Putting Up Numbers· college football

Ohio’s points of margin with Duncan Brune and without Duncan Brune

, ,

Against what the season’s ratings expected, Ohio was 0.5 points over with Duncan Brune and 8.1 points over without Duncan Brune over its last 25 games, 18 games against 4. The plain averages are 6.2 and 16.4, a difference of 10.2. All 4 games after a bye were with Duncan Brune. All 3 of Tim Albin’s games were without Duncan Brune. All 12 of Brian Smith’s games were with Duncan Brune.

Duncan Brune, running back: 1,048 rushing yards, 211 carries and 10 receptions in 20 of those 25 games.

points of margin a game over expected

A −7.6 difference in points of margin over expected with Duncan Brune vs without Duncan Brune is about what you’d expect.

A −10.2 difference in points of margin with Duncan Brune vs without Duncan Brune is a bit unusual: shuffle which games were with Duncan Brune and it comes up 19 times in 100.

The games

with Duncan Brunewithout Duncan Brune
Ohio’s games, last 25 games, each marked with Duncan Brune or without Duncan Brune
SideDateGameResultpoints of marginExpected
Nov 29, 2024vsBall StateW2122.5
Dec 7, 2024vsMiami (OH) (neutral)W35-0.9
Dec 20, 2024vsJacksonville State (neutral)W35.3
Aug 28, 2025@RutgersL-3-9.6
Sep 6, 2025vsWest VirginiaW72.6
Sep 13, 2025@Ohio StateL-28-35.5
Sep 20, 2025vsGGardner-WebbW17—
Sep 27, 2025vsBowling GreenW1514.3
Oct 4, 2025@Ball StateL-617.4
Oct 18, 2025vsNorthern IllinoisW2712.1
Oct 25, 2025@Eastern MichiganW78.3
Nov 4, 2025vsMiami (OH)W46.9
Nov 11, 2025@Western MichiganL-4-4.4
Nov 18, 2025vsUMassW2833.7
Nov 28, 2025@BuffaloW510.1
Dec 23, 2025vsUNLV (neutral)W7-4.9
Sep 5, 2026@NebraskaL-28-22.8
Sep 12, 2026vsJacksonville StateW2-3.2
Sep 19, 2026@South AlabamaL-5-5.2
Sep 26, 2026vsSStonehillW28—
Oct 3, 2026@Kent StateW38.6
Oct 10, 2026vsCentral MichiganW17-0.3
Oct 17, 2026@SSacramento StateW41—
Oct 24, 2026vsEastern MichiganW412.9
Nov 3, 2026@AkronW810.4

Method

Read against .

  • Expected is an offense and a defense a team, fit over every game of its season between two teams in the table with the game being read left out, plus 3.0 in 2024, plus 3.1 in 2025, plus 3.7 in 2026 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 85% in 2024, 87% in 2025, 79% in 2026 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.
  • Gardner-Webb, Stonehill, Sacramento State have no other game in the table, so those games have no expected number and sit out the second figure.
  • Who played is read from the schools’ box scores’ participation lists for 21 of these 25 games; in the other 4 a player is counted as in them when the box score has a stat for him.