Does Defense Win Championships

He's got a point with Tech. You have to be able to play catch up if you have to.

However, the argument could be made that defense is what kept us in quite a few games last year.

 
I think it does and doesn't. Last years national title game proves both points. Both teams did score a lot in the game, but had Texas not made that stop on White in the end, they wouldn't have won, and if SC could have stopped Young they would have won. Most of the time though, defense wins championships.

 
Right on. I think the general consensus is that you must have both to some extent. You can't have a Swiss cheese D and the best O in the country and expect to win a NC. Likewise you can't shut down your opponent completely, but not move the ball. The best combination, to me, is a slightly above average D and a pretty darn good O (for the catch-up purposes).

 
^^^Notre Dame won't win it this year because of their D. Their offense will be able to move the ball up and down the field, but their D won't stop anyone.

 
Agreed. ND will lose at least 2-3 games for sure. I don't care how many knockouts Zbikowski has, one "tough guy" does not make up the whole D.

 
I've never liked that catch phrase about offense winning games and defense winning championships. I think it's just a way of saying "points are nice, but don't forget about the guys who protect our endzone"

The fact is, it's a team effort...period. Both lineups have their jobs to do no matter what game it is. Just because you're playing a championship, doesn't mean you are playing the best team you've played all year long, either (we know this is true with the BCS). A game is a game. That's like saying in a championship game all the blame for losing can go on the defenses shoulders. No, the offense still needs to get their a$$ in gear and score points. And vice versa.

The Texas/USC game was great, but if defense wins championships...then USC's didn't fall in that category. But then again Texas' offense is the one that scored the final touchdown to clench the win.....so who really does win championships?

Answer: the team that plays better

It ain't rocket science guys ;) :D

 
I have always said you cannot lose a 0-0 ball game, but you cannot win one either. A good mix of both will get you alot further along.

 
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Interesting...Cally is quoted in here...kind of riding the fence about whether defense wins championships or not...
ESPN article that quotes Cally
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I don't think he was tiding the fence. He days, "It starts there (with the D)."

The diff. in the Rose Bowl WAS the defense. Texas had the better one. Look at Nu in '94, 95, and 97. All tough defenses. Florida in '96. Miami in 2001. OSU in 2002. LSU in 2003. LSU SMOTHERED OU.. with defense. SC did the same in'04.

 
I have always said you cannot lose a 0-0 ball game, but you cannot win one either. A good mix of both will get you alot farther along.
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Some games you need D, and some games O. You just have to play the right way at the right time.

 
If I were to build a team, I would want a great D with an above average O. The defense keeps the scoring low which takes pressure off the offense. The O then doesn't have to worry about marching up and down the field each time they just need a couple of scoring drives. In my opinion, its a lot easier for an average offense to make a big play then having an average defense making a big play.

 
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