Defense Wins Championships

Tonight when Alabama faces Notre Dame for the BCS National Championship at Sun Life Stadium in Miami the old adage of "Defense Wins Championships" will be on full display for all to see.

It is widely accepted that the Crimson Tide and the Fighting Irish have two of the top defenses in the Nation. And not just because some talking head on ESPN like the lisping Lou Holtz said so but because statistically it is a fact.

So we though we would take a closer look at statistical rankings of the two National title contenders and then compare them to the ACC Champion (FSU) and your University of Miami Hurricanes to see where each team stacks up.

As many of you may already know there is another familiar truism that goes something like this: "There are lies, damn lies and then there are statistics." Statistics do not always tell the truth, but in this case the stats do offer insight into the reasons why Alabama and Notre Dame are playing in tonight's BCS title game.

But first an editorial comment: If you have been watching any of the television coverage of the festivities leading up to tonight's game you would swear that the entire City of Miami was located right in the middle of South Beach and that the game was going to be played by shirtless, sun-tanned players covered in oil right there in the sand and surf along Ocean Drive.

Sure, it plays well on TV (and definitely helps Miami in recruiting) and boosts ratings but in reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Sun Life Stadium is actually located in Miami Gardens which is about 15 miles away and about as much like South Beach as Orlando. But I digress.

I went to the www.NCAA.org web site where these stats are available to all college football fans to do a little research about the teams in tonight's game in South Florida. The site ranks teams in every imaginable category of performance but also breaks it down into 17 major statistical categories for all teams.

Here are the overall average national rankings for each the four teams we are looking at (national ranking in each category / 17) :

• Alabama: #22
• Notre Dame: #41
• Florida State: #28
• Miami: #67 

Alabama ranks in the top 25 teams in 11 of the 17 major categories. Included in these categories are top 5 rankings in the following areas:

• Total Defense: #1
• Rushing Defense: #1
• Scoring Defense: #2
• Passing Defense: #2

Notre Dame ranks in the top 25 teams in 7 of the 17 major categories. Included in these categories are top 5 rankings in the following areas:

• Scoring Defense: #1
• Rushing Defense: #4
• Total Defense: #5

I found it somewhat surprising that Florida State actually is ranked ahead of Notre Dame overall and ranks in the top 25 team nationally in 10 of the 17 major categories. Included in these categories are top 5 rankings in the following areas:

• Passing Defense: #1
• Total Defense: #2
• Rushing Defense: #3

Not as surprising after a challenging 7-5 season and a team that clearly had serious struggles on the defensive side of the ball was the University of Miami lack of presence in the top 25 national rankings. The Hurricanes rank among the top 25 teams nationally in just 2 of the 17 major categories. Included in these categories is a top 5 ranking in just one of the major areas:

• Kickoff returns: #2
• UM also ranked #25 in passing offense

When looking at the Atlantic Coast Conference and rankings within the conference, FSU also ranked ahead of Miami in the major statistical categories.

The Seminoles ranked in the top 5 in 13 of the 17 categories in the ACC and were ranked either #1 or #2 in 8 of the 17 areas within the conference.

Miami on the other hand ranked in the top 5 in only 7 of 17 categories in the ACC and was ranked #1 or #2 in just 2 of the 17 categories within the conference (kickoff returns and turnover margin).

These statistics clearly show that the Miami Hurricanes and head coach Al Golden have much work to do in Coral Gables if they want to compete for the BCS title in 2013 and beyond. We will have much more on that subject in a future article that looks more in detail at the specific areas that UM must improve in next year to compete at the highest levels of college football.

Comments

[TJL]

UNO

[UpNorthCane27]

Dos Equis!!!!

[Terrance Sullivan]

I hate both teams guts, Notre Lame even more. I will Lysol down my seat at Sun Life when I come down for the Spring Game.

[laquinton]

bama got this tonight.

butttt Miami will be back where they belong in the national spotlight

[pbcfrcane13]

Would be nice if we could make that staduimm look like that for every home game

[86Cane]

PBCFR13...when we start winning ACC titles and competing for National Championships again it will! CFB playoffs start in 2014 and that's when we will be ALL the way back.

[Terrance Sullivan]

Until tonight the largest crowd at Sun Life for Football was 73,350 for Miami v FSU.

[TJL]

We could have had something to do with ND in this game if our receiver caught the feekin ball, and the refs called an honest game

[TJL]

for once ND not getting calls..I LOVE IT!!

[UpNorthCane27]

Eddie Lacey is a problem!!!!

[UpNorthCane27]

I love seeing the irish cry about the calls

[WWIN]

We'll be playing for the title next year, I GUARANTEE it

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Who had 12 minutes in the blowout and turn the tv off pool for tonight's game? Collect your prize at the door.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Amari's buddy is going to get a new white pickup truck to drive Tuesday.

