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Is ‘the defensive mindset’ a thing of the past in college football?

Posted on 9/8/19 at 8:45 pm
Posted by Eli Goldfinger
Member since Sep 2016
32785 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 8:45 pm
It seems that the top teams are coming to grips with the fact that sometimes you need to out score an opponent.

Top teams will have constant access to capable QBs thanks to the transfer portal. This may be the most enabling development in the evolution of bigtime college offenses. Just look at how many top teams are playing a transfer.

Not that defense will be unimportant, but the days of Mt. Cody plugging up 2 gaps while the LBs crash down on the run are gone.

Defensive recruiting is going to change. I’m betting that average DT weights will soon be down to the 255 Lb range, while DEs and LBs will be almost universally interchangeable in the 220 Lb range.

DTs & DEs need to consistently get QB pressure, while LBs will need to be solid in coverage and prepared to chase down a lot of misdirection.

I truly loved 9-6 (except for all of the missed FGs), but I don’t think we’re going to see that style from championship teams again for quite a while.

Old school coaches may be tempted to try, but a ball control offense just won’t consistently win championships against offenses that can put up 40+ points in nearly every game.
This post was edited on 9/8/19 at 8:56 pm
Posted by Jyrdis
TD Premium Member Level III
Member since Aug 2015
12963 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 8:48 pm to
Nope. Clemson seemed to do ok as a top team. LSU’s defense just isn’t that good.
Posted by koreandawg
South Korea
Member since Sep 2015
10107 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 8:50 pm to
No team is winning the championship that doesn't have a top defense. The last team to win that had a mediocre one was Auburn with Cam.
Posted by Eli Goldfinger
Member since Sep 2016
32785 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 8:51 pm to
If OU would have had an average defense, they could have won a nc.
Posted by Jjdoc
Cali
Member since Mar 2016
54093 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 8:52 pm to
Without a top defense, you are not stopping a high powered offense



Think back to the early days of Oregon. Facing a defense worth a damn... the cried
Posted by rpr4695
Member since May 2013
2099 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 8:56 pm to
quote:

Nope. Clemson seemed to do ok as a top team. LSU’s defense just isn’t that good.



Our Defense was concerning, but it is difficult to defend against offenses like Texas. Georgia and Alabama have given up a lot of points to Oklahoma and Texas in their respective games. It's premature to think LSU will not have a great defense.
Posted by Eli Goldfinger
Member since Sep 2016
32785 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 8:58 pm to
quote:

It's premature to think LSU will not have a great defense.


Exactly!
LSU clearly has great defensive personnel.

Maybe we should change how “great defense” is defined.
Posted by Crowknowsbest
Member since May 2012
26186 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 9:01 pm to
quote:

I’m betting that average DT weights will soon be down to the 255 Lb range, while DEs and LBs will be almost universally interchangeable in the 220 Lb range.

Negative on this. Top OLs would absolutely overwhelm this style of team in the running game.
Posted by CharlotteSooner
Member since Mar 2016
12339 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 9:02 pm to
quote:

Our Defense was concerning, but it is difficult to defend against offenses like Texas.


Texas is a middling, non-creative, plodding, mid-tier offense in this league. That is not a powerful offense. They are the only offense in FBS that didn't have a scoring play over 50 yards last season. The only one. Dead last.
Posted by UnAnon
Breaux Bridge
Member since Sep 2013
6514 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 9:03 pm to
Our first half defensive effort allowed us to coast in the second half. Defense couldn't catch a break and had a 19 play drive that absolutely killed our stamina. Our defense isn't as good as I thought they were, but I don't see them giving up more than 30 every other game also.
Posted by Rip N Lip
Horseshoe Bend
Member since Jul 2019
5274 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 9:03 pm to
Clock rules, blocking rules (cut blocking is still somehow legal in CFB), pass interference rules, and removal of contact from the game all favor the offense.
Posted by CharlotteSooner
Member since Mar 2016
12339 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 9:05 pm to
quote:

Our first half defensive effort allowed us to coast in the second half.


They "coasted" in the 2nd half. Is this the new "didn't wanna be there"?
Posted by Eli Goldfinger
Member since Sep 2016
32785 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 9:06 pm to
quote:

Negative on this. Top OLs would absolutely overwhelm this style of team in the running game.


Not necessarily.
If this were always true, Bama would have crushed Utah in 2008 and you would never see teams like GA State/BYU beating teams like UT.

If you sceme correctly, agile DLs can give big OLs lots of trouble.
Posted by JesusQuintana
St Louis
Member since Oct 2013
33366 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 9:07 pm to
One way to stop the other team from putting up 40 is to keep the ball out of their hands.
Posted by Jyrdis
TD Premium Member Level III
Member since Aug 2015
12963 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 9:12 pm to
quote:

It's premature to think LSU will not have a great defense.


LSU needs to get to good before they get great. Playing a bottom tier D1 and a Big 12 opponent has shown us nothing of your defense except that the bottom teams can’t score on LSU and the Big 12 teams can.
Posted by UnAnon
Breaux Bridge
Member since Sep 2013
6514 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 9:13 pm to
allowed our offense to coast in the second half. Nobody is saying the defense played great, but there's a lot of factors in to why they didn't more than "they were bad"
Posted by Keltic Tiger
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2006
19920 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 9:15 pm to
I took the OP's point to be that no huddle, spread offenses are replacing the old offensive scheme, not so much a commentary on defenses. But in that context, LSU
ran 65 plays to UT's 85; as well, LSU had several 6 - 7 play drives. That disparity does put pressure on any defense, especially in heat like yesterday. I've heard several football talking heads reference the growth of 7 on 7 leagues across the country but especially in Texas as a leader in developing QB's in h.schools in this type of offense.
Posted by CharlotteSooner
Member since Mar 2016
12339 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 9:20 pm to
quote:

I took the OP's point to be that no huddle, spread offenses are replacing the old offensive scheme,


That happened 20 years ago.
Posted by tigerinthebayou
Member since Oct 2009
1910 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 9:27 pm to
quote:

LSU needs to get to good before they get great. Playing a bottom tier D1 and a Big 12 opponent has shown us nothing of your defense except that the bottom teams can’t score on LSU and the Big 12 teams can.



Well luckily it wont take a great defense to stop Auburns offense so that wont be a concern in that game.
Posted by Rip N Lip
Horseshoe Bend
Member since Jul 2019
5274 posts
Posted on 9/8/19 at 9:38 pm to
quote:

One way to stop the other team from putting up 40 is to keep the ball out of their hands.


Yep. See the Army Black Knights for proof.
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