Ranking the most penalized teams in the SEC across the past 5 seasons
Penalty numbers are an underrated aspect when it comes to analyzing a football team.
More than anything, penalties especially hurt teams when they come at the wrong time. The last thing you want is an offsides on 3rd and 1 when you need a score.
Disciplined teams win college football games; undisciplined teams… just ask 2019 Ole Miss and Elijah Moore.
We decided to rank all 14 SEC programs by the amount of penalties accrued across the past 5 seasons. Keep in mind, these rankings are based on an average of total penalties/total games played, so the results don’t skew in favor of those playing less games. It also includes all games, including CFP matchups and bowl games.
All stats found via CFB Stats.com.
- Alabama: 6.81 per game
- Ole Miss: 6.81 per game
- Missouri: 6.80 per game
- Tennessee: 6.7 per game
- Florida: 6.5 per game
- Mississippi State: 6.4 per game
- Auburn: 6.4 per game
- Texas A&M 6.4 per game
- Arkansas: 6.3 per game
- South Carolina: 6.1 per game
- LSU: 5.8 per game
- Kentucky: 5.6 per game
- Vanderbilt: 5.5 per game
- Georgia: 5.2 per game
A few things to notice here. For one, most teams averaged about 6-6.5 penalties per game across the past 5 seasons and only 4 – LSU, Kentucky, Georgia and Vanderbilt – averaged less than 6.
Georgia is in a league of its own here, too. The Bulldogs averaged a full penalty less per game than 9 other SEC programs and essentially a penalty less than South Carolina at No. 10.
What surprises you most?
