Can you feel the hate? If you are a true fan of the Fighting Irish, there is no doubt that you do. However, none of that hate is remotely close to that of the hate felt by Notre Dame quarterbacks. Right or wrong, Irish quarterbacks are the subject of jokes, praise, and disdain more so, it would seem, than any other player in college football.
They are villains.
The thing about villains that makes them so complicated is that they are equally loved by some just as they are hated by the masses… sometimes. Yes, sometimes they play more of the anti-hero role, but they can also just be reviled by all. Either way, they all fall into the category of villain.
I wondered which Notre Dame quarterback in the past 20 years was the biggest villain. So, I went to the chore of dissecting each one of the 18 different starting quarterbacks that the Fighting Irish have had over the past 20 years, and applied them to a mathematical formula. It's science- and in a day and age where new football metrics, stat sites, and math geeks are giving more and more weight to this wonderful game and the stats that it provides, I decided to join them.
I have come up with the mathematical formula to determine a player's "Villain Score."
It is a simple, yet thorough way to measure these players throughout the years. Again, this is science. All numbers, variables, and processes are scientific fact and not, and not just some random numbers pulled directly from my ass. Here is the key to the above formula for proof of its scientific grace:
- Media Hate: Scored between 1-10 using this advanced method.
- Fan Hate: Scored between 1-10 using this monitoring system.
- Angst: Scored between 1-10 and based off the ACross Guiding Model.
- Hate Moment Score: The peak of hate measured between 1-10 and multiplied by pi.
- Coach Score: Coach's make a difference. Holtz (1), Kelly (2), Davie (3), Weis (4), Willingham (5)
- Green Jersey Score: Wearing a green jersey as a starter makes you more easily hated- win or lose. A win (2 points), a loss (5 points), and a bowl loss (7.5).
- Winning Percentage: Rounded down and subtracted from the score.
- Multi-Year Multiplier: The sum of those parts multiplied are multiplied by 1.25 if a player started in a game in multiple years., A single season starter (which includes one game starters) are multiplied by 1.
After using this simple, yet effective, scientific method to numerically find Notre Dame's biggest quarterback villain for the past 5 years, here is the top 5. Sorry you guys… no slideshow fun:
| 1. | Ron Powlus | 76.18 |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | Jimmy Clausen | 73.06 |
| 3. | Tommy Rees | 72.83 |
| 4. | Demetrius Jones | 64.45 |
| 5. | Pat Dillingham | 60.45 |
There is no big surprise here that the top 2 quarterbacks are also the two that came to Notre Dame with the most hype. Both Powlus and Clausen were almost equals in every respect, but the Green Jersey Score ultimately separated the two. Clausen never played in one of those games (2007 was a J game, but Clausen sat behind Sharpley).
Speaking of the Green Jersey score, it is this measure that shot Tommy Rees to number 3. Rees scored the highest GJ Score with 9 points after wins against both Army and Maryland and a loss to Michigan.
The last two are the most interesting. Both Jones & Dillingham cracked into the top 5 without the multi-year multiplier and would have been 1 & 3 respectively without that multiplier. That's why you can really make the philosophical case that these two are the realest villains in the top 5 with the other 3 being more of the anti-hero. This would make Clausen more like Darth Vader and Pat Dillingham more like Buffalo Bill (Lambs). However- THIS AIN'T PHILOSOPHY THIS IS SCIENCE!
So you need further proof that these are some random, bullshit numbers pulled directly out of my ass with a side of hollandaise sauce? Check out the table below.
So, there you have it. I imagine you are either firmly convinced or entirely skeptical of these FACTS and figures. Please discuss in the comments below. Be sure to include your personal, non-scientific, top villainous quarterback in your rant.
