Good thing defense doesn’t win championships...

[runich]

...in the AAC anyway

[Oliver]

OU will win it all this year and their defense is poop

[NuttinItUp]

Video game offensive era in football.

[Smalltownhog95]

Its a new era. You need a great offense. If you build a dominant defense then that's just icing on the cake.

[dagnamit]

Good thing neither of these teams were on the schedule for the Hogs this year. W0uld of scored a 100 on that SEC defense.

[HogFanOSU]

Its a new era. You need a great offense. If you build a dominant defense then that's just icing on the cake.

A dominant defense is more than icing, it's mandatory.  A team can't rely on winning a lot of games by just being the last team to have the ball.

[Billy Bats]

What good is a great defense if you can't score points?  I think the word you're looking for is balance. 

[Breems]

Alabama proves the argument for defense every year. Hasn't changed.

[apcapri]

Alabama proves the argument for defense every year. Hasn't changed.

Except they couldn't stop that Clemson offense in the NCG. It would seem to me that the Clemson offense won that championship.

[Con el Cerdos]

...in the AAC anyway

Uuuh, yeah.  Last year's CG score was 35 - 31.  Clemson score 3 TDs in the fourth quarter against Saban's vaunted defense to win it.

Defense, a great one, is always welcomed, but they don't always win.

[jlhogfan]

The OP should mention how important TOP is too

[jcbville]

Except they couldn't stop that Clemson offense in the NCG. It would seem to me that the Clemson offense won that championship.

Except 2 dominant defenses also played in that game.

[Wmhog]

A dominant defense is more than icing, it's mandatory.  A team can't rely on winning a lot of games by just being the last team to have the ball.

Tell CBP that,

[Pig Worshipper]

This is correct.
I'm almost 60 and I've only seen 2 or 3 great defenses at Arkansas and,  we've NEVER had a great Alabama-type defense since joining the SEC. Now, with the right coach, anything is possible but when we finally win an SEC championship it is most likely that we'll do it with a great offense and a slightly better than average defense.

[Sweet Feet]

If defense doesnt win championships, why havent we seen a pac 12 or big 12 team win a national title lately? Lol Oregon still has 0 titles.

[ballz2thewall]

a zero sum philosophy weighing one vs. the other does not work.

it is all relative.

[okrazorback]

Alabama proves the argument for defense every year. Hasn't changed.

They also have A good offense . You can't win a game without scoring points.

[Jimbob111]

Alabama proves the argument for defense every year. Hasn't changed.

Which is how they beat Auburn, right? Wrong. Step 1 is to score points every single time you touch the ball. If you stop your opponent all game long with your great defense, if you don't score more points, you don't win. One long pass where a DB falls down and you lose the game.

Alabama doesn't "prove" the argument for defense, they prove the argument for superior athletes and scoring more points than whoever they play.

[d3maybe]

I've watched OU a couple of times this year and their offense is good, but I don't think they can beat Clemson, Alabama, Auburn, or Georgia... but yes fun to watch and great for the AAC...

[Oliver]

I've watched OU a couple of times this year and their offense is good, but I don't think they can beat Clemson, Alabama, Auburn, or Georgia... but yes fun to watch and great for the AAC...

No defense is stopping OUs offense enough to outscore them the rest of the way

[atekido]

No defense is stopping OUs offense enough to outscore them the rest of the way

you probably also though that before Iowa St.

[d3maybe]

Which is how they beat Auburn, right? Wrong. Step 1 is to score points every single time you touch the ball. If you stop your opponent all game long with your great defense, if you don't score more points, you don't win. One long pass where a DB falls down and you lose the game.

Alabama doesn't "prove" the argument for defense, they prove the argument for superior athletes and scoring more points than whoever they play.

Your shi**in me right??? How many times has Alabama won the SEC in the last 10 years? 5... How many times has their defense been outside the top 10? 0... And Auburn is all excited this years because they beat them and this makes 3 times in the past 11 years... They do it by having a dominant defense ENSURING they can score more points than everyone else.

[ballz2thewall]

children.....CHILDREN!

it's all relative........

[d3maybe]

No defense is stopping OUs offense enough to outscore them the rest of the way

Well, that's your opinion...I just happen to think that opinion is incorrect... but we really don't have to argue about it, its all going to shake out in the wash here real soon.

