So, does defense still win games?

[SWC75]

We just fired a defense-oriented coach and brought in an offensive guy, then watched Alabama win a 45-40 national championship game. The feeling was that football was now all about offense and we were finally getting with it.

Then we see the Broncos win the Super Bowl almost entirely with their defense. Two years ago Peyton had thrown 55 TD passes but the Seahawks' defense overwhelmed them. Last year's Super Bowl wasn't high-scoring and was won on a great defensive play.

Have we over-rated offense? Or is this maybe a pro vs. college thing where the pros have the defensive speed and talent to do that but college teams don't?

 

[TheCusian]

We just fired a defense-oriented coach and brought in an offensive guy, then watched Alabama win a 45-40 national championship game. The feeling was that football was now all about offense and we were finally getting with it.

Then we see the Broncos win the Super Bowl almost entirely with their defense. Two years ago Peyton had thrown 55 TD passes but the Seahawks' defense overwhelmed them. Last year's Super Bowl wasn't high-scoring and was won on a great defensive play.

Have we over-rated offense? Or is this maybe a pro vs. college thing where the pros have the defensive speed and talent to do that but college teams don't?

It's pro's* vs college.

*Alabama has a pro defense. We don't have access to that kind of talent. Our moonshot is offense, something quirky like Babers/Briles O.

 

[Pyle]

Yes defense can win championships. There is a whole group of air raid folks around here that will tell you otherwise however last night was a clear indication that a stifling defense can and will win you a championship as long as you're not stupid on offense. Trent Dilfer approves this message.

As for Shafer being a defensive minded coach, that is true however our defense last year ranked 98th in total defense. That shouldn't happen to a defensive minded coach.

 

[javadoc]

We just fired a defense-oriented coach and brought in an offensive guy, then watched Alabama win a 45-40 national championship game. The feeling was that football was now all about offense and we were finally getting with it.

Then we see the Broncos win the Super Bowl almost entirely with their defense. Two years ago Peyton had thrown 55 TD passes but the Seahawks' defense overwhelmed them. Last year's Super Bowl wasn't high-scoring and was won on a great defensive play.

Have we over-rated offense? Or is this maybe a pro vs. college thing where the pros have the defensive speed and talent to do that but college teams don't?

Pro vs college. When an nfl team stockpiles defensive talent the field is physically too small for offenses to play against the d.

 

[Pyle]

It's pro's* vs college.

*Alabama has a pro defense. We don't have access to that kind of talent. Our moonshot is offense, something quirky like Babers/Briles O.

I agree with this too, you can stress defense but you need to be solid everywhere, SU cannot field the type of defense that will win championships, not with our current recurits. OSU can, Bama can, etc.

 

[Cusefan0307]

We just fired a defense-oriented coach and brought in an offensive guy, then watched Alabama win a 45-40 national championship game. The feeling was that football was now all about offense and we were finally getting with it.

Then we see the Broncos win the Super Bowl almost entirely with their defense. Two years ago Peyton had thrown 55 TD passes but the Seahawks' defense overwhelmed them. Last year's Super Bowl wasn't high-scoring and was won on a great defensive play.

Have we over-rated offense? Or is this maybe a pro vs. college thing where the pros have the defensive speed and talent to do that but college teams don't?

Didn't the more offensive team win the Super Bowl last year?

I think it's a pretty 50/50 split.

Some years teams like the 99 Rams win, other years its the 00 Ravens.

 

[SoBristol]

With his 2016 recruiting class, Babers did some good work on the defensive side. Basic football -- need both.

 

[All4SU]

NFL, yes. College, not as much.

 

[DoctorBombay]

"Offense sells tickets..."- which is what we need in the program to get things movng in the right direction.
Our trademark should be electric offense in the dome. If we can get to where Baylor is now, I'd be ecstatic- defense notwihstanding.

 

[SUGIANT]

Playing football wins championships, sometimes offensive oriented, sometimes defensive orientated, most of the time both.

 

[Scooch]

There was a stat floating around that teams who ranked #1 in total defense during the season are now 10-2 in the Super Bowl.

Which is impressive.

What that stat omits is that 38 times the team with the #1 ranked defense didn't even make the Super Bowl. Basically 3 out of every 4 times.

So yeah, you can win a championship with a great defense. And you can not win a championship with a great defense too.

 

[HOFCeluck]

What conclusions can we really draw here? That was one of the all time defenses that carried a cardboard cutout of Peyton Manning to the Super Bowl.

So yeah, if you have one of those, I guess you have a good shot.

 

[upperdeck]

There was a stat floating around that teams who ranked #1 in total defense during the season are now 10-2 in the Super Bowl.

