Started By
Message

Non-Hurts topic re: 92 defense

Posted on 5/4/18 at 3:14 pm
Posted by prevatt33
Member since Dec 2011
2837 posts
Posted on 5/4/18 at 3:14 pm
I was watching the 92 Championship game on youtube recently, and thought of some conversations I had had recently with a buddy of mine about which of Saban's defenses is the best, and got an idea:

Do you think the 92 defense - as exactly constructed at that time - would have success now? If so or not, Why?

And what do you think would be their total defense ranking at the end of a modern schedule?

Me personally, I think they'd have an incredible amount of success, and be one of the best defenses in football. However, I think that the 92 defense is better suited to today's game than the game before the proliferation of the spread and hurry up, meaning they're better suited for the game in 2018, not 2008.

Versus Miami, the 92 defense played an aggressive 4-2-5, with a lot of speed and length in the secondary and a Dline that could move. I think that Dline would be ideally suited for Saban's 2-gap front scheme, and take like a duck to water to Saban's pattern-matching Nickle on the back end. As a matter of fact, I could argue that the 92 defense would be better suited to face our 2018 schedule than the 2009 defense, as our size on the Dline (and at LB) in 2009 would be a liability today.

Thoughts?
This post was edited on 5/4/18 at 3:18 pm
Posted by CrimsonTideMD
Member since Dec 2010
6925 posts
Posted on 5/4/18 at 3:32 pm to
quote:

Do you think the 92 defense - as exactly constructed at that time - would have success now?


Absolutely.

That D was stacked with ballers.

The D line and secondary were just menacing.

The only starter on that squad who would not start or contribute regularly today is Chris Donnelly.
Posted by CrimsonTideMD
Member since Dec 2010
6925 posts
Posted on 5/4/18 at 3:35 pm to
And that's no knock on Donnelly. He's one of my all time favorites, actually. Played with such grit. I loved it.
Posted by prevatt33
Member since Dec 2011
2837 posts
Posted on 5/4/18 at 3:45 pm to
Speaking of lesser known players on that defense, we all remember the likes of Teague, Langham, Curry, Copeland, etc., but Tommy Johnson had an absolutely incredible game in our secondary that day. He was everywhere.

Also, the 1st string All-SEC Defense that year was comprised of 7 Bama players. That's just crazy.
Posted by Crimson Wraith
Member since Jan 2014
24717 posts
Posted on 5/5/18 at 5:27 pm to
92 D had 7 first team ALL-SEC and 4 All Americans on it.
Posted by Crimson Wraith
Member since Jan 2014
24717 posts
Posted on 5/5/18 at 5:48 pm to
James Gregory was the most underrated player on that team.
Posted by prevatt33
Member since Dec 2011
2837 posts
Posted on 5/5/18 at 6:35 pm to
quote:

4 All American


I believe a Saban Bama D has come close to this.

quote:

7 first team ALL-SEC


But we haven't sniffed this.

Gotta look it up.

EDIT: started looking it up, and All-American and Consensus All-American is a very important distinction.
This post was edited on 5/5/18 at 6:38 pm
Posted by prevatt33
Member since Dec 2011
2837 posts
Posted on 5/5/18 at 6:39 pm to
Wiki list of Crimson Tide All-americans

Wiki page for 2009 All-Sec Football team

In the second link, manually change the year in the URL to see other years.
This post was edited on 5/5/18 at 6:43 pm
Posted by llfshoals
Member since Nov 2010
15344 posts
Posted on 5/5/18 at 10:25 pm to
The 92 team could just dominate a game.

I was at the Southern Miss game and that defense was on the field the whole game and just stoned them. It was brutal, because Barker sucked so bad they had to
Posted by Globetrotter747
Member since Sep 2017
4298 posts
Posted on 5/6/18 at 10:39 am to
I think they'd get smoked by the best offenses in today's college game. The game has changed drastically in 25 years.
Posted by 1BamaRTR
In Your Head Blvd
Member since Apr 2015
22511 posts
Posted on 5/6/18 at 10:58 am to
I agree

Athletes today are stronger, faster, and overall more athletic now then even 25 years ago.
Posted by Globetrotter747
Member since Sep 2017
4298 posts
Posted on 5/6/18 at 11:29 am to
quote:

Athletes today are stronger, faster, and overall more athletic now then even 25 years ago.


Schemes are much different too. Not a lot of familiarity with defending freakish athletes at QB like Watson, Newton and Tebow. I think ‘92 Bama would get both outplayed and outcoached.
Posted by prevatt33
Member since Dec 2011
2837 posts
Posted on 5/6/18 at 1:41 pm to
quote:

Schemes are much different too. Not a lot of familiarity with defending freakish athletes at QB like Watson, Newton and Tebow. I think ‘92 Bama would get both outplayed and outcoached.


My point wasn't that the 92 defense would be teleported to an opening kickoff and have to defend a team without preparation. It's not Quantum Leap.

In the scenario I was hypothesizing, they could get all the coaching they need. It was more about could those athletes at their heights, weights, and skill sets be coached into a dominant defense today.

Posted by FourThreeForty
Member since May 2013
17290 posts
Posted on 5/6/18 at 5:37 pm to
quote:

“Javier Arenas, Terrance Cody, Mark Ingram, Mike Johnson, Rolando McClain, and Leigh Tiffin were named to the AP All-American First Team”


Jesus.
Posted by prevatt33
Member since Dec 2011
2837 posts
Posted on 5/6/18 at 6:32 pm to
quote:

“Javier Arenas, Terrance Cody, Mark Ingram, Mike Johnson, Rolando McClain, and Leigh Tiffin were named to the AP All-American First Team”


Very impressive, but still only 3 from the defense. 92 team had 4 on defense alone. And thats includin Arenas as a corner - he may have been a specialist.
This post was edited on 5/6/18 at 6:34 pm
Posted by prevatt33
Member since Dec 2011
2837 posts
Posted on 5/6/18 at 6:38 pm to
Now that I've looked closer, as long an the requirement isn't "unanimous" all-american, then the 2011 and 2016 defenses both have at least 4.
Posted by TroyTider
Florida Panhandle
Member since Oct 2009
3761 posts
Posted on 5/7/18 at 6:41 am to
Who?



Posted by IB4bama
Pelham
Member since Oct 2017
1977 posts
Posted on 5/7/18 at 11:57 am to
10 out of 11 starters from the 92D played in the NFL. And Bill Oliver could coach with anyone. He wouldn't get out coached. That game against Miami is probably what started the press man, bump and run defense with everyone on the line of scrimmage that we see versions of today. That team could play in space because they were so athletic, and Curry and Copeland were considered the best pass rushing duo ever. Their only problem would be depth.
Posted by narddogg81
Vancouver
Member since Jan 2012
19669 posts
Posted on 5/7/18 at 2:47 pm to
Hurts wouldn't have been able to pass against the 92 defense
Posted by prevatt33
Member since Dec 2011
2837 posts
Posted on 5/7/18 at 3:07 pm to
quote:

Their only problem would be depth.


I don't even know the names of the 2nd string dline in 92. They'd have to contribute now.
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 2Next pagelast page

Back to top
logoFollow SECRant for SEC Football News
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest updates on SEC Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitter