Answer this question...

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Fly4Fun's avatar

Fly4Fun

Senior Member

7,730 posts
Dec 8, 2010 9:16 AM
I will post why I'm asking this question after I get so many answers.

Do you believe that If Team A beats Team B and Team B beats Team C that Team A is better than Team C?

Just so you don't bother guessing, this has nothing to do with Ohio State or the 3-way Big 10 tie.
Dec 8, 2010 9:16am
Leonardo's avatar

Leonardo

Senior Member

4,986 posts
Dec 8, 2010 9:25 AM
Nope

It's an interesting way to compare teams, but not always true.

I know you said it had nothing to do with OSU/Big 10, but is Michigan State "without a doubt" better than Ohio State?
Dec 8, 2010 9:25am
S

Sonofanump

Dec 8, 2010 9:28 AM
That would mean that James Madison is better than Florida State.
Dec 8, 2010 9:28am
krambman's avatar

krambman

Senior Member

3,606 posts
Dec 8, 2010 9:40 AM
I'm going to assume that Team A and Team C did not play each other. No, just because A beat B and B beat C that doesn't necessarily mean that A is better than C, although depending on when in the season these game occurred, who was at home in these games, and the margin of victory in each I believe that some inferences can be made about Team A relative to Team C.
Dec 8, 2010 9:40am
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Dec 8, 2010 9:44 AM
Not necessarily.

It only means that Team A was better than Team B the day they played and that Team B was better than Team C the day they played.

There are too many other factors that would come in to play keeping me from saying conclusively that A is better than C
Dec 8, 2010 9:44am
killer_ewok's avatar

killer_ewok

iRep

11,379 posts
Dec 8, 2010 9:54 AM
No.
Dec 8, 2010 9:54am
T

Tiernan

Senior Member

13,021 posts
Dec 8, 2010 9:58 AM
Its not a guarantee by any stretch but it is at least some kind of barometer for comparison.
Dec 8, 2010 9:58am
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Dec 8, 2010 10:02 AM
I agree tiernan but by itself it's not enough to make the determination in my opinion.
Dec 8, 2010 10:02am
FatHobbit's avatar

FatHobbit

Senior Member

8,651 posts
Dec 8, 2010 10:14 AM
no
Dec 8, 2010 10:14am
sherm03's avatar

sherm03

I go balls deep.

7,349 posts
Dec 8, 2010 10:19 AM
No.

But now I'm interested to see why this question was asked.
Dec 8, 2010 10:19am
Fly4Fun's avatar

Fly4Fun

Senior Member

7,730 posts
Dec 8, 2010 10:22 AM
sherm03;592323 wrote:No.

But now I'm interested to see why this question was asked.

I will post why I asked this either at the end of the day today or tomorrow morning. I want to give a fair amount of people a chance to answer.
Dec 8, 2010 10:22am
B

bigkahuna

Senior Member

4,454 posts
Dec 8, 2010 10:25 AM
If you think about it mathematically...

If A=B and B=C than A=C

If A>B and B>C than A>C.

I don't think this works though either. There are so many variables when it comes to this, like krambman said.
Dec 8, 2010 10:25am
krambman's avatar

krambman

Senior Member

3,606 posts
Dec 8, 2010 11:15 AM
Tiernan;592301 wrote:Its not a guarantee by any stretch but it is at least some kind of barometer for comparison.

Agreed. If Team A destroys Team B at B's place, and Team B destroys Team C at C's place, then yes, A is probably better than C. If they are close games won by a late field goal and if the home team won both times then it's harder to make that assertion.
Dec 8, 2010 11:15am
FatHobbit's avatar

FatHobbit

Senior Member

8,651 posts
Dec 8, 2010 11:18 AM
bigkahuna;592330 wrote:If you think about it mathematically...

If A=B and B=C than A=C

If A>B and B>C than A>C.

I don't think this works though either. There are so many variables when it comes to this, like krambman said.

What happens when A beats B, B beats C and then C beats A? There is no transitive property for football.
Dec 8, 2010 11:18am
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Dec 8, 2010 11:22 AM
Lol. It isn't math. It's football.
Dec 8, 2010 11:22am
V

vball10set

paying it forward

24,795 posts
Dec 8, 2010 11:35 AM
no...I subscribe to the "on any given day" theory :cool:
Dec 8, 2010 11:35am
Q

queencitybuckeye

Senior Member

7,117 posts
Dec 8, 2010 12:25 PM
Leonardo;592258 wrote:Nope

It's an interesting way to compare teams, but not always true.