[WWIN]

Silly Ultre Lame fans, actually thought you belonged in the title game. SMH

[86Cane]

OGV...don't U know it! Hey is that a Rolex on his wrist? Nah, can't be. LOL

[TJL]

I wanna bang Mccarrons GF

[USAFCane]

ND in big trouble, hald the nation getiing ready to switch channels. Tide might get 50.

[TLuv]

Posted by: TJL | January 07, 2013 at 09:16 PM

You ain't lying!

[laquinton]

wow, you give nick saban a month + to prepare and these are the results

[86Cane]

I wanna bang Mccarrons GF

Posted by: TJL | January 07, 2013 at 09:16 PM

Get in line, it goes all the way down the street and around the block.

[Montreal-Cane]

Notre Dame is calling Rudy.

[WWIN]

^^^^^^^^

You beat me to it, I was just about to say that lol

[Montreal-Cane]

DNO please take some notes on Alabama's defense.

[Montreal-Cane]

Willie it's Forest Gump vs Rudy...Lol....

[Terrance Sullivan]

The Leprechaun has left Sun Life and headed to the Clevelander or the Elbo Room.

[Montreal-Cane]

Alabama's defense is damn fast.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Since Musburger can't cheer his Irish on to victory tonight he's going to drool over the girlfriend of the winning team's QB instead.

[Jack]

Wow not even close!

Go Canes 2013!!!

[86Cane]

So everybody was prediciting a LOW scoring game and a defensive battle? Well on one side it is. LOL

[Da U N Houston]

They should fly the other Kelley's (Oregon) team in for the second half n make it a game.

[CoCane]

I'm pizzed watching this game knowing that our defense allowed Notre Dame's garbage offense to put up 41 points & almost 600 yards. Smmfh!

While Golden & the optimistic cane fans are preparing their excuses for D'No, I'll be praying for our defense the entire off season. :-( Goodnight Legion

[UpNorthCane27]

Guys i just banged Mccarrons GF!!!! ;-)

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Posted by: CoCane | January 07, 2013 at 10:20 PM

I just puked reading that comment and realizing how pure truth that comment is.

[Montreal-Cane]

I can't wait for the playoff system ...
Notre Dame doesn't belong in this NC game.
The luck is gone.

[Montreal-Cane]

They should fly the other Kelley's (Oregon) team in for the second half n make it a game.

Posted by: Da U N Houston | January 07, 2013 at 10:20 PM

Or Johnny football & A&M

[Montreal-Cane]

This is a joke

[Montreal-Cane]

Sun Life Stadium-record 80,120 in attendance.

[WWIN]

Guys i just banged Mccarrons GF!!!! ;-)

Posted by: UpNorthCane | January 07, 2013 at 10:21 PM

I hope yo girl don't read the space LOL

[TLuv]

Posted by: Montreal-Cane | January 07, 2013 at 10:56 PM

Hopefully that record is broken next year against UF

[86Cane]

The publicity of the game, the city and the stadium HAS to help our recruiting don't U think? When all of those players visit on 1/18 and they take them to the stadium Golden sez:

"So did U see the BCS championship game played right here where U are going to spend the next four years? Wouldn't U like to play in a game like that here in YOUR home stadium?"

Not many teams can say that!

[Montreal-Cane]

Did you just hear that about Cooper and Bridgewater...

It's just killing me to see all the Florida talent going out of State instead of playing
in Coral Gables.

[Montreal-Cane]

Posted by: 86Cane | January 07, 2013 at 11:04 PM

Agree 100%

[CoCane]

1 more thing. Sticking to the subject of the blog title. Here's a question for the entire Legion to chew on.

Does our program have a championship defensive staff, scheme & system in place???

[Terrance Sullivan]

Montreal Cane I hear ya but last I checked our offense scored enough to be a top flight team but our defense was bottom of the barrel.further great players have left South Florida to go to other teams for decades but we got our fair share plus we have gotten great players from other cities developed them and kicked butt we can and will do that again in short order. Not so long ago Alabama and other big time programs were in a rut and were so quiet you could hear a rat piss on cotton. College Football is cyclical. We will be back.

[USAFCane]

1 more thing. Sticking to the subject of the blog title. Here's a question for the entire Legion to chew on.

Does our program have a championship defensive staff, scheme & system in place???

Posted by: CoCane | January 07, 2013 at 11:18 PM

No, think Tide beat us a s bad as ND right now. Canes have a looooooong way to go. Tide are a dynasty, Saban is by the best coach in CFL with $1M assistants.

[The Dude]

No, CoCane.

[brevardcane]

I'm about 75% no and 25% unsure. I think we'll know for sure after we play the gators.

[CaneRock]

Sheez, O Saban Been Lyin' gets over 200Gs just to show up and win the game, and He gets pissed about a Gatorade shower!?

[UpNorthCane27]

Willie will my girl actually said she wanted some of McCarrons girlfriend too!!! It wud be heaven for me man lol.