Who is Dr. Green and White? Data, stats, math —analyzing the Spartans, Big Ten and NCAA

As Spartans Illustrated makes the transition to become a part of the On3 Network, I thought that I would take a few moments to introduce myself. I am quite interested in analytics. My real name is Paul Fanson, but I have gone by the alias “Dr. Green and White” in various corners of the internet since the early 2000s.

I come by this title honestly as I have a doctorate in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University following my bachelor’s degree in the same field from Michigan State University last century. I have been a staff writer for Spartans Illustrated and previously for The Only Colors since 2019. I also hold the self-appointed titles of Chief Data Scientist and Chief Optimism Officer.

As this brief bio implies, I am a bit of an analytics nerd. In my capacity as both a nerd and a sports journalist, I aim to reside in the spaces where math, the scientific method and sports intersect. I try to use my analytic skills to understand the numbers behind sports. Then, I try to tell stories about the things that I have learned.

Over the years, I have explored a growing number of mathematical rabbit holes related to college sports. I have developed my own power rankings for college football, and along the way, I discovered the ways in which power rankings are related to both Las Vegas point spread and the odds for favored teams to win or lose.

I have studied the uncertainty in preseason rankings, and the underpinnings of strength of schedule. Combined, this knowledge allows me to simulate the full college football season with an accuracy that surpasses any other system.

On a weekly basis during the college football season, my mathematical tools allow me to predict the odds that any team will win their conference title, make the playoff or beat the spread.

When it comes to football recruiting, I can project the odds that any high school prospect will eventually hear their name called in the NFL Draft. I can tell you which states are underrated or overrated when it comes to producing NFL talent. I can tell you how prospect stars turn into on-the-field wins, and which schools are the best at identifying and coaching up talent.

In the realm of college basketball, I can simulate the full Big Ten season as well and can tell you how much the conference schedule does or does not impact the final standings. I have even shown how the mathematical properties of a basketball game mirror that of a coin flipping experiment.

When it comes to March Madness, I can simulate that as well. The mathematical nature of tournaments is a specific fascination of mine. I know why No. 15 seeds beat No. 2 seeds about 5% of the time, and why there were fewer upsets in 2025 than usual.

I know which coach has overachieved in the NCAA Tournament more than any other. I know how to calculate the odds of picking a perfect bracket, and I can predict the impact of changing the number of teams or structure of both March Madness and any given conference tournament.

If there is an interesting question in the realm of college sports, I do my best to find the right data and method to answer it. Then, I write about it.

I am Dr. Green and White. It’s just what I do.

So if you have questions about sports that maybe math can help answer, hit me up on X (@paulfanson) or on the Spartans Illustrated Message Board.