[runich]

Not saying balance isn't important...of course it is.  I think an amazing offense or defense could win the championship with a better than average other.

At the time I posted this both quarterbacks were darn near perfect at well over 10 passing attempts each....

[Wooderson]

I'm surprised that the metrics used to analyze defenses has not really changed.  I would think a points allowed per possession would be a better indicator of ability instead of the traditional yards allowed and points allowed.

[MultipleScoreGasms]

I'm not diggin' the thought of scoring 40+ points in a game, and still losing.  If we think the solution to our problem is to hire a coach with a "sexy" offense, but who doesn't field an effective defense, we're wrong.  Just more of the same, with a different name.

[Fan1958]

Uuuh, yeah.  Last year's CG score was 35 - 31.  Clemson score 3 TDs in the fourth quarter against Saban's vaunted defense to win it.

Defense, a great one, is always welcomed, but they don't always win.

When did Clemson join the AAC?

[The Kig]

Which is how they beat Auburn, right? Wrong. Step 1 is to score points every single time you touch the ball. If you stop your opponent all game long with your great defense, if you don't score more points, you don't win. One long pass where a DB falls down and you lose the game.

Alabama doesn't "prove" the argument for defense, they prove the argument for superior athletes and scoring more points than whoever they play.

Ignorant post...

Bama lost to Auburn for two reasons:
- Injuries on the defensive side of the ball all year long finally caught up to them
- Auburn actually has a really good defense, especially on the defensive line. 

[Tejano Jawg]

Interesting argument. But you can't do without a defense that can AT LEAST slow the other guys down. If you have a great D, think about how it puts the ball back in the offense's hands, and in a better place.

I hate games that became a "scoring contest"...remember OU vs Texas Tech last year. Didn't each QB have 600-800 yards of offense? Stupid.

In our best years—under Nutt or Petrino—I don't think we were ever known for our D. But some of the most painful games were ones where the defense absolutely had to make a stop, and didn't. If your D isn't great, it has to be opportunistic. Heck this year, our last 2 wins were because we managed some timely turnovers.

[Mo_Better_Hogs]

Interesting argument. But you can't do without a defense that can AT LEAST slow the other guys down. If you have a great D, think about how it puts the ball back in the offense's hands, and in a better place.

I hate games that became a "scoring contest"...remember OU vs Texas Tech last year. Didn't each QB have 600-800 yards of offense? Stupid.

In our best years—under Nutt or Petrino—I don't think we were ever known for our D. But some of the most painful games were ones where the defense absolutely had to make a stop, and didn't. If your D isn't great, it has to be opportunistic. Heck this year, our last 2 wins were because we managed some timely turnovers.

True that they go hand in hand.

This year, surprisingly, we were so bad on offense that I wasn't able to really tell how poor our defense was. I know it wasn't great, but may not have been as bad as it appeared.

[MultipleScoreGasms]

True that they go hand in hand.

This year, surprisingly, we were so bad on offense that I wasn't able to really tell how poor our defense was. I know it wasn't great, but may not have been as bad as it appeared.

It was as bad as it appeared.  We scored 40+ points and lost, more than once.

[popcornhog]

OU will win it all this year and their defense is poop

Not true. UGA is going to win the natty.

[The Kig]

I hate games that became a "scoring contest"...remember OU vs Texas Tech last year. Didn't each QB have 600-800 yards of offense? Stupid.

They showed a stat in OT that both Memphis State and UCF have 700+ yards offense in this game. 

[Billy Bats]

The broncos are a perfect example for this argument.  That defense is awesome if they had some run support.  Balance is key and we had something close to that in 2010.  Good players on both sides of the ball.  How'd we do that year again?  Can't remember. 

[Hog Milanese]

Defense literally won the UCF vs. Memphis game.

[MultipleScoreGasms]

Were they playing basketball?

[joeyself]

This is not to downplay the importance of defense, but that old maxim doesn't really hold true any longer.

Evidence the last four championship games:

2013 championship game FSU 34, Auburn 31.
2014 Ohio State 42, Oregon 20.
2015 Alabama 45, Clemson 40. 2016
Clemson 35, Alabama 31.

So, one of the eight teams scored less than 30--I guess one could say the OSU defense won that game, and the stubborn might say "holding the other team under what you score--that's good defense right there."

But anyone that thinks in today's game a defense first approach will win a championship needs to look at those scores again. And keep looking at them--facts are stubborn as well!

