Which SEC team has the best defense?

Published October 17, 2012 - 12:15pm

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In the SEC, we hang our hat on the greatest and the sometimes forgotten aspect of college football – defense. It’s an anomaly in the Big 12 and absent in the Pac 12. It’s not sexy to play good defense anymore. The SEC bucks that trend by shutting down the highest scoring offense in the history of college football (see Florida-Oklahoma) and the fastest offense no one can stop (see Auburn-Oregon).

The top four defenses in the SEC are Alabama, LSU, South Carolina and Florida. Total defense rankings dictate those teams. They are ranked 1-4 in the SEC to finish the first half of the season.

Alabama has the best overall numbers in the league and the country, but folks are quick to point out the offenses played have been weak. Any team that allows on average less than 200 yards per game total is stout, no matter the competition. Alabama leads the country in total defense, allowing a bleak 181.2 yards per game.

LSU’s offense hasn’t helped out the defense too much this season, thus part of the reason the Tigers dropped the game against Florida. But LSU and Les Miles hang their hat on defense, and the Tigers have future NFL stars.

South Carolina has the top defensive player in the country in Jadeveon Clowney, and the Gamecocks have been stellar inside the red zone. Steve Spurrier and company have played one more game than the other three and still have given up only eight total touchdowns. This is a very impressive and overachieving group.

Florida’s defense has turned on the heat in the second half, and the Gators have now outscored their opponents 98-23 in the last 30 minutes, only allowing 10 total points in the fourth quarter.

Before we look at the defensive numbers as a whole, let’s take a look at the offenses these four defenses have faced. Through six games, Florida has faced offenses with an average rank in total offense of 63rd in the country – particularly Texas A&M and Tennessee, who are both top 20 in the country in scoring offense, and both games were on the road. Alabama has faced teams with an average of 73rd in total offense, South Carolina 83rd and LSU 98th.

Here is how the numbers stack up:

Touchdowns Allowed