The fastest offenses in college football include some names you might expect. Baylor was the fastest, getting a play every 18 seconds in 2014. Arizona, Oregon, West Virginia and a few others averaged less than 20 seconds between plays.
When you take these raw pace numbers and adjust them based on how often teams ran the ball (since running plays naturally burn more clock than passing plays); learn more about Bill Connelly’s adjusted pace stat here), they all still hold positions in the top 10. See full table 1-128 below.
But this adjustment shows that some run-intensive teams, like Air Force, use more tempo than it appears. Air Force used a fairly average number of seconds per play (23.1), but moved up four seconds per play faster than expected. Adjusting for seconds per play, the Falcons rank as the eighth-fastest rushing offense in the country.
Here’s the full list, via Football Study Roomthe coffers of:
| Seconds/reading | Run % | Expected seconds/reading | Rhythm rank | |
| Baylor | 18 | 52.3% | 23.8 | 1 |
| Arizona | 18.3 | 47.1% | 23.2 | 2 |
| Bowling green | 18.6 | 47.8% | 23.3 | 3 |
| Oregon | 19.5 | 55.1% | 24.2 | 4 |
| BYU | 19.3 | 50.7% | 23.7 | 5 |
| North Carolina | 18.8 | 46.6% | 23.2 | 6 |
| West Virginia | 19.5 | 48.6% | 23.4 | 7 |
| Aviation | 23.1 | 78.2% | 27 | 8 |
| Memphis | 20.6 | 57.2% | 24.5 | 9 |
| Northern Illinois | 21.9 | 63.8% | 25.2 | ten |
| Arkansas State | 20.8 | 53.4% | 24 | 11 |
| UAB | 21.9 | 62.2% | 25 | 12 |
| State of Texas | 21.2 | 55.9% | 24.3 | 13 |
| Mississippi State | 21.3 | 55.4% | 24.2 | 14 |
| Marshal | 21 | 52.1% | 23.8 | 15 |
| New Mexico State | 20.8 | 49.8% | 23.6 | 16 |
| TCU | 20.7 | 47.3% | 23.2 | 17 |
| Fresno State | 21 | 48.1% | 23.3 | 18 |
| Texas Technology | 19.8 | 37.4% | 22 | 19 |
| Washington | 22.4 | 57.7% | 24.5 | 20 |
| Indiana | 22.7 | 60.2% | 24.8 | 21 |
| Arizona State | 21.3 | 48.3% | 23.4 | 22 |
| UCLA | 21.8 | 52.2% | 23.8 | 23 |
| Western Kentucky | 20.6 | 41.6% | 22.6 | 24 |
| California | 20.7 | 42.4% | 22.6 | 25 |
| UNLV | 21 | 44.4% | 22.9 | 26 |
| Texas A&M | 20.8 | 42.4% | 22.7 | 27 |
| Auburn | 23.4 | 63% | 25.2 | 28 |
| East Carolina | 20.3 | 37.4% | 22 | 29 |
| North West | 21.6 | 48% | 23.3 | 30 |
| Massachusetts | 20.8 | 40.8% | 22.5 | 31 |
| Hawaii | 21.8 | 48.6% | 23.4 | 32 |
| Utah | 22.8 | 56.6% | 24.4 | 33 |
| Duke | 22.2 | 49.9% | 23.6 | 34 |
| Nebraska | 23.4 | 59.7% | 24.8 | 35 |
| Tennessee | 22.2 | 49.4% | 23.5 | 36 |
| Middle Tennessee | 23.3 | 57.9% | 24.5 | 37 |
| Oklahoma State | 22.6 | 51.4% | 23.7 | 38 |
| Cincinnati | 22 | 46.2% | 23.1 | 39 |
| Georgia | 23.9 | 61.5% | 25 | 40 |
| Syracuse | 22.5 | 49.6% | 23.5 | 41 |
| Florida | 23.8 | 59.5% | 24.7 | 42 |
| Kentucky | 22.5 | 48.2% | 23.4 | 43 |
| Iowa State | 21.6 | 40.7% | 22.4 | 44 |
| Toledo | 23.7 | 57.5% | 24.5 | 45 |
| Ole Mademoiselle | 22.7 | 49% | 23.4 | 46 |
| Houston | 22.7 | 48.9% | 23.4 | 47 |
| Idaho | 22.3 | 45.3% | 23 | 48 |
| Marine | 26.8 | 82.4% | 27.5 | 49 |
| Appalachian State | 24.1 | 60.1% | 24.8 | 50 |
| Clemson | 23.1 | 51.9% | 23.8 | 51 |
| Oklahoma | 23.9 | 58.2% | 24.6 | 52 |
| state of ohio | 24.2 | 60.2% | 24.8 | 53 |
| U.S.C. | 23 | 50% | 23.6 | 54 |
| South Alabama | 23.5 | 53.3% | 24 | 55 |
| Boise State | 23.7 | 54.8% | 24.2 | 56 |
| Colorado | 22.3 | 43.1% | 22.7 | 57 |
| Tulsa | 22.8 | 47.2% | 23.2 | 58 |
| Ball Condition | 23.5 | 51% | 23.7 | 59 |
| Nevada | 24.2 | 56% | 24.3 | 60 |
| NC State | 24 | 54.2% | 24.1 | 61 |
| Missouri | 24 | 54.1% | 24.1 | 62 |
