What would people rather have: LSU or Bama like defense or Ore/Okie St like O?

[MikeSU02]

Or even a Stanford offense? Assuming the other side of the ball would be average for a BCS team.

Seeing all these bowl games, I'm loving the entertainment value of the offense and think it would do us wonders for getting butts in seats and recruiting, but there is something about a suffocating defense that just demoralizes opposing teams.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Seeing all these bowl games, I'm loving the entertainment value of the offense and think it would do us wonders for getting butts in seats and recruiting

People say the three problems with the program are 1, facilities, 2, talent and 3, fan support.

Offense will fix 2 of the 3.

As an aside, I'm actually getting angry reading these threads.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Our defense would look better with Oregons offense on the other side... our offense would look better with LSU's defense on the other side so it's really preference.

I'll go with Oregon's offense for the sake of putting fans in the seats.

 

[OrangeMojo]

Offense and it's not even close - most teams that SU plays in the BE or even the ACC can't score like those offenses, so the defense doesn't have to be great. But put a great defense with the recent versions of SU's O and you're still consistently in tight games trying to eke out the win (especially when your STs are as poor as SU's have been).

 

[javadoc]

Assuming the other side of the ball would be average for a BCS team.

That is the key condition. Given that, I would take the defense, no question. If the computers didn't scrooge us on SOS, we would be in the BCS champ with a defense like that.

 

[Millhouse]

Or even a Stanford offense? Assuming the other side of the ball would be average for a BCS team.

Seeing all these bowl games, I'm loving the entertainment value of the offense and think it would do us wonders for getting butts in seats and recruiting, but there is something about a suffocating defense that just demoralizes opposing teams.

those defenses are much more special than other great offenses. so i'd rather have those defenses.

my harping on passing offense is because of disproportionally good weather games compared to other northeast schools and because while I think talent is paramount on both sides of the ball, scheme matters more on offense. non factories can reach the top tier in offense much more easily than defense.

it's about probabilities to me. could we ever be close to bama's defense? no way. could we be oklahoma state or houston on offense. well maybe. odds might not be great but it's much more likely than hoping to be bama

 

[Cusefan78]

That is the key condition. Given that, I would take the defense, no question. If the computers didn't scrooge us on SOS, we would be in the BCS champ with a defense like that.

I can't disagree more. The offense or lack of can't move the ball. Yes we would have won against Rutgers and became bowl eligible but offense puts fans in the seats and that is a huge recruiting tool. We play in the loud house that's not loud because the fans that due show up are sleeping because we try to power the ball with a back that has a hard time getting passed toledos line. We need some raz and dazzle bottom line.

 

[OttoForLife]

Or even a Stanford offense? Assuming the other side of the ball would be average for a BCS team.

Seeing all these bowl games, I'm loving the entertainment value of the offense and think it would do us wonders for getting butts in seats and recruiting, but there is something about a suffocating defense that just demoralizes opposing teams.

Greatest Show on Turf or bust

 

[Orangello]

Give me either one of those D's. Our offense would be out there so much they would have to eventually score.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

We need some raz and dazzle bottom line.

I am so glad there are more posters that are starting to voice this.

 

[javadoc]

I can't disagree more. The offense or lack of can't move the ball.

The original question stipulated that we would have an average BCS-league unit on the side you don't pick. Not the offense we currently have. Thus my first sentence and caveat.

Also, a defense like Bama's would score against our competition. And winning puts fannies in the seats more reliably than an air show, IMO.

 

[Millhouse]

The original question stipulated that we would have an average BCS-league unit on the side you don't pick. Not the offense we currently have. Thus my first sentence and caveat.

Also, a defense like Bama's would score against our competition. And winning puts fannies in the seats more reliably than an air show, IMO.

if you want in the seats, hoping for bama's defense is a pretty unreliable way to do it

you need to get it out of your head that the "air show" people care less about winning than you.

 

[44PRIDE]

Offense wins games...Defense wins championships

Give me defense every day

 

[javadoc]

if you want in the seats, hoping for bama's defense is a pretty unreliable way to do it

you need to get it out of your head that the "air show" people care less about winning than you.

This was a thought experiment, right? I don't have to hope for Bama's defense - it was offered to me as a choice.

