Citation

Onwuegbuzie AJ. Percept. Mot. Skills 2000; 90(2): 640-648.

Affiliation

Department of Educational Leadership, Valdosta State University, GA 31698, USA. TONWUEGB@VALDOSTA.EDU

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.2466/pms.2000.90.2.640

PMID

10833765

Abstract

The purpose of the present investigation was to replicate Onwuegbuzie's 1999 study by identifying which variables best predict a team's winning percentage in the 1998-1999 regular professional football season.

FINDINGS gave a model containing five variables: (1) turnover differential (which explained 54.4% of the variance), (2) total number of rushing yards conceded by the defense (which explained 21.3% of the variance), (3) total number of passing first downs attained by the offense (which explained 9.4% of the variance), (4) percentage of third-down plays that produce a first down (which explained 4.1% of the variance), and (5) total number of penalties conceded by the opponents' defense resulting in a first down (which explained 4.1% of the variance). These variables combined to explain 93.3% of the total variance in winning percentage for the 1998-1999 season. That the first two variables, which explained more than 75% of the variance, were characteristics of the defense supports Onwuegbuzie's conclusion that defensive gains are better predictors of success than are offensive gains.

Keywords: American football

Language: en