Offense wins championships?

[RussianOffense]

"It used to be that good defense beats good offense. Good defense doesn't beat good offense anymore," Saban told ESPN on Friday. "It's just like last week. Georgia has as good a defense as we do an offense, and we scored 41 points on them [in a 41-24 Alabama win]. That's not the way it used to be. It used to be if you had a good defense, other people weren't going to score. You were always going to be in the game.

"It's hard to coach defense now, because there are so many run-pass concepts in what everybody does," Saban said. "I mean, it's really, really hard to coach the secondary ... because you get so many mismatches back there."

Saban said part of the difficulty in developing elite defensive backs and having them ready early in their career is that most of the best athletes and skill players are playing offense now in high school and that very few play on defense. In fact, Saban said he worked senior receiver DeVonta Smith at cornerback in preseason camp to have him ready in an emergency situation.

"None of these skill guys grow up playing defense, from junior high, high school or whatever," Saban said. "So all of the best athletes end up playing offense. One of the best corners on our team is [Smith]. This year in camp, I trained him at corner. He can cover anybody, and he never played defense in his life because he was on the offensive side. You don't think Jaylen Waddle would be a good defensive back?"

Saban: Offense, not defense, now wins games

Even though he doesn't like it, Alabama football coach Nick Saban conceded Friday that a good defense no longer regularly beats a good offense in the college football ranks.

www.espn.com

Offense continues to govern the sport, with this season projected to set an all-time single-season high in expected points added per play (0.07), according to ESPN Stats & Information Group, and an all-time low in three-and-out percentage (28.8 percent).

Is College Football Abandoning The Punt Return?

Fewer drives end in punts, and more punts are fair-caught.

fivethirtyeight.com

I guess the precipitous dropoff in punts this year may be due to Covid and less defensive practice.

 

[BainbridgeJacket]

Yup, it's turning the short into basketball. One of the reasons why I've essentially stopped watching.

 

[BigDanT]

Yup, it's turning the short into basketball. One of the reasons why I've essentially stopped watching.

Why are you here then? Respectfully, this is a sports forum.

 

[BigDanT]

So is this a good or bad thing for Tech football?

 

[JudgeJudy]

So is this a good or bad thing for Tech football?

Yes

 

[BigDanT]

Yes

I agree. It depends. However you have to at least be sound on defense.

 

[andrew]

So is this a good or bad thing for Tech football?

I don't think it has an impact one way or the other in terms of our success relative to other schools. It's not like we are a more attractive destination by nature for defense than offense or vice versa.

 

[gtphd]

It's worse than that. College football is turning almost exclusively into a QB competition. Everyone else is just supporting cast.

I guess that's good for Tech and bad for the factories. A stable of 5* backups is becoming less important and catching lightning in a bottle with an under recruited QB is becoming more important.

 

[OptionsJacket]

I didn't read. Does it mention the numerous rule changes over the past 5-10 years?

 

[BigDanT]

I don't think it has an impact one way or the other in terms of our success relative to other schools. It's not like we are a more attractive destination by nature for defense than offense or vice versa.

@gtphd kind of said it below your comment. One thing we’ve always struggled to find are mean defensive linemen. But if the tide raises for all ships then we may not actually have an “advantage” just may appear closer in terms of success.

 

[RussianOffense]

I didn't read. Does it mention the numerous rule changes over the past 5-10 years?

Nope but that may be a lot to do with it. You have the 25-yardline touchback and the "You touched a helmet. How dare you. 15 yards." now. The more an offensive player is protected the harder it is for a defense to stop them.

 

[IM79]

I didn't read. Does it mention the numerous rule changes over the past 5-10 years?

No but let's think about it:
1. No such thing as an OL holding in pass protection now days
2. But god forbid even think of blocking below the waist - bound to be a penalty
3. Bump and run physical coverage by DBs - a thing of the past
4. Is there still a rule against O-linemen down field?
5. You breathe hard on a QB - roughing the quarterback

 

[Gobees]

No but let's think about it:
1. No such thing as an OL holding in pass protection now days
2. But god forbid even think of blocking below the waist - bound to be a penalty
3. Bump and run physical coverage by DBs - a thing of the past
4. Is there still a rule against O-linemen down field?
5. You breathe hard on a QB - roughing the quarterback

This, plus the new era of very athletic black quarterbacks. (plus a few Manziels and Mayfields)

 

[agt45]

This, plus the new era of very athletic quarterbacks. (plus a few Manziels and Mayfields)

Fixed it for you

 

[gtphd]

No but let's think about it:
1. No such thing as an OL holding in pass protection now days
2. But god forbid even think of blocking below the waist - bound to be a penalty
3. Bump and run physical coverage by DBs - a thing of the past
4. Is there still a rule against O-linemen down field?
5. You breathe hard on a QB - roughing the quarterback

6. Pass interference. All you have to do is under throw the ball and when the WR runs into the DB, it'll be pass interference.

 

[BainbridgeJacket]

Why are you here then? Respectfully, this is a sports forum.

Respectfully, you could argue that I'm not here. No one really is, for that matter.

 

[Architorture23]

interestingly enough, the NFL is even harder core about protecting the offense, but it's scoring numbers have not exploded. I assume this is because one of Saban's points (best athletes in college did not play defense in HS) has been leveled out a bit by 4 years of filtration in college by the time they get to the pros. The difference in the speed from offense to defense personnel is largely mitigated in the nfl.

 

[Walton]

I think you still need good defense. I think it shows up in creating a TO or two even against a very good offense AND have the potential for stops near the goal line.

I think the difference is about 10 years ago, you could win with a GREAT defense and just OK offense. Today, you have to be at least very good on offense and the Defense still needs to be near great.

 

[RamblinWreck92]

This, plus the new era of very athletic black quarterbacks. (plus a few Manziels and Mayfields)

and Lawrences and Pineapples....

 

[knoxjacket]

Something to keep in mind is that there are no FCS games and very few OOC games at all. Defenses are missing chances to play inferior opponents and pump up the punt numbers.