Perhaps more than any other number in college football, returning starter totals can be a blessing and a curse. If a losing team has an abundance of experience back, is that a positive or a negative? And if a winning team has an abundance, is there a risk of complacency?
"Even if you have 22 starters back and they're all first-team all-conference the year before, you're still wondering, are they ready?" San Jose State coach Ron Caragher said. "Are we pushing them too much? Are we not pushing them enough?"
USA TODAY Sports examined the relationship between returning starters and won-loss record from the 2010 season through 2014, with the 32 public schools in FBS with the largest football budgets as the sample set.