Question: How do you defend modern offenses

DogPatch

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Maybe you look back to RC Slocum's Wrecking Crew defense vs. Houston:
RC: It was the early part of the spread we talk about today. It was different then, you didn't see it very much. All the sudden you'd play a team, they'd run it every once in a while, but they didn't really want to.

Over the years we fared well against the Houston run and shoot. They're an unconventional offense. We're not going to play a conventional defense. We'd take our outside linebackers and put them as rush ends. Playing six defensive backs. We'd take our best speed rusher and put him at nose guard. We tried to get speed on the field.
Basically a 3-2-6 defense, focused on speed.
 

TIDE-HSV

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Yup, defenses always do. Might take a while (like the wishbone did), but they will.

Rhule / Snow at Baylor look like they're probably the closest to figuring it out - biggish DL with eight smaller, super-fast LBs / DBs. If they had any depth, they would have beaten OU handily last weekend.
Wonder how a heavy run-based offense would do against that defense?
 

B1GTide

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Wonder how a heavy run-based offense would do against that defense?
They would have to run blitz to have a chance - try to blow up the runs in the backfield. IMO, a team like Alabama, that can run and pass, would eat Baylor's small defense alive. They might hold you somewhat for a quarter or two, but by halftime they would be done.

How do you beat small/fast defensive linemen? Run right at them.
 

Padreruf

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They would have to run blitz to have a chance - try to blow up the runs in the backfield. IMO, a team like Alabama, that can run and pass, would eat Baylor's small defense alive. They might hold you somewhat for a quarter or two, but by halftime they would be done.

How do you beat small/fast defensive linemen? Run right at them.
If you saw the 2nd half of BU-OU that is exactly what happened. They wore BU's defense completely out...especially since the BU offense couldn't stay on the field at all.
 

crimsonaudio

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Wonder how a heavy run-based offense would do against that defense?
I dunno - there aren't a lot of run heavy offenses around anymore. That said, if your LBs and safeties are like some of Bama's larger safeties, I can see where you could shut down the run game, forcing the pass.

Obviously a team like Bama can score on anyone, regardless of their personnel - with that much NFL-ready talent on hand, no one not named Bama can shut them down - but overall, I think this is what we'll see as an eventual answer to the RPO 'gofast' offenses that are so common now.

And I think it will turn as posted earlier - we'll eventually see a return to bigger, more powerful players to counteract the smaller defenses. Won't be a return to pro-set football, will be a new take on it, but I think we'll likely see something that eventually.
 

BamaJama17

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By having an elite offense to keep the other offense off the field.

The 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes 14-0 are the last team to go undefeated, untied, and average under (29.3) 30 ppg and still win the NC.

The 2006 Florida Gators 13-1 are the last team to win an NC and average under 30 ppg. 29.7 ppg was what they averaged.

Ever since then every team who has won the national championship has average over 30 points per game.

Since 2007 the 4 lowest scoring teams to win the NC have been wait for it....

2009 Alabama at 32.1 ppg
2011 Alabama at 34.8 ppg
2015 Alabama at 35.1 ppg
2017 Alabama at 37.1 ppg

2012 Alabama at 38.7 ppg barely edged out 2007 LSU at 38.6 ppg.

So in short Alabama has had 5 of the 6 bottom lowest scoring offenses to win the NC.
 
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