SMQ: Are we really seeing more blowouts in bowl games in 2017?

The second Saturday stood out for offering some close contests. But have the bowl games in 2017 really provided more blowouts than years past?

More: Complete 2017-2018 bowl schedule

After the first full week of bowl games, it feels like fans have been treated to one blowout after another. Before the second Saturday, eight of the first 10 bowl games played so far had finished with a margin of victory in double digits. Six out of the 10 completed before the Saturday leading into the Christmas holiday were won by 20 or more points.

That made December 23 stand out that much more starkly against the curve. The Birmingham Bowl and Armed Forces Bowl both went down to the wire, offering a modicum of suspense for a change. Of course, the Dollar General Bowl in Mobile set things back in order as Appalachian State shut out Toledo 34-0.

The Mountaineers victory seemed to set the universe back into alignment. So far this postseason we have seen Florida Atlantic romp to a 50-3 takedown of Akron. Louisiana Tech took down SMU 51-10, Ohio routed UAB 41-6, and we had the aforementioned App State win that finished with a margin of victory over 30 points as well.

But have there really been more blowouts than usual?

This week’s Sunday Morning Quarterback looks into that question, drawing upon bowl results going back to 1933. (The short-lived return of the Dixie Classic augured in an era where the Rose Bowl game was no longer the only postseason game featured on the calendar. The following year, the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl came online, with the Cotton and Sun and other bowl games soon following.

So let’s ask a few questions today. What is the average margin of victory for bowl games over time? How has the increase in the number of bowls impacted the margin of victory? Is there any correlation that can be explained between the two numbers?

To find out the answers to these questions and more, keep reading.