We hear it time and time again: defense wins championships. That’s why after this weekend’s crazy action, we’re taking a look at the top defenses in college football. Here is a the best defense from each of the five power conferences this season.
Clemson Tigers
ACC
The top team in the country according to the College Football Playoff selection committee has proven they can win games in a number of different ways. While Deshaun Watson and their prolific offense has put up some big numbers this year, the Clemson defense has been the best in the ACC. The Tigers rank seventh in the country in total defense and 15th in scoring defense with an average of 18.1 points allowed per game. Yes, Boston College does outrank them in both categories but keep in mind that Clemson has played the more challenging schedule.
Clemson still needs three wins to win the ACC Championship and reach the playoff, and that means their defense will need to continue to step up the way it did in last week’s 37-27 win over Syracuse.
Michigan Wolverines
Big Ten
Jim Harbaugh deserves a ton of credit for the turnaround at Michigan this season and his defense has been the biggest reason for his team’s success. The Wolverines rank No. 2 in the nation in total defense and No. 4 in scoring defense with an average of just 14.8 points allowed per game. That number includes a stretch of three straight wins over BYU, Northwestern and Maryland in which Michigan didn’t give up a single point.
The Wolverines have faded a little bit over the last month. While their defense did play well against Michigan State, they still gave up 27 points. Then they allowed 26 to Minnesota the following week and had it not been for a goal-line stand, it would have been worse. And last week, Indiana ran all over them to the tune of 41 points. With a Big Ten showdown with Ohio State looming, the Wolverines will need their defense to be at its best. They still have a couple of weeks to find they’re form but they’ll need to be better.
Florida Gators
SEC
Alabama is the clear frontrunner in the SEC and their defense finally looks like they’ve gotten it together (they held Mississippi State to just six points last week). However, the unit that has been the most consistent this season has been in the East: the Florida Gators. They have already clinched top spot in the SEC East thanks to their dominant defense. Florida has allowed an average of 14.6 points per game this season including their last few wins over South Carolina, Georgia and Vanderbilt in which they allowed an average of just 8.0 points per game. Head coach Jim McElwain and his staff deserve a ton of credit for the Gators’ turnaround this season.
Oklahoma Sooners
Big 12
The Oklahoma defense hasn’t exactly been dominant but they still rank 21st in the country in total defense and 25th in scoring defense with an average of 18.1 points allowed per game. In the Big 12, those numbers are pretty good. The pace of the Sooners’ offense has put that much more pressure on an Oklahoma defense that can be worn down at times but they have stepped up in some big moments, including this past weekend when they went to Waco, Texas. While they gave up 34 points, they still got a number of key stops against No. Baylor. Before that, they had allowed an average of 16.3 points per game over the previous six. The Sooners’ defense is one of the overlooked aspects of why they are 9-1 so far this season.
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Washington Huskies
Pac-12
Stanford had a case for this spot but their defense just gave up 38 in a home loss to Oregon. Utah appeared to have one of the top units but they’ve lost twice in the last four games now while giving up 28.5. That leaves Washington as the top defense in the Pac-12. Washington is just 4-6 on the year and has lost four of five, but don’t blame the defense. They’re doing all they can, holding opponents to 22.2 points over the last six.
