Is it really that hard for a team to beat another team twice?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

In this thread,

http://www.thedolphinsmakemecry.com/forums/index.php?topic=13584.0

Tommy repeats to long worn out line that....

 

It is very tough to beat a team twice.

I decided to start another thread instead of sending that one off topic.  But really?

So far this year the Dolphins played 3 teams twice.  One of them was sweep.  Two were a split.  Too small of a sample size for anything real.

Last year the Dolphins played 3 teams twice.  All three were sweep. 

Year before 1 split, 2 sweeps.

NE this year same deal 2 splits, 1 sweep.

Last year NE played 5 teams twice.  4 were sweeps, only 1 was a split.

Less you say last year was odd b/c NE won almost all their games and Dolphins lost almost all theirs.  Lets look at the Colts.  They played 4 teams twice.  The only split was Tenn (and in the second match up the Colts rested their starters) the other sweeps.  But one was a losing sweep (Chargers).  Indy lost 4 games all season long.  2 were to the same team.  One was to an undefeated team  and the other when they rested their players. 
 
I am not really sure that is all that hard to beat (or lose to) the same team twice.  In any season when two teams play twice, odds are the better team one the first game, and odds are they are still the better team.
 
Not looking to make this a specific Ravens-Dolphin discussion, thats why it is here in NFL general.  But what are your thoughts on this often repeated saying.   

[Sunstroke]

I think that if one team is significantly better than the other team, the chances of beating that team twice in a season is greatly increased.

Avert your eyes, kids...lest my brilliance scar your retinas.

[Tepop84]

A lot of people on this site say stuff that doesn't make any sense. 

[YoFuggedaboutit]

When you have two teams that are pretty evenly matched, the odds are the losing team in the first game will win the second game.  The losing team has the advantage because they can look at film and point out all the mistakes they made that cost them the game.  Winning masks those mistakes.

[Frimp]

A lot of people on this site say stuff that doesn't make any sense. 

Look to the sunset, and you will see the catfish swoon that controls our lives and destiny. If you can learn to rake the leaves without getting catfish guts on your rake, you will truly see the essence of the pancakes with garlic sauce. Take it all in, and you will realize that life is truly like a box of guitar strings.

[Dave Gray]

Let's look at it mathematically.  Assume that with evenly matched teams, the odds are 50/50.  This isn't the case, often, but it makes it easier to deal with for this discussion.

Two Wins by team A = .25 chance
Two Wins by team B = .25 chance
(a chance that either team will win twice = .50 chance)
Split = .50 chance

--- So there's nothing mathematically to it.

However, I think that the reason that there is the idea that it's hard to beat a team twice, is that when you beat a team once, you likely will implement the same strategy to beat them again.  While, the team that you beat will gameplan specifically against that strategy.

Whereas the team that lost will implement a new strategy, and thus for a team to sweep, they will have to beat two different kinds of gameplans against them.