25 data will only run through 2002 because that is as far back as ESPN goes unless wikipedia has that info as well.

 

[Codaxx]

I completely agree with the depending on time issue. My major issue is unless a buncha people help me crunch numbers and look at each game individually and judge i gotta go off of point value when the clock strike 0.

This is an impossible task. A team can be up 20 with 5 minutes left and win by 6, but the game was never in doubt. A team can go up a FG with 45 seconds left and return an interception to make it 10. To do it correctly you have to know the scoring margin over the last 5 minutes. The one other way is to look at win probability graphs. I have seen those put out on a lot of games. Maybe there is data base with those

 

[theboardref]

This is an impossible task. A team can be up 20 with 5 minutes left and win by 6, but the game was never in doubt. A team can go up a FG with 45 seconds left and return an interception to make it 10. To do it correctly you have to know the scoring margin over the last 5 minutes. The one other way is to look at win probability graphs. I have seen those put out on a lot of games. Maybe there is data base with those

CFBwarehous was the greatest college football site around before it got shut down. It still didn't have anything along these lines. It had almost every single stat you would want to know. I know what I am trying to do is not definitive because of these outside factors. Statistics can't account for everything especially something like a vague term such as close game, but I rather have a rough estimate than no data whatsoever.

 

[Codaxx]

CFBwarehous was the greatest college football site around before it got shut down. It still didn't have anything along these lines. It had almost every single stat you would want to know. I know what I am trying to do is not definitive because of these outside factors. Statistics can't account for everything especially something like a vague term such as close game, but I rather have a rough estimate than no data whatsoever.

That is why I suggested win probability. I just don't know if there is a site that archives them. I know a lot of stats filter out garbage time. There has to be way to replicate that. The issue is finding the data base....that is free

 

[TheDayMan]

Final score is irrelevant. Watch the game, if the losing team has a chance to win through most of the 4th quarter, it was close enough. Fuck your rules.

 

[richig07]

Was going to boycot because potato salad wasn't an option, but I think this is a great question.
I voted 3 or less. 3 Is perfect because then you have to consider do you take the FG to tie, or go for the win. Do you have the balls to try a play with 7 seconds left to win???

Oh, and the poll is still a failure without potato salad.

You act like the entire process of coaching in a tight game is based on making that decision... lol. Coaching is much more based around play calling, when it comes to deciding tight games.

 

[TheDayMan]

 

[richig07]

I would say any game that's within one score during the final 4-5 minutes a tight game.

A game can finish with a two score deficit, and still have been tightly contested.

However, if I have to pick a number. 8 or less (one score).

 

[ktg8trgrl]

the correct answer is 3 or less.. eot //eod
that is not an opinion its a fact.. this is also not up for debate.. your reponse is not necessary.. I have spoken

 

[Manster7588]

So I can't go back and change the poll to include 8, so should I just think of 7 as 8?

Can you change 3 to 4?

 

[Manster7588]

the correct answer is 3 or less.. eot //eod
that is not an opinion its a fact.. this is also not up for debate.. your reponse is not necessary.. I have spoken

That's your opinion.

 

[ktg8trgrl]

That's your opinion.

its a fact

 

[theboardref]

Can you change 3 to 4?

I can't. The problem with making a poll for this also lies within the same issue as deciding where the cutoff point is. It is so freaking subjective.

 

[Rolltide94]

8 or less.

Although the final score doesn't necessarily make it a close game.

Was it 35-21 and somebody scored a TD with 0 on the clock from the 2 against the scrubs to make it 35-28.

Or was it 35-31 with under a min to go, the team with 31 has driven 70 yards down the field to the 10 and the QB makes a good throw, but a tip ball in the end zone get picked and run back the other way for a 42-31 win...

 

[GoldRusher]

Hall of fame CFB coach told me once that he defined a close game as one being within 2 or 3 plays of being tied so TIFWIW...

10-12 points?

 

[mrwallace2ku]

depends…i've seen 17 points scored in 3 minutes/less.

redefine your perimeters please OP.