Bama's defense

[8timechamps]

I ended up watching the title game against my own standards (of wanting to boycott a rematch)...and I have to admit, it was fun watching Bama dominate LSU's offense. While both defenses are very good, Bama looked unbelievably good. Dare I say the 2011/12 Tide defense may be the best of all time? At least one of the top 3 or 4 in my lifetime. It's not like LSU has had a terrible offense all year...they have put up points (although their offense wasn't stellar by any means), but given the absolute domination the Bama defense showed in that game, I was impressed.

Can we get a little of that in Norman?

[BoulderSooner79]

I'd be thrilled to repeat some of OU's recent defenses such as '09 (just don't want the '09 offense). The '11 Tide defense has the stats to be on par with OU '86.

LSU has a decent offense and top athletes running it. But their game plan was lame against Bama. They clearly thought the run option would be effective and had no adjustments when it wasn't. Then they got rattled and folded. Credit to Bama for being prepared, but LSU should have been more diverse and would have had some level of success if they had been.

[Tidefan36854]

In my 30+ years of watching Bama football, its the best I've ever seen, including the vaunted '92 defense. In fact, it is the best defense I've since that '86 Sooner defense. Up until this year, I would said '92 Bama and '01 Miami was the best since that '86 team.

[8timechamps]

In my 30+ years of watching Bama football, its the best I've ever seen, including the vaunted '92 defense. In fact, it is the best defense I've since that '86 Sooner defense. Up until this year, I would said '92 Bama and '01 Miami was the best since that '86 team.

Watching the title game reminded me so much of the '86 Sooner defensive squad. When you can watch a game and be excited when the defensive steps on the field, you've got something special. I still can't understand how a kid as big as Upshaw is so freakin' fast.

[CowboyMRW]

Total Offense rankings for Alabama's 11 FBS opponents...

Kent State - 119
Penn State - 86
North Texas - 105
Arkansas - 28
Florida - 98
Vandy - 88
Ole Miss - 114
LSU - 57
Miss. State - 72
Auburn - 91


Alabama had some great players on there, but just how good truly was their defense when they never got matched up with a great offense?

[OULenexaman]

It was a thing of beauty to watch....Ima gonna watch again.

[LVSOONER15]

Didn't they allow 9TDs all season as well. Pretty impressive D.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

First of all, the defensive talent coming out of the southeast high schools is amazing..Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana...Turning out big time defensive talent..

A big time LB recruit out of Alabama said he really liked Oklahoma and it was a great school but wouldn't even give them a visit..Committed to Alabama pretty quickly..

Going to need another conference shift...

[Spray]

Total Offense rankings for Alabama's 11 FBS opponents...

Kent State - 119
Penn State - 86
North Texas - 105
Arkansas - 28
Florida - 98
Vandy - 88
Ole Miss - 114
LSU - 57
Miss. State - 72
Auburn - 91


Alabama had some great players on there, but just how good truly was their defense when they never got matched up with a great offense?

Ignore that and trust your eyes. That defense was spectacular.

[goingoneight]

The 2009 OSU offense was better than LSU's offense was this past year. OU blanket them and kept them behind the 50 all day, too. The difference was OU would've gotten killed by Bama's defense. Landry was not very good that day.

[Tidefan36854]

Watching the title game reminded me so much of the '86 Sooner defensive squad. When you can watch a game and be excited when the defensive steps on the field, you've got something special. I still can't understand how a kid as big as Upshaw is so freakin' fast.

Watching such of beast of man running down RB's and good running QB's down from behind is something we'll miss going forward. I'm going to miss him wearing Crimson. As my grandpa used to say "That young'un is STRONG!" ;)

[8timechamps]

First of all, the defensive talent coming out of the southeast high schools is amazing..Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana...Turning out big time defensive talent..

A big time LB recruit out of Alabama said he really liked Oklahoma and it was a great school but wouldn't even give them a visit..Committed to Alabama pretty quickly..

Going to need another conference shift...

Bama already has 3 of the top 5 middle linebackers committed this year. They're gonna be tough on defense for a while.

[CowboyMRW]

Ignore that and trust your eyes. That defense was spectacular.

They were very good, especially that front 7. I guess that for me personally, I would've liked to have seen them tested more than one time this year before I crown them as the greatest ever.

[Sabanball]

Total Offense rankings for Alabama's 11 FBS opponents...

Kent State - 119
Penn State - 86
North Texas - 105
Arkansas - 28
Florida - 98
Vandy - 88
Ole Miss - 114
LSU - 57
Miss. State - 72
Auburn - 91


Alabama had some great players on there, but just how good truly was their defense when they never got matched up with a great offense?

That argument just doesn't wash. When Big 12 O's have been matched up against SEC D's they have consistently looked very pedestrian--the most recent example being Kstate against Arky.

From a conference perspective, I think one of the reasons our D's are so good is because while you guys run track meets, score gobs of points, and your O is hardly on the field for 10 mins. at a time, your D's are winded and gassed midway through the 3rd qtr. because they don't get to rest. In the meantime, our O with a more balanced attack pounds the rock more eating up more clock and has more time on the field, which means our D is on the field a lot less of the time, which in turn is probably one reason our D led the nation this year in 3-and-outs.

No way our D in 2011 was the best ever, but it was definitely top 10.

[8timechamps]

That argument just doesn't wash. When Big 12 O's have been matched up against SEC D's they have consistently looked very pedestrian--the most recent example being Kstate against Arky.

From a conference perspective, I think one of the reasons our D's are so good is because while you guys run track meets, score gobs of points, and your O is hardly on the field for 10 mins. at a time, your D's are winded and gassed midway through the 3rd qtr. because they don't get to rest. In the meantime, our O with a more balanced attack pounds the rock more eating up more clock and has more time on the field, which means our D is on the field a lot less of the time, which in turn is probably one reason our D led the nation this year in 3-and-outs.

No way our D in 2011 was the best ever, but it was definitely top 10.

Maybe not the best ever, but (as I mentioned) in the top 3 in my lifetime.

While I get what you're saying about Big XII defenses being on the field more, I tend to disagree. I have no idea what the TOP was for the title game, but it seemed like LSU had the ball a lot. I think when you have a defense that athletic and talented, once they have some consistent success, it becomes harder and harder for the opposing offenses to move the ball. When a good defense smells blood in the water, they get stronger.

[SoonerDood]

That argument just doesn't wash. When Big 12 O's have been matched up against SEC D's they have consistently looked very pedestrian--the most recent example being Kstate against Arky.

Kstate WAS a pedestrian offense. We held them to 17 points in their house, with 5 first downs in the last 3 quarters. They looked great against Okie State because their strengths were Okie State's weaknesses- run the ball, don't turn it over.

[SoonerObsession]

Could somebody who has coached football at a high level, please tell me why OU does not crowd the line of scrimmage like Bama and LSU does? I'm mainly talking about the db's not giving the receiver a 10 yard cushion off the line of scrimmage. Obviously it's a bit of a gamble if they get past you, but we had receivers getting past us with the cushion. To me it makes since to suffocate them to give the d line time to get to the qb before he hits someone on a quick strike. I never coached, so I'm sure there's good reasons to do what we do.