Bama Effect might be real: Teams are actually getting worse after playing Tide

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Percentiles are an effective way of measuring a team's performance (with opponent adjustments) in a single number. You can look at a team's schedule and quickly discern trends, highs, lows, etc.

Alabama's trends are, shall we say, strong. The Crimson Tide have played at the 80th percentile or higher in every game but one (you can guess the one), and after a bit of a dip against Texas A&M, they've improved for three straight weeks, from 80th percentile to 83rd to 88th (shutting down Leonard Fournette without overemphasizing him) to 95th (showing off a new pass rush by sacking Dak Prescott nine times).

I'm more interested in Alabama's opponents, however. The Bama Effect appears to be real. For all the attention Tide fans give to scheduling -- and how it kind of seems like every opponent gets a week off before playing Bama -- opponents should be more focused on getting a break afterward.

Let's look at conference opponents:

Ole Miss' average performance was in the 97th percentile in the two weeks before Bama and the 41st in the two weeks after.

Georgia's average performance was in the 86th percentile in the three weeks before Bama and the 41st in the three weeks after.

Texas A&M's average performance was in the 79th percentile in the three weeks before Bama and the 35th in the three weeks after.

For the season, LSU was averaging in the 84th percentile before Bama. Last week against Arkansas: 26th.

Arkansas and Tennessee appear to have immunized against the Bama Effect. Everybody else in the SEC: not so much.

Alabama's latest victim, Mississippi State, plays at Arkansas this Saturday.

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