Ranking the 50 best defenses in college football history
Defense was a key to Georgia's 2021 national championship, but where does the Dawgs' D rank in college football history?
Ranking the 50 best defenses in college football history
by Bill Connelly, ESPN
Georgia's 2021 national title was obviously a victory for Bulldog fans around the country, but it was also a victory for fans of defense. The prior two national champions in college football -- LSU in 2019, Alabama in 2020 -- won primarily because of nearly perfect offensive systems. Both ranked first in offensive SP+, and with 78 combined points, 1,045 total yards and 7.0 yards per play, both absolutely torched a Georgia defense that ranked first in defensive SP+ both years.
In 2021, the Dawgs struck back. With an even better defense in tow -- and, it must be noted, a better offense too -- Georgia went 14-1, allowing more than 18 points just once and finally securing a national title it had waited 41 years to see. Fittingly, the win was secured with a defensive touchdown. And as icing on the cake, five defensive starters got selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Coach Kirby Smart has built a nearly perfect modern defense, but where do these recent Bulldog D's rank among the best ever? To find out, let's first acknowledge the difference in eras.
What's more impressive ...
A. Allowing 1.3 points per game in 1939, as Tennessee did under Bob Neyland during one of college football's lowest scoring ebbs?
B. Allowing 5.2 points per game in 1972, as Michigan did under Bo Schembechler?
C. Allowing 13.0 points per game in 2016, as Alabama did under Nick Saban during maybe the most offense-friendly season ever?
Below are my attempts at answering exactly that. Adjusting for opponents, tempo (where applicable) and my own personal whims, here are what I view as the 50 best defenses in the history of top-division college football.
50. 2003 LSU
49. 1935 Stanford
48. 2016 Michigan
47. 1978 USC
46. 1927 Michigan
45. 1938 Duke
44. 1918 Illinois
43. 1964 Arkansas
42. 1903 Princeton
41. 2000 Florida State
40. 1973 Michigan
39. 2016 LSU
38. 1912 Minnesota
37. 1994 Washington State
36. 2007 USC
35. 1929 Notre Dame
34. 2017 Clemson
33. 1979 Texas
32. 1979 Alabama
31. 1980 Florida State
30. 2015 Alabama
29. 1892 Harvard
28. 1989 Auburn
27. 1988 Auburn
26. 2012 Florida
25. 1957 Auburn
24. 1953 Maryland
23. 1966 Mississippi
22. 2006 Virginia Tech
21. 1962 LSU
20. 1946 Notre Dame
19. 2019 Georgia
18. 2020 Georgia
17. 2021 Georgia
16. 2009 Nebraska
Head Coach: Bo Pelini
Scoring Defense: 10.4 ppg
Record: 10-4 (14th in AP Poll)
The Cornhuskers boasted only one All-American in 2009, but he happened to be the best defensive player of the 2000s. Ndamukong Suh commanded constant double- and triple-teams and still racked up 20.5 TFLs and 12 sacks as Nebraska held 10 opponents under 300 yards and held its last two, Texas (Big 12 Championship Game) and Arizona (Holiday Bowl) to a combined 311 yards and 13 points.
15. 1992 Alabama
14. 1997 Michigan
13. 1945 Navy
12. 1932 USC
11. 1991 Miami (FL)
10. 1986 Oklahoma
9. 1972 Michigan
8. 2011 LSU
7. 2011 Alabama
6. 1939 Tennessee
5. 1965 Michigan State
4. 1959 LSU
3. 1959 Mississippi
2. 2016 Alabama
1. 2017 Alabama
