According to the National Trainer’s Association, “Football had the highest game injury rate of all sports (36 injuries per 1,000 athlete-exposures) due to the collision aspects of the game. Due to the large numbers of participants, football had the largest absolute number of knee ligament and ankle sprain injuries.” According to Dr. Benjamin Domb, “In general, the offensive lineman positions are found to sustain the highest number of injuries while the individual position with the highest rate of injury is the running back. Other dangerous positions include the linebacker and wide receiver positions.” Interesting article too about the break down of injuries
https://www.sportsinfosolutions.com/2022/04/27/study-coll... /, which covers the 2021 season.
I have to admit that I can’t find any specific studies YET on the claim that smaller colleges playing Power 5 (or what people are now calling Power 4 teams) specifically exist. I suspect that is partly because who wants to fund a study such as that since the Big Time schools get to pad their schedules with wins and the smaller schools get to pad their bank accounts, while giving their players the Big Time experience that many of them have dreamed about. I think it is naive to think that there is not a greater injury risk against bigger and stronger players, especially when there is more than one of them. This is why Boxing and College Wrestling have weight divisions.
However, perhaps, you guys are right, and I look forward to the Ohio Bobcats not only running the table and making the College Playoffs, but beating the daylights out of the likes of Alabama, USC, and Ohio State en route to a National Championship. Go Bobcats!!!