Which is impressive.

What that stat omits is that 38 times the team with the #1 ranked defense didn't even make the Super Bowl. Basically 3 out of every 4 times.

So yeah, you can win a championship with a great defense. And you can not win a championship with a great defense too.

how many time has a team had a bad defense and won vs a bad offense and won? if the best D gets there they usally win, does the same hold true for the best offense? its usually the best mix, but sometimes weather has change the dynamic too.. the old SD team that lost at Cincy because of sub zero weather for example.

I think the key is how does the top 10 team on D or O end up because there only 1 #1 team and some of that could be who you played to get there.

 

[Scooch]

how many time has a team had a bad defense and won vs a bad offense and won? if the best D gets there they usally win, does the same hold true for the best offense? its usually the best mix, but sometimes weather has change the dynamic too.. the old SD team that lost at Cincy because of sub zero weather for example. I think the key is how does the top 10 team on D or O end up because there only 1 #1 team and some of that could be who you played to get there.

It'd be interesting to check it out but it's meaningless because the NFL and college are barely the same game anymore.

It's highly unlikely that SU ever competes for a national title. So give me offense and entertain me. We've tried the defense first approach several times and it's failed for us.

 

[Ish88888]

Things broke perfect for this Denver team. The Steelers had them beat if their 4th string practice squad rb doesn't fumble in plus territory with a lead. Then the next week saw BB, a supposed fb mind not be able to figure out how to protect his HOF qb for 3 seconds, Offensive line coach fired on Monday. Denver was outplayed last night with Carolina Having Double the Yards. The Denver defense was opportunistic, its a different game if the cochery catch is ruled properly. Denver set records for offensive futility in a SB. 13 3 and outs, only team to ever win with less than 200 total yards.

 

[OrangeTarheel]

Denver had at least 20 points scored on them in half their games, they had to be putting up some points to win.

Offense is a great place to start. All of us would rather watch our team lose while putting up 40 points than lose while scoring 15. Winning obviously being the top thing we could do.

 

[kcsu]

What seems to hold true is that a team that is exceptional at either O OR D and has a solid other side of the ball has a very good chance of winning a lot of games. Being OK or average at both seems to produce teams that may do ok but will never reach to the top. Excel at one area be solid in the other is a good recipe for success.

 

[SWC75]

Actually, I'll take Denver's 2013 offense with their 2015 defense.

(Maybe Babers has something like that in mind.)

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Defense in college won't win you a GD Thing.

 

[Millhouse]

von miller at aTm was 26-25

the last 4 years with no defense, aTm was 36-16

 

[gbo]

von miller at aTm was 26-25

the last 4 years with no defense, aTm was 36-16

And that's aTm in the SEC as well...you know big boy football

 

[Newhouser]

the rules and safety concerns allow offense to win most of the time. I think the Super Bowl is a different animal in that they let the defenses play a little more in that one game.

 

[ClkWrkOrange]

but sometimes weather has change the dynamic too.. the old SD team that lost at Cincy because of sub zero weather for example.


Ugh.You had to bring that up

 

[upperdeck]

Things broke perfect for this Denver team. The Steelers had them beat if their 4th string practice squad rb doesn't fumble in plus territory with a lead. Then the next week saw BB, a supposed fb mind not be able to figure out how to protect his HOF qb for 3 seconds, Offensive line coach fired on Monday. Denver was outplayed last night with Carolina Having Double the Yards. The Denver defense was opportunistic, its a different game if the cochery catch is ruled properly. Denver set records for offensive futility in a SB. 13 3 and outs, only team to ever win with less than 200 total yards.

but denver had pitt beat too if they whole Db backfield hadnt gotten hurt in the game,

 

[ssbriefcase]

Things broke perfect for this Denver team. The Steelers had them beat if their 4th string practice squad rb doesn't fumble in plus territory with a lead. Then the next week saw BB, a supposed fb mind not be able to figure out how to protect his HOF qb for 3 seconds, Offensive line coach fired on Monday. Denver was outplayed last night with Carolina Having Double the Yards. The Denver defense was opportunistic, its a different game if the cochery catch is ruled properly. Denver set records for offensive futility in a SB. 13 3 and outs, only team to ever win with less than 200 total yards.

Lot of 'ifs' in there. You can go back and look at every teams road to the trophy and pick all kinds of things out. Actually in the middle of December a very respected insider Mike Klis explained how his theory of a little luck and adversity was in almost every teams road to winning the whole thing, and gave a ton of examples. And the Denver D was what they were since week 1, 'opportunistic'. They get in rock fights and won close games all year, and did the exact same thing postseason. They stuck with the recipe that brought them there.