re: The decline of Bama's defense since 2011

When you take into account that they're facing significantly more plays and being thrust into more difficult situations than the 2012 defense, it could be seriously argued that this is statistically the best defense we've had since 2011.

Defensive averages per game:

2015: 68.3 plays, 267 yards, 3.9 TDs, 1.8 turnovers
2014: 67.5 plays, 328.4 yards, 4.9 TDs, 1.4 turnovers
2013: 59.3 plays, 286.5 yards, 4.8 TDs, 1.5 turnovers
2012: 59.8 plays, 250 yards, 4.2 TDs, 2.1 turnovers