Putting Up Numbers· college football

Boston College’s points of margin with Nolan Ray and without Nolan Ray

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Against what the season’s ratings expected, Boston College was 1.8 points over with Nolan Ray and 9.7 points under without Nolan Ray in 2026, 5 games against 2. The plain averages are -2.2 and -13.0, a difference of 10.8. All 4 second-half games were with Nolan Ray.

Nolan Ray, running back: 42 rushing yards, 7 carries and 1 reception in 4 games this season.

2 games without Nolan Ray is still too small a sample for the statistics to say much, but maybe you can find something if you squint.

points of margin a game over expected

A +11.4 difference in points of margin over expected with Nolan Ray vs without Nolan Ray is about what you’d expect.

A +10.8 difference in points of margin with Nolan Ray vs without Nolan Ray is about what you’d expect.

The games

with Nolan Raywithout Nolan Ray
Boston College’s games, 2026, each marked with Nolan Ray or without Nolan Ray
SideDateGameResultpoints of marginExpected
Sep 5, 2026@CincinnatiL-19-5.9
Sep 11, 2026vsRutgersW77.7
Sep 19, 2026vsMaineW6—
Sep 26, 2026vsVirginia TechL-7-0.8
Oct 3, 2026@SMUL-9-12.9
Oct 17, 2026vsPittsburghW6-11.0
Oct 24, 2026@Georgia TechW22-5.6
Oct 31, 2026@DukeL-45-6.1

Method

Read against .

  • Expected is an offense and a defense a team, fit over every 2026 game between two teams in the table with the game being read left out, plus 3.7 for the home team (the edge the fit finds once strength is in), nothing at a neutral site.
  • Each expected number is then fit to the season’s games: a game bears out about 79% of the difference the model predicts.
  • The shuffle keeps the season’s shape: the games are cut in two where one date leaves the least variance, each game is read against its stretch, and the sides are shuffled only inside each stretch.
  • Maine has no other game in the table, so that game has no expected number and sits out the second figure.
  • Who played is read from the schools’ box scores’ participation lists, which name every player who entered the game.