Bama's and LSU's defenses this year are definitely exceptions, but when those 2 teams are standing above everyone else, including the high-scoring offenses we have seen this year (of many flavors), it tells me the most reliable way to win is to have one of those defenses. It doesn't matter who "cares about winning more" when choosing from the menu in this gedanken.

 

[Scooch]

As a diehard Pats fan... give me the great offense every damn time.

Look, I get that "defense wins championships". But SU ain't winning a BCS championship in my lifetime. That's not defeatist, that's just reality. We're not, move on.

We CAN win ACC championships occasionally, and we CAN go to BCS bowls. We don't need great defense to do that.

As to my Pats comment... I've followed teams that have had both great offenses and great defenses. Let me tell you, as a fan, having a great offense is a helluva lot more fun. It also give you a lot more hope. No matter how much you're down... say 17 at halftime, or 21 in the 2nd quarter... you know that you can come back.

The Pats D may be so bad that it keeps my team from winning a Super Bowl. That's an issue in the NFL, since everyone theoretically is playing towards that same goal. But college is different. MUCH different. SU is not playing to win the BCS. So give me entertainment, and hope, and if we go 10-2 once in a while I'll be freakin' ecstatic.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

So give me entertainment, and hope, and if we go 10-2 once in a while I'll be freakin' ecstatic.

Amen.

 

[Millhouse]

Bama's and LSU's defenses this year are definitely exceptions, but when those 2 teams are standing above everyone else, including the high-scoring offenses we have seen this year (of many flavors), it tells me the most reliable way to win is to have one of those defenses. .

This sentence doesn't make sense.

Exceptions aren't reliable

 

[javadoc]

This sentence doesn't make sense.

Exceptions aren't reliable

A root cause analysis would show that what defines those two teams as exceptions is the source of their status as the two best teams.

 

[rrlbees]

O. It's more fun.

 

[kingottoiii]

To be more realistic you are asking us to choose between WV and VT. I would choose VT.

 

[dollarbill44]

I'll take the offense. You're never out of a game if you can score a lot of points in a short time frame.

 

[Millhouse]

A root cause analysis would show that what defines those two teams as exceptions is the source of their status as the two best teams.

here's a "root cause analysis" of both your posts
bama and lsu are exceptions this year but it still tells you the most reliable way to win is defense because the two best teams are bama and lsu. uh ok

 

[OrangeMojo]

O. It's more fun.

absolutely - 1998 season was more fun than 2001 season even though SU had a better record in 2001 - it's great to win with great D and no O, but it's not exactly "fun" to watch for a full season

 

[javadoc]

here's a "root cause analysis" of both your posts
bama and lsu are exceptions this year but it still tells you the most reliable way to win is defense because the two best teams are bama and lsu. uh ok

The most reliable way to win, for this thread's question and given the sample from which to choose, is not defense per se. It is having basically an NFL defense in college, as I think you may have characterized those teams this year in a previous thread, a while back. If they weren't such an exception (seems to be a collection of superior players that no other team can match), I wouldn't pick those defenses just for the sake of picking defense.

In general, outside the realm of this thread and across time, the most "reliable" and realistic way to win in college football is probably to have a very good offense and an average defense. But for this thread alone, I would take this year's LSU or Bama defense over any other team's offense from this year, Oregon/Stanford/OkSt/Houston/Baylor etc. And of course this is all moot since we won't get to see either LSU or Bama play any of those teams in bowl season this year.

 

[CaliCuse]

Or even a Stanford offense? Assuming the other side of the ball would be average for a BCS team.

Seeing all these bowl games, I'm loving the entertainment value of the offense and think it would do us wonders for getting butts in seats and recruiting, but there is something about a suffocating defense that just demoralizes opposing teams.

Let me say this. Our defense is good enough but the offense is way under achieving. Our QB can't drop back and look deep because in a couple seconds he will be sacked and probably fumble on the way down. BTW speaking of fumbles. We don't seem to be t/coaching the "Freeney chop" when the D-lineman sweeps his arm down on the ballcarrier's arm holding the ball andencouraging a fumble. Freeney was a master of doing that. Sure itakes strength and a bit of speed but so what use the tactic and get some takeaways.