Does ANYONE Play Defense in the Pac-10?
I'll be blunt to start- Pac-10 football has reached the point where it's near unwatchable. It's no wonder a team like USC can go three seasons and lose only one game. The Trojans sport one of the greatest offenses to ever grace the gridiron and have an average to mediocre defense. The fact that Southern Cal's defense may very well be the best in the Pac-10 is downright distrubing. They gave up 42 points to Fresno State. Can anyone show many a top team in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, even the Big East, that would surrender that many points to a mid-major squad, even one as good as Fresno State's? I doubt it. The Bulldogs would be hard pressed to get half of that total, especially on the road.
It's absolutely amazing that an entire conference seems to have decided to just not play defense. Way back in the 1990's, Washington and Arizona actually played defense and won the majority of their games. Arizona's talent level fell through the roof and Rick Neuheisel arrived at Washington and that marked the end of defense in the Pac-10 as it was last known. The Pac-10 complains about how they get a lack of national respect. Gee, I wonder why? UCLA is likely headed to the Sun Bowl to play 7-4 Minnesota. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see the Gophers beat the Bruins. Minnesota doesn't have a great defense by Big Ten standards but it's worlds better than what UCLA is playing with.
I don't want to take anything away from what Southern Cal has accomplished over these past three seasons. Going through three regular seasons with only one conference loss and having won your last 34 games, is impressive in any conference. Southern Cal has proven themselves worthy by beating Michigan and Oklahoma to win their national titles in 2003 and 2004, respectively (though I do believe that USC wouldn't be undefeated if they played in the Big Ten or SEC). Oregon doesn't deserve a BCS bid. They have ZERO quality wins. And no, Notre Dame doesn't dserve it either. Auburn does. Auburn would take Oregon behind the woodshed. The only pity I have for the Pac-10 is that they do not have a New Year's Day bowl tie-in. The SEC shouldn't have three and the Big East shouldn't have one. Thankfully, the Gator Bowl is cutting their ties with the Big East shortly. Oregon-Miami would certainly be more entertaining than Miami-Louisville. Why not the Cotton Bowl- Big 12 #2 vs Pac-10 #2? Texas Tech-Oregon would be an interesting match up since one doesn't play defense and the other plays in a conference that doesn't play defense.
It's absolutely amazing that an entire conference seems to have decided to just not play defense. Way back in the 1990's, Washington and Arizona actually played defense and won the majority of their games. Arizona's talent level fell through the roof and Rick Neuheisel arrived at Washington and that marked the end of defense in the Pac-10 as it was last known. The Pac-10 complains about how they get a lack of national respect. Gee, I wonder why? UCLA is likely headed to the Sun Bowl to play 7-4 Minnesota. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see the Gophers beat the Bruins. Minnesota doesn't have a great defense by Big Ten standards but it's worlds better than what UCLA is playing with.
I don't want to take anything away from what Southern Cal has accomplished over these past three seasons. Going through three regular seasons with only one conference loss and having won your last 34 games, is impressive in any conference. Southern Cal has proven themselves worthy by beating Michigan and Oklahoma to win their national titles in 2003 and 2004, respectively (though I do believe that USC wouldn't be undefeated if they played in the Big Ten or SEC). Oregon doesn't deserve a BCS bid. They have ZERO quality wins. And no, Notre Dame doesn't dserve it either. Auburn does. Auburn would take Oregon behind the woodshed. The only pity I have for the Pac-10 is that they do not have a New Year's Day bowl tie-in. The SEC shouldn't have three and the Big East shouldn't have one. Thankfully, the Gator Bowl is cutting their ties with the Big East shortly. Oregon-Miami would certainly be more entertaining than Miami-Louisville. Why not the Cotton Bowl- Big 12 #2 vs Pac-10 #2? Texas Tech-Oregon would be an interesting match up since one doesn't play defense and the other plays in a conference that doesn't play defense.
posted by The Nittany Blog at 7:17 PM
3 Comments:
Point well taken--but don't use the 2005 SC defense as representative for how its defense has been in the three seasons prior to 2005. The 2003 defense was very solid, with two future first round defensive linemen (Patterson and Udeze) a second round pick (Cody) and a MLB who is already garnering support for rookie of the year honors this year (Tatupu).
In sum, yes, the rest of the Pac 10 defenses are bad, but don't lump USC's 2002-4 teams in with this current one.
I wish we could have a defense as good as Oklahoma's last year, as they held the Trojans to only 55 points. Please keep your Pac-10 bashing to yourself. Sure it has some teams that aren't playing to historical standards, but every conference has that. Do they play defense in the SEC? Then explain why Arkansas allowed 70 pts to USC, and Tenn allowed 42 pts to Notre Dame. Do they play defense in the Big-12? Then why did UCLA put up 40+ on the Sooners? Maybe the ton of points has to do with creative offenses in the Pac-10, which are light years ahead of the SEC, ACC, and other teams that can't seem to get over 20 pts per game. Alabama 6, Tenn 3, please, you can take your defensive struggles and put it where the sun don't shine. USC will polax Texas in the Rose Bowl. Young gets picked twice, the run will be stuffed, and by the fourth quarter Young will be running for his life. USC 42, Texas 17.
Sounds like sour grapes for the Nittany Lions. Boo-hoo. USC would stuff Penn St., and would throw up 40 points easily against them. Too bad you couldn't back into the Rose Bowl. Enjoy Tempe or wherever it is you're playing.
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