JcS

[jvanhorn]

more offense in college football
more homeruns [a lot more] in Major League Baseball

It just is the way it is.  A lot more entertainment value for the folks at home watching.  TV runs everything.

[hogsanity]

May not need a great defense but you have to have one capable of making 35 pts hold up.

[MultipleScoreGasms]

more offense in college football
more homeruns [a lot more] in Major League Baseball

It just is the way it is.  A lot more entertainment value for the folks at home watching.  TV runs everything.

Just can't get excited, or feei entertained, being on the "55" end of "62" points.  I think that's where we are heading.  Hope it works out, but not looking forward to it.

[MultipleScoreGasms]

May not need a great defense but you have to have one capable of making 35 pts hold up.

^^^^^This^^^^^

[The Kig]

Auburn is going to win it all...with a good defense to go with their good offense.

[12247]

It seems that defense is overall easier to keep tuned up if you got one to start with.  Often the offense, even a very good offense, will sputter.  The AAC championship game didn't have a great deal of real defense.  There were sparks from time to time, but overall defense sucked.  Even Arkansas could have scored points on those defenses.  And their offenses were plenty good enough to score on our defense at will.  End result, Arkansas could have given either of these teams a decent ballgame but suspect we would have lost to either of them.  We would have been outcoached against either team.

At championship time, most teams have good across the board and great in one or more areas.  In this SECC game, both teams have great defenses, leaving the better offense to go win it.  Shoving aside luck, injures, officials, and outhouse luck, its my opinion Aubbie has the better offense.  I don't know much about either teams special teams.  In my opnion, Auburn should wn this game.

When OU faces a truly great defense, that vaunted offense will, for the first time this season,  face adversity for 4 quarters.  Only then will we know if OU really has a great offense. Any of the playoff teams will go through the OU defense like poop through a crapper.  Just hide and watch.

[depressed_fan]

It seems that defense is overall easier to keep tuned up if you got one to start with.  Often the offense, even a very good offense, will sputter.  The AAC championship game didn't have a great deal of real defense.  There were sparks from time to time, but overall defense sucked.  Even Arkansas could have scored points on those defenses.  And their offenses were plenty good enough to score on our defense at will.  End result, Arkansas could have given either of these teams a decent ballgame but suspect we would have lost to either of them.  We would have been outcoached against either team.

At championship time, most teams have good across the board and great in one or more areas.  In this SECC game, both teams have great defenses, leaving the better offense to go win it.  Shoving aside luck, injures, officials, and outhouse luck, its my opinion Aubbie has the better offense.  I don't know much about either teams special teams.  In my opnion, Auburn should wn this game.

When OU faces a truly great defense, that vaunted offense will, for the first time this season,  face adversity for 4 quarters.  Only then will we know if OU really has a great offense. Any of the playoff teams will go through the OU defense like poop through a crapper.  Just hide and watch.

A lot of this is true but what most of these morons don't realize on this forum is that your not going to bring in a Conference usa coach or whatever conference Norvell is in and win here by outscoring everybody and make it to the SEC title game.  Just b/c their little pee wee league conference title game was high scoring doesn't mean offense wins championships. Of course Offense is what puts the points on the board but you can't get to those games by playing no defense throughout a 12 game season.

The point is their philosophy is put all your athletes on offense and outscore everyone. Soften your defense in practice so your offense can go through it's progressions and such and so forth. So if they scrimmage against each other their first team offense would beat their first team defense by a landslide. Remember the 2007 Patriots, that went 19-0 before they lost in the superbowl? They used to say the 1st team offense and 1st team defense would scrimmage all the time and the first team defense could stop their offense which infuriated Brady.

No one we've seen today is going to win more than Bret here except Malzhan.

[Vantage 8 dude]

What good is a great defense if you can't score points?  I think the word you're looking for is balance.

Bingo! I too think there has to be some semblance of balance in order for a team to truly compete on a high national level. While a high powered offense is obviously exciting and typically puts points on the board, in order to have a legitimate chance against move high quality SEC level teams you also have to be able to stop the opponent, at least a good part of the time. Unfortunately this year, as well as most of last, even when we managed to generate a decent amount of offense our defense was not good enough to usually stop the other team. This was particularly true so often late in games. The Missouri and VT games last year are prime examples; the TAM, Miss State and Missouri games this season can also be included on this list.