| our Lady | 23.3 | 48.2% | 23.3 | 63 |
| Maryland | 23.1 | 46.2% | 23.1 | 64 |
| Eastern Michigan | 24.1 | 54.4% | 24.1 | 65 |
| Old Dominion | 22.5 | 40.9% | 22.5 | 66 |
| Temple | 23.2 | 45.3% | 23 | 67 |
| Troy | 24.4 | 53.5% | 24 | 68 |
| Akron | 22.6 | 38.2% | 22.1 | 69 |
| Ohio | 24.4 | 52.9% | 23.9 | 70 |
| Georgia Tech | 27.5 | 78.4% | 27 | 71 |
| North Texas | 24.8 | 56% | 24.3 | 72 |
| San Jose State | 23.8 | 47.6% | 23.3 | 73 |
| South Georgia | 27.8 | 80% | 27.2 | 74 |
| Virginia Tech | 24.1 | 49.4% | 23.5 | 75 |
| State of Georgia | 23.4 | 43.1% | 22.7 | 76 |
| State of Florida | 23.6 | 44.4% | 22.9 | 77 |
| Louisiana Technology | 24.3 | 49.6% | 23.5 | 78 |
| Kansas | 24.6 | 52.1% | 23.8 | 79 |
| Caroline from the south | 24.1 | 47.7% | 23.3 | 80 |
| Alabama | 24.9 | 54.1% | 24.1 | 81 |
| Ultralight | 22.7 | 35.8% | 21.8 | 82 |
| Virginia | 24.4 | 49.3% | 23.5 | 83 |
| Illinois | 23.6 | 42.6% | 22.7 | 84 |
| Florida Atlantic | 24.9 | 52.2% | 23.8 | 85 |
| Iowa | 25 | 51.7% | 23.8 | 86 |
| Florida International | 25.5 | 55.5% | 24.2 | 87 |
| Army | 29 | 84.3% | 27.7 | 88 |
| State of Colorado | 24.4 | 46.3% | 23.1 | 89 |
| Central Florida | 25.2 | 52.9% | 23.9 | 90 |
| State of Pennsylvania | 24 | 42.9% | 22.7 | 91 |
| Miss of the South | 23.7 | 39.8% | 22.3 | 92 |
| Texas | 25 | 50.2% | 23.6 | 93 |
| Michigan State | 26.1 | 58.7% | 24.6 | 94 |
| UL Lafayette | 25.9 | 57% | 24.4 | 95 |
| Buffalo | 25.5 | 52.7% | 23.9 | 96 |
| Washington State | 21.6 | 20.4% | 20 | 97 |
| New Mexico | 28.6 | 78% | 27 | 98 |
| LSU | 27.2 | 66.4% | 25.6 | 99 |
| Tulane | 24.7 | 45.7% | 23.1 | 100 |
| Minnesota | 27.4 | 67.9% | 25.7 | 101 |
| UTSA | 25.5 | 51.6% | 23.8 | 102 |
| State of Utah | 25.9 | 53.7% | 24 | 103 |
| Wisconsin | 27.4 | 65.6% | 25.5 | 104 |
| Purdue | 25 | 45.2% | 23 | 105 |
| Miami, Ohio | 24.2 | 38.1% | 22.1 | 106 |
| Boston College | 28.2 | 69.9% | 26 | 107 |
| Rutgers | 26.5 | 55.9% | 24.3 | 108 |
| San Diego State | 26.7 | 57.2% | 24.3 | 109 |
| Louisville | 25.9 | 50.1% | 23.6 | 110 |
| Miami | 26 | 50.8% | 23.7 | 111 |
| Pittsburgh | 27.8 | 64.2% | 25.3 | 112 |
| Rice | 27.2 | 58.8% | 24.6 | 113 |
| Waking up forest | 25.4 | 43.7% | 22.8 | 114 |
| EMS | 25.1 | 40.1% | 22.4 | 115 |
| Arkansas | 27.8 | 59.4% | 24.7 | 116 |
| Kansas State | 26.7 | 50.1% | 23.6 | 117 |
| Connecticut | 26.7 | 49.7% | 23.5 | 118 |
| Oregon State | 25.7 | 40.1% | 22.4 | 119 |
| Kent State | 25.3 | 36.4% | 21.9 | 120 |
| South Florida | 26.7 | 47.9% | 23.3 | 121 |
| Western Michigan | 27.8 | 54.9% | 24.2 | 122 |
| Stanford | 27.8 | 53.2% | 24 | 123 |
| Central Michigan | 27.9 | 53.7% | 24 | 124 |
| Wyoming | 27.5 | 49.5% | 23.5 | 125 |
| Michigan | 28.7 | 53.1% | 24 | 126 |
| Vanderbilt | 28.3 | 49.1% | 23.5 | 127 |
| UTEP | 30.5 | 65% | 25.4 | 128 |
Comparing Auburn and Clemson shows the difference. The Tigers and – well, the Tigers too – both took about 23 seconds per play and used a similar offense. But after adjusting for rushing percentage, Auburn ranks 28th and Clemson 51st. Auburn’s offense is so top-heavy that it’s undergoing a significant adjustment.
Some predictions you’re probably right about are Arkansas and Alabama. Both their coaches criticized the rushing offenses, and they practice what they preach. Alabama takes a snap every 24.9 seconds, good for 81st adjusted in the country. But Lane Kiffin’s occasional absences mean they’re no match for Arkansas, which plods through a game every 27.8 seconds, 116th in the country.
