After this week’s conference championship games, the National Championship is set with the Alabama Crimson Tide taking on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. It may not be the game many were hoping for but these two teams are where they are for a reason. In a college football landscape where offenses seem to be getting more potent and creative, these two teams prove that it’s the defense that still wins championships.
Last season was the same story. LSU and Alabama met in the BCS title game last year because of their defense. It may have been a snooze fest to watch, but they were the two best teams in the nation, not because they put of an insane amount of points, but because they stopped other teams from scoring.
When looking at this year’s statistics, it’s easy to see just how important defenses are. In points per game given up, Notre Dame and Alabama rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation. In yards given up per game, Alabama ranks No.1 and Notre Dame ranks No. 6. In rushing yards given up per game, Alabama ranks No. 2 and Notre Dame ranks No. 3.
It’s no coincidence that these are the top two ranked teams in the nation and they’re near the top of nearly every defensive category. Most teams can find a way to put some points on the board, but it’s the ability to prohibit an opponent from doing so that makes the difference in the end.
Teams like Oregon and Kansas State deserve to be recognized for what they can do offensively. They put up insane amounts of points, but in both cases, the teams lost because their offenses faltered for one night. A good offense will only take a team so far without a solid defense backing it.
Defense may not be the most fun to watch, but it’s the most effective way to make a team great. In today’s college football world, offense seems to be the concentration of many coaches when it probably shouldn’t be. In last year’s Rose Bowl a total of 83 points went and it turned out to be a one possession game. With all that offense it all came down to one series that made the difference. It was the same story in last year’s Alamo Bowl when Baylor beat Washington 67-56. The point is, if any of those teams could have found a way to stop their opponent just a couple more times, the games would have never been in question.
This year’s National Championship game is just another example of why defense is so vital to the success of a team. Coaches like Alabama’s Nick Saban are successful because he understands that. Whoever wins this year, it will be because their defense got them there, and that will probably be the deciding factor in the title game as well. Defense still wins championships.
Kevin Bingaman can be reached at [email protected]