I know you said it had nothing to do with OSU/Big 10, but is Michigan State "without a doubt" better than Ohio State?
Depends on whether you use Wisconsin or Iowa as your basis for comparison. Actually this answers the question posed with 100% confidence, as you have both tOSU > MSU and MSU > tOSU. Not possible.
Dec 8, 2010 12:25pm
karen lotz's avatar

karen lotz

TuTu Train

22,284 posts
Dec 8, 2010 12:46 PM
No.
Dec 8, 2010 12:46pm
Leonardo's avatar

Leonardo

Senior Member

4,986 posts
Dec 8, 2010 3:24 PM
queencitybuckeye;592470 wrote:Depends on whether you use Wisconsin or Iowa as your basis for comparison. Actually this answers the question posed with 100% confidence, as you have both tOSU > MSU and MSU > tOSU. Not possible.

Michigan State beat Wisconsin; Wisconsin beat Ohio State
Dec 8, 2010 3:24pm
Fly4Fun's avatar

Fly4Fun

Senior Member

7,730 posts
Dec 8, 2010 3:29 PM
Leonardo;592780 wrote:Michigan State beat Wisconsin; Wisconsin beat Ohio State

Leonardo, he agreed with that; he was saying:

Ohio State > Iowa and Iowa > Michigan state Therefore Ohio State > Michigan State

AND

Michigan State > Wisconsin and Wisconsin > Ohio State Therefore Michigan State > Ohio State

Basically stating that using this theory in my original post it disproves itself as effective.
Dec 8, 2010 3:29pm
Q

queencitybuckeye

Senior Member

7,117 posts
Dec 8, 2010 3:32 PM
Leonardo;592780 wrote:Michigan State beat Wisconsin; Wisconsin beat Ohio State

Ohio State beat Iowa; Iowa beat Michigan State
Dec 8, 2010 3:32pm
gorocks99's avatar

gorocks99

Senior Member

10,760 posts
Dec 8, 2010 4:05 PM
Well ...

Minnesota > Iowa

Iowa > Michigan State
Michigan State > Wisconsin
Wisconsin > Ohio State
Ohio State > Michigan
Ohio State > Indiana
Ohio State > Illinois
Ohio State > Purdue
Ohio State > Penn State
Penn State > Northwestern

Therefore, Minnesota > Big Ten. A winner is me! Transitive property FTW!
Dec 8, 2010 4:05pm
J

johngrizzly

Senior Member

213 posts
Dec 8, 2010 4:09 PM
Believe it or not but certain teams match up better or worse against certain teams depending on the day, time, weather and injury situation not to mention coaching game plans
Dec 8, 2010 4:09pm
krambman's avatar

krambman

Senior Member

3,606 posts
Dec 8, 2010 4:32 PM
Fly4Fun;592787 wrote:Leonardo, he agreed with that; he was saying:

Ohio State > Iowa and Iowa > Michigan state Therefore Ohio State > Michigan State

AND

Michigan State > Wisconsin and Wisconsin > Ohio State Therefore Michigan State > Ohio State

Basically stating that using this theory in my original post it disproves itself as effective.

Not all wins are equal though. You need to quantify these wins with margin of victory.

Ohio State > Iowa by 3 and Iowa > Michigan state by 31, therefore Ohio State > Michigan State by 34.

AND

Michigan State > Wisconsin by 10 and Wisconsin > Ohio State by 13, therefore Michigan State > Ohio State by 23.

THEREFORE

Therefore is Ohio State had played Michigan State the Buckeyes would have been 11 points better winning 34-23.
Dec 8, 2010 4:32pm
Q

queencitybuckeye

Senior Member

7,117 posts
Dec 8, 2010 4:48 PM
krambman;592890 wrote:Not all wins are equal though. You need to quantify these wins with margin of victory.

Ohio State > Iowa by 3 and Iowa > Michigan state by 31, therefore Ohio State > Michigan State by 34.

AND

Michigan State > Wisconsin by 10 and Wisconsin > Ohio State by 13, therefore Michigan State > Ohio State by 23.

THEREFORE

Therefore is Ohio State had played Michigan State the Buckeyes would have been 11 points better winning 34-23.

Which again means that the answer to the poll as asked is "false".
Dec 8, 2010 4:48pm