SEC's best defense 2011

[Les Miles]

LSU gets early nod as SEC's best defense

Two weeks into the 2011 college football season, there’s a familiar sight atop the defensive statistical rankings.

Four SEC teams -- Alabama (No. 5), Florida (No. 6), LSU (No. 12) and Arkansas (No. 16) -- rank among the top 16 in the country in total defense.

And in scoring defense, four SEC teams -- Florida (No. 1), Arkansas (No. 4), Kentucky (No. 9) and Alabama (No. 13) -- rank among the top 13 nationally.

The cyclical nature of the SEC is a fact of life. Teams go from winning national and/or conference championships to struggling to have winning seasons. Look at Georgia and Tennessee.

Teams also go from wading in mediocrity and specializing in coaching carousels to winning championships. Look at Alabama and LSU.

It changes fast in this league, and if you blink, you’re going to get left behind.

What doesn’t change is the importance of playing good defense if you’re going to have a chance to win a championship in this league.

In fact, the only SEC national champion in the BCS era that hasn’t finished in the top 10 nationally in either total defense or scoring defense was Auburn last season.

The Tigers bucked the trend a little bit. They weren’t a dominant defense, necessarily, but were lights-out in the second half and had the most dominant interior defensive lineman in college football last season in Nick Fairley.

So yes, you still win with defense in this league, which brings us to the present.

Who has the best defense this season?

Alabama and LSU were expected to fight it out for that distinction coming into the season, and we’ve seen nothing to dispute that two games into the season.

John Chavis’ LSU defense clamped down on Oregon’s high-powered offense in the opener and combines one of the most talented defensive lines with one of the deepest defensive backfields in the league, which includes one of the league's pre-eminent defensive playmakers in sophomore nickelback Tyrann Mathieu. Throw in a dizzying amount of speed across the board, and you’ve got the LSU defense.

The Tigers have passed the stiffest test to this point, so they probably deserve the top spot two games into the season.

Of course, we all know it’s a debate that will rage all season.

Alabama leads the SEC and is ranked fifth nationally in total defense. The Crimson Tide, fresh off a 27-11 win over Penn State in Happy Valley, are allowing just 170.5 yards per game. Their opponents are averaging just 2.45 yards per play, which ranks second nationally.

Moving the ball against this Alabama defense is a lot like beating your head into a cement wall. The Crimson Tide have the best group of linebackers in the league (maybe in college football) and a talented secondary led by one of the best safeties in America -- Mark Barron.

In the past, when discussing defense in this league, Arkansas didn’t enter the conversation.

But don’t sleep on the Hogs this season. Not only is this Bobby Petrino’s best defense, it’s one of the best defenses in the conference.

Arkansas is loaded across the defensive front and able to rotate players in and out of the game. The other thing that sticks out about this defense is its experience. Guys like defensive end Jake Bequette, linebacker Jerry Franklin and safety Tramain Thomas have seemingly been playing forever. Don’t discount how important the addition of junior college linebacker Alonzo Highsmith was to this group, either.

The Hogs have only given up one touchdown in two games, but they also haven’t been tested. That’s obviously going to change in two weeks when they travel to Tuscaloosa.

The SEC defense with the best stats through two games is Florida, which will also receive its first test of the season Saturday when Tennessee brings its red-hot passing game to the Swamp.

The Gators are as talented as any team in the league in their front seven and should get even better this week with sophomore defensive end Sharrif Floyd returning from his two-game suspension.

Florida has yet to give up a touchdown through two games and leads the country in third-down defense. The Gators have allowed just three third-down conversions in 23 attempts. The jury’s still out on their young secondary, but shouldn’t be for long. The Vols will probably throw it 40-plus times this weekend.

So if you asked me to pick the top five defenses in the SEC right now, keeping in mind that the key showdowns (Arkansas at Alabama, LSU at Alabama, and Arkansas at LSU) are still to come, this is how I would rank them:

1. LSU
2. Alabama
3. Florida
4. Arkansas
5. Vanderbilt

Check back in a month to see how much this list has changed, although I don’t see the top two budging.

And yes, that's Vanderbilt I have at No. 5. First-year defensive coordinator Bob Shoop has a creative scheme, a veteran and talented secondary that gives him a lot of options and a defense that's playing with a lot of confidence right now.

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/27874/lsu-gets-early-nod-as-secs-best-defense

 

[Les Miles]

Gin House is going to blow a fuse when he realizes his beloved Gamecocks didn't make the list....

 

[Madsnooker]

Wow, LSU ranked 100th with 1 sack in 2 games. I would have thought they would have had more with such a strong d line. UF has only had 2 sacks in 2 games as well against 2 cupcakes.

 

[LanierSpots]

What exactly is this "defense" thing you guys keep going on and on about?

 

[gin house]

Gin House is going to blow a fuse when he realizes his beloved Gamecocks didn't make the list....

Na, I wont blow a fuse on one mans opinion, whoever wrote that article. The four that "lead" so far, out of all four of them i dont think one of them has played a good team but lsu in oregon and possibly bama in penn st... Florida has played two high school teams and so has arky. I will say our defense isnt near what it was touted to be, i will admit that right quick. You cant give up almost 80 points in 2 games and be a good defense. Kentucky scoring defense??????? They played what mid kentucky or south ill????? Its way too early to come out with powerhouse defense lists when hardly anybody has played anybody. Let the confrece play get going and it will shake itself out. That list is about as important as the charmin roll in the bathroom Way too early my friend.

 

[sandhillmike]

Since you don't reveal the author, I'll just assume it's some LSU homer. Doesn't mean squat.

 

[fairhopebama]

Since you don't reveal the author, I'll just assume it's some LSU homer. Doesn't mean squat.

I think the authors name is comeaux.

 

[Sugar HillDawg]

Fla, Arky and Vandy haven't played a team with guys on it yet so they shouldn't even be in the conversation.

 

[stravis]

Defense is over rated. The only reason we even field one is to give the offense a rest occasionally.

 

[Les Miles]

Since you don't reveal the author, I'll just assume it's some LSU homer. Doesn't mean squat.

Chris Low - ESPN's SEC beat writer is the author

http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/27874/lsu-gets-early-nod-as-secs-best-defense

 

[Les Miles]

What exactly is this "defense" thing you guys keep going on and on about?

Since you're a nice guy and all, we'll show it to you on 10/22.

 

[Bad Company]

The LSU defense does look stout this year.

 

[Hut2]

Except for Oregon vs Lsu none of the teams mentioned has played nothing but pansies. Two games into the season, running out of stuff to report on.

 

[Les Miles]

I think LSU will be tested with State's rushing attack tonight.

GEAUX TIGERS!!!!

 

[gin house]

I think LSU will be tested with State's rushing attack tonight.

GEAUX TIGERS!!!!

Thats a joke Them cajuns attack and are really fast. Relf couldnt run backwards and do a good job tonight. Turnovers didnt help but it really doesnt matter, MS couldnt do anything when they had the ball. LSU overpowered and wore out MS all the way around.