ESPN has a question up regarding the most dominate college defenses of all time. The five choices are '32 USC, '45 Army, '56 Oklahoma, '59 Syracuse, '61 Alabama.
What is wrong with ESPN? '32 USC? What? Was the forward pass even invented yet? These teams played during a time when 4 out of 5 plays was a dive up the middle. You cannot compare a defense in 1932, 1945, etc as most teams usually didn't score more than 12 points in a game ever! You're telling me there hasn't been a better defense than one of these 5 in the last 45 years? Yet these 5 are compiled in a span of just 29 years. The obvious answer is that the question is stupid, as the defenses are as much a product of the times and not in any way comparable by today's standards.
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Look no further than the 1986 Oklahoma Sooners 'D' spearheaded by two-time Butkus Award winner, Brian "The Boz" Bosworth . . . best defense evvahhhhhhhh. . .
They didn't win the title that year, however. Probably the best defense I've ever seen that actually won a national title was '79 Alabama Crimson Tide . . . Roll Tide Roll . . . the only reason I was aware of Bama's defense at the time was because I remembered them from the previous year's Sugar Bowl when they stopped the Nittany Lions at the goal line 3 or 4 straight times with the game on the line, thereby planting their boot upside Joe Pa's (even then) wrinkled ass . . . I don't think my father was ever happier watching a sporting event - until April, 2003, that is . . .
I am so puzzeled by ESPN and these questions and lists they put together. You know what every year you are going to get a dominant team with a great defense granted that some years and some champions have some of the best defenses ever but we are comparing thousands upon thousands of teams over the span of the college game which is more than a century old (plus who can seriously answer this question but someone who is like 100 and still remembers these teams). Much easier to ask this question about NFL defenses because there are the obvious ones that stick out (plus the professional game has not been around as long) but to do this in college and to span back centuries is just assanine. If I had to answer the question I would say defenses like that of the '01 Canes because they just produced a good number of NFL talent. I would say that's the best defense I have seen.
Now to answer ESPN's question I would have to chime in with the obvious answer...'59 Cuse!!!
I would have to say 59 'Cuse since I know Gerry Skonieczki who played on that team along with Ernie Davis. Gerry told me back then, that everyone played both ways. He played split end on offense and a defensive end on defense. Basically there was 15 or so core guys that played. Sort of odd, so it's hard to justify the defenses back then to what they are today.
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