The level at which the layman thinks about and understands the game of football has been completely revolutionized in the past 10 years. This is a good thing. However, we remain stuck in our ways in some areas, like third down conversions. Start with the fact we're still tracking them in the first place.
Attn: Football Statheads, US Senate
— Zach Barnett (@zach_barnett) September 30, 2025
I would like to see 3rd/4th down conversions combined into a single Money Down stat.
If a team turns a 3rd and 8 into a 4th and 1 and then a 1st down, I don’t think the lack of a 3rd down conversion should count against them.
Jumping off from the tweet above: let's say it's 3rd-and-8 from the opponent's 42-yard line. Head coach tells his OC, "Get me five yards here and we'll go for it." Which down becomes the Money Down, third or fourth?
Well, it largely depends on what happens from there. If the tight end slips a tackle and busts loose for 15 yards, well, third down was the money down. If he doesn't and a 5-yard completion remains a 5-yard completion, fourth down becomes the Money Down. And if he drops the pass altogether, the verdict for that series was rendered on third down as the punt unit trots onto the field.
Now let's say team is 5-of-10 on third down and 1-of-3 on fourth. They are 6-of-10 on our new Money Down statistic. Why not 6-of-13? Well, you have the six conversions, and then two times where third down was successful enough to warrant a fourth down opportunity that was not converted, and then two punts.
Do you see where I'm going with this? Yes? Clear as mud?
| Team | 3rd Down Conv. | 4th Down Conv. | Money Downs | Percentage |
| 1. Florida State | 30 | 8 | 51 | 74.5% |
| 2. USC | 31 | 9 | 55 | 72.7% |
| 3. Navy | 29 | 4 | 47 | 70.2% |
| 3. Air Force | 29 | 4 | 47 | 70.2% |
| 5. Missouri | 45 | 6 | 73 | 69.9% |
| 6. Washington | 28 | 4 | 46 | 69.6% |
| 7. Utah | 44 | 6 | 72 | 69.4% |
| 8. Vanderbilt | 28 | 5 | 46 | 67.4% |
| 9. TCU | 30 | 5 | 52 | 67.3% |
| 10. Virginia | 45 | 7 | 79 | 65.8% |
And now, defense.
| Team | 3rd Down Conv. | 4th Down Conv. | Money Downs | Percentage |
| 1. Oklahoma | 10 | 1 | 56 | 19.6% |
| 2. Indiana | 13 | 1 | 55 | 25.4% |
| 2. Texas | 13 | 1 | 55 | 25.4% |
| 4. Missouri | 13 | 4 | 60 | 28.3% |
| 5. Wisconsin | 11 | 2 | 44 | 29.5% |
| 6. BYU | 12 | 3 | 50 | 30% |
| 6. Miami | 12 | 3 | 50 | 30% |
| 8. UTEP | 17 | 4 | 69 | 30.4% |
| 9. Houston | 18 | 1 | 62 | 30.6% |
| 10. Texas A&M | 14 | 4 | 57 | 31.6% |
Is the new Money Down stat we've invented here perfect? Of course not. Some may argue we should have included fourth down temps in the denominator (that's the bottom part of a fraction, for those who haven't been in an elementary school classroom in a while), and I'd be willing to listen to those arguments.
But ultimately, an offense's job is to remain on the field, and a defense's job is to get off of it. Nearly three-quarters of the time Florida State has attempted to move the chains, whether on third or fourth down, they have succeeded.
In 2016, the median FBS team attempted 1.46 fourth downs per game. Last season, they averaged 1.89. As teams begin to view fourth down as more of a continuation of the previous three, our statistics should evolve with them.