ESPN released its preseason SP+ rankings this week, but perhaps an even more instructive ranking came out last week.
Bill Connelly is the resident advanced analytics guru in Bristol, and he’s also the steward of keeping track which teams have the most and least returning production. Michigan football has been somewhat in the middle of the pack in the past few years, but Big Ten fans who expect the Wolverines to fall off, well — it’s one of the most experienced groups in college football.
Why bring that up? Because one of the biggest predictors of team success tends to be returning production. It doesn’t account for everything, especially as young talent can come in and make an early impact, but having bona fide playmakers who have experience can make the biggest difference.
Here is how teams rank in terms of returning production entering 2023.