Does Defense still win champoinships?

[blackfordpu]

Interesting article about how offense seems to have taken the spotlight from defense.

Thoughts?

Perennial pigskin paradigm questioned

The notion that defense wins championships is as old as Joe Paterno's white socks. It has been handed down from coaching generation to coaching generation. Knute Rockne rallied his players behind it. Bear Bryant mumbled it. Bud Wilkinson preached it.

And now football has passed it by.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/preview06/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=2543608

[Mr. C]

Interesting article about how offense seems to have taken the spotlight from defense.

Thoughts?

Perennial pigskin paradigm questioned

The notion that defense wins championships is as old as Joe Paterno's white socks. It has been handed down from coaching generation to coaching generation. Knute Rockne rallied his players behind it. Bear Bryant mumbled it. Bud Wilkinson preached it.

And now football has passed it by.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/preview06/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=2543608
What a crock. Just ask Northern Iowa if defense wins championships? Appalachian State cranked it up on the defensive end to hold Furman and Northern Iowa scoreless in the second half of the semifinal and final. They also played strong defensive games against Lafayette and Southern Illinois. James Madison pulled out its games in 2004 by controlling the ball on the ground and making it difficult for opponents defensively. Montana didn't allow a TD in the championship game in 2001 until the final play of the game and Western Kentucky pretty shut McNeese State down in 2002. Delaware blanked Colgate in the 2003 final. I guess at the I-AA level, you still win with defense.

[wannabegaucho]

Defense wins championships still... look at Florida in basketball. On the other hand: One of the Rose Bowl teams was missing most of its first-string defense; as result it lost.

[pantherclaw]

I can say that as a UNI fan, the YES defense does win championships, i've been on both sides of that ball. UNIs defense of stands against WKU,SIU,EWU, UNH, TxST. And Appy state's game-winning play on defense to win the championship.

[Tod]

I would have loved it if the Griz had had a good defense in '04. That year and that team is a good example, I think, of proving that a great offense alone can get you to the next level, but you have to have a good defense to finish it. :( :)

[ISUMatt]

I go back to the World Series...Pitching and Defense definitely won it for the White Sox

[ngineer]

Yes, defense still wins championships. Lehigh had a period in the doldrums in the late 1980's to mid-90's. No I-AA playoffs, only one championship, yet people still oohed and aahed about all the points we scored through Hank Small's brilliant offensive mind. But constantly going 5-6 and 6-5, with so many high scoring games left the outcome to whoever got the ball last, didn't cut it. When Higgins took over, he specifically changed philosophy to put some of the best athletes on the defensive side of the ball, which is what Dunlap and Whitehead had done earlier that lead to all the D-II and I-AA playoff appearances between 1972-1981.
Yes, Small's offense was fun to watch and some records were set, but the bottom line was less wins. Defense will keep a mediocre offensive team in the game where a break or two can change the outcome. Relying on offense is too risky because too much wrong can happen. Great drives of 70-80 yards can be quickly destroyed by a turnover, penalty or missed assignment. So you have great stats but no score.
Of course, in the spirit of full disclosure, I am writing as an 'old' defensive back...;)

[ngineer]

Yes, defense still wins championships. Lehigh had a period in the doldrums in the late 1980's to mid-90's. No I-AA playoffs, only one championship, yet people still oohed and aahed about all the points we scored through Hank Small's brilliant offensive mind. But constantly going 5-6 and 6-5, with so many high scoring games left the outcome to whoever got the ball last, didn't cut it. When Higgins took over, he specifically changed philosophy to put some of the best athletes on the defensive side of the ball, which is what Dunlap and Whitehead had done earlier that lead to all the D-II and I-AA playoff appearances between 1972-1981.
Yes, Small's offense was fun to watch and some records were set, but the bottom line was less wins. Defense will keep a mediocre offensive team in the game where a break or two can change the outcome. Relying on offense is too risky because too much wrong can happen. Great drives of 70-80 yards can be quickly destroyed by a turnover, penalty or missed assignment. So you have great stats but no score.
Of course, in the spirit of full disclosure, I am writing as an 'old' defensive back...;)