Ranking Texas and All Eight College Football Playoff Defenses

By Patrick Weider

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1) Texas

The Texas defense is a talented group at all three units. They are 15^th in total yards this year and have been especially good in big moments when they need stops. An example was the Texas A&M game where they dominated and didn’t allow any points in the game, as the Aggies only scored was on a Quinn Ewers interception returned for a touchdown.

They are led by Jahdae Barron who constantly makes big plays for his team when they need it. He has 5 interceptions on the year for Texas. Barron, the Jim Thorpe winner for the top defensive back earned that award with fantastic play all year. On the defensive line, they are led by the nation’s best Freshman, Colin Simmons who has eight sacks on the year. Texas is a defensive that has played well most of the year and can be counted on to help the Longhorns make a National Title run.

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2) Ohio State

The Ohio State defense is one of the most consistent units in College Football. After they lost to Oregon where they were exploited, they’ve played as an elite unit, changing their approach on the fly to an aggressive style. They are led by their senior defensive ends Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau. Both are good players on the edge, even though at times not elite pass rushers. The best Buckeye defender though is Safety Caleb Downs, as he makes plays all over the field for the Buckeyes.

The only weak spot is the cornerbacks, but Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun have largely played well since the Oregon loss. The one area the Buckeyes excel in is red zone defense. They are 1^st in holding opponents to scoring in the red zone, allowing points only 59% of the time. They have made goal-line stands several times as well this season.

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3) Georgia

This is where it gets tough to pick. Georgia’s defense has been up and down this season, but with Kirby Smart as one of the best defensive coaches in the country, it is hard to count him out. An example was the SEC Championship game. Playing without their quarterback Carson Beck, Georgia bent all night, and Texas was able to move the ball on them, but they only scored one touchdown in the game as the Georgia defense kept them in the game.

This is not the Kirby Smart defense that won back-to-back National Championships, but they are still very good. Smart gets the benefit of the doubt, and I expect his defense to play well against Notre Dame.

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4) Notre Dame

This Notre Dame defense is full of playmakers. They lead the nation with five interceptions returned for touchdowns. Xavier Watts is the top player for Notre Dame as he has six interceptions on the year and is one of the best in the country. Notre Dame’s secondary is excellent in coverage and intercepting passes. They are 4^th in the nation in giving up 162 yards passing yards per game. Adon Shuler also had three interceptions as well.

The one area Notre Dame has been susceptible to is the rushing attack, being ranked 30^th against the rush, but if they can slow down the opposing offense’s rushing attack and make them one-dimensional, they have shown that they can take away the passing offense and make game-changing plays.

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5) Oregon

The Oregon defense gets overshadowed by the offense because of how talented they are, but they are also a very good unit. They are built much like Notre Dame, in that they are good at stopping the passing game, ranking 8^th in College Football in passing yards allowed. However, at times, the Ducks have been susceptible to the run by allowing 126 yards per game, including 292 yards for Penn State on the ground.

Oregon is led up-front by Matayo Uiagalelei. He is a force that they move all over the defensive line. He has 10.5 sacks on the year. The other key defensive lineman is Jordan Burch, and he had been in and out of the lineup with injuries. This Oregon defense is a good unit and will give Ohio State a hard time in the Rose Bowl.

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6) Penn State

This feels like highway robbery to put the Penn State defense 6^th, but there are a great group of defenses ahead of them. Against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship, Penn State could not stop the Ducks all night, which is understanding, but if they get one stop in the 4^th quarter they probably win.

The Nittany Lions are led by Abdul Carter, the do-everything defensive end. He leads them with 11 sacks. Penn State also played their best game of the year against SMU, where they had three interceptions, including two that they returned for touchdowns. Penn State will have a huge task trying to slow down Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty in the next round.

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7) Arizona State

This Arizona State team is one of the hottest in College Football and their defense has started to put it together and play at a higher level. In the last two games, they have allowed only 26 points in blowout losses. They are better at stopping the run ranking 27^th in rush defense, compared to pass defense where they rank 64^th, although that’s still worse than everybody above.

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8. Boise State. This is where the defenses really fall off. Boise State currently ranks 75^th in the country in total yards and 110^th in pass defense. They are 23^rd in rushing defense, so they might be able to slow down Penn State’s rushing offense, but overall, this is not an elite defense they will probably struggle against Penn State.