We didn't need Linebackers in the Big 12 at all. Suh masked a lot of our issues at that position because at times he was our linebackers.
Suh did do that, but also, that defense was built for guys like Lavonte... Tweeners that were a little too small for LB, but a bit too big for a DB....
Agree completely with you. Our defense really only required one maybe two tops. Linebackers that is.
Sean Fisher would have been a very good Big 12 LB.
But look at the teams we've lost to. Other than the SEC teams, they've mostly been spread teams like what we faced in the Big XII. Only Wisconsin is a more "traditional" offense.
2011 - Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan
2012 - UCLA, Ohio St., Wisconsin
Maybe spread offenses from a formation standpoint, but the ways they used the spread were entirely different. The teams in the Big 10 that have spread offenses had tremendously talented running qb's and utilized their feet in a much more balanced attack. The Big12? Well, it was sling it all over the yard with predominantly pocket style qb's.
They were somewhat mobile, yes, but they were no Cain Colter. They were no Dennard Robinson, and sure the hell were no Braxton Miller. Our defense in the Big 12 was predicated on assuming pass every play, extensive film study and understanding the opponent's route tendancies out of all and any formations, and then topping it off by allowing Suh to pretty much single-handidly contain the opponent's run game. In the Big 10, some of the offenses may have still been spread, but were much more balanced. Now all a sudden our secondary has to become extremely involved in defending the run. This is not what they had been accustomed to. Now, pair that with a thin d-line and linebacker core, that also became extremely beat up and really wasnt all that talented to begin with, and it's no wonder we had the issues we had.