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Bend, don't break: 2026 College Football Chart

College Football Charts
Data updatedOct 31, 2026

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Bend, don't break

Explosive plays allowed (up) against Success rate allowed (across). 138 teams.

Up and right are always better: metrics where lower is better (like ranks or points allowed) run in reverse. Dashed lines are the averages of the teams shown and split the chart into four groups. There's no trend line or gray band here: the chart compares two separate skills, so no spot is "expected." The lists rank teams on both skills together. Tap or click a team to open it in Head to head.

What this shows

Further right means fewer successful plays allowed; higher means fewer big plays allowed. Defenses high and to the left give up yards but not the big one: bend, don't break.

There is a moderate relationship here (r = +0.65; r runs from −1 to +1, and positive means the two go together): teams better on Success rate allowed tend to be better on Explosive plays allowed. Success rate allowed accounts for about 43% of the differences in Explosive plays allowed across the 138 teams shown.

Split by the averages: Lockdown defenses 52, Bend, don't break 25, Stingy but gives up big plays 14, Leaky 47.

Lockdown defenses: Wisconsin (19th and 1st), Notre Dame (15th and 2nd), Texas (8th and 6th). Leakiest defenses: Colorado State (138th and 138th), Purdue (110th and 137th), Charlotte (136th and 127th). Ranks are among the 138 teams shown, Success rate allowed first, then Explosive plays allowed.

Pac-12: 2 of 8 in Lockdown defenses, 3 in Leaky. Top of the list: Utah State (46th and 3rd of 138).

Mountain West: 3 of 10 in Lockdown defenses, 4 in Leaky. Top of the list: New Mexico (1st and 34th of 138).

Where the data comes from. Explosive plays allowed: play-by-play from CollegeFootballData.com (the public cfbfastR files), games through Oct 24, 2026. Success rate allowed: play-by-play from CollegeFootballData.com (the public cfbfastR files), games through Oct 24, 2026.

Lockdown defenses

  1. Wisconsin 19th and 1st of 138
  2. Notre Dame 15th and 2nd of 138
  3. Texas 8th and 6th of 138
  4. UCLA 2nd and 10th of 138
  5. TCU 5th and 9th of 138
  6. Michigan 16th and 8th of 138

Leakiest defenses

  1. Colorado State 138th and 138th of 138
  2. Purdue 110th and 137th of 138
  3. Charlotte 136th and 127th of 138
  4. NC State 120th and 136th of 138
  5. Eastern Michigan 131st and 133rd of 138
  6. Coastal Carolina 132nd and 131st of 138

About the stats on this chart

What is success rate allowed?

Share of opponents' plays that stayed on schedule. Lower is better.

Why does success rate allowed matter?

A defense that keeps opponents off schedule forces 3rd-and-long, and 3rd-and-long is where drives go to die.

Where does the success rate allowed data come from?

From play-by-play from CollegeFootballData.com (the public cfbfastR files), games through Oct 24, 2026.

What is explosive plays allowed?

Share of opponents' plays that went for 12+ yard runs or 16+ yard completions. Lower is better.

Why does explosive plays allowed matter?

A defense can be solid on every down and still lose on two busted coverages. This is the stat for busted coverages.

Where does the explosive plays allowed data come from?

From play-by-play from CollegeFootballData.com (the public cfbfastR files), games through Oct 24, 2026.