Agressive defenses can be exploited for quick points. A great defensive mind adapts to his players' skill sets.
The statistics don't back that argument. Impossible to tell until he gets here and does his thing. I agree although I'd rather aggressive rather than passive. Only time will tell what D he will run here but his past does point towards passive bend but don't break. He has been successful with that system and combined with a really good offense championships are possible. Hopefully if he is hired he will adjust his defense to the style of play he will be facing in the SEC and not get stuck in the "my way or the highway" mentality. The QB's in the SEC are too good to let them sit in the pocket all day to find receivers.
I would put Ohio State, USC, LSU (until this season) and Vtech as elite defenses year in and year out. Clemson is a 2nd tier defense. Unless your idea of top tier is to include 10-12 teams. Giving up nearly 300 yards a game is not my idea of elite.
Koenning's D ranks a lot higher than Clemson's recruiting classes do: Clemson's Average Star Rankings Per Recruiting Class Scout 2002 -- 2.85 (#35) 2003 -- 2.83 (#24) 2004 -- 2.26 (#46) 2005 -- 2.96 (#22) 2006 -- 3.20 (#21) 2007 -- 3.13 (#26) 2008 -- 3.35 (#15) Rivals 2002 -- 3.04 (#29) 2003 -- 2.82 (#32) 2004 -- 2.38 (#50) 2005 -- 3.08 (#19) 2006 -- 3.40 (#14) 2007 -- 3.22 (#18) 2008 -- 3.42 (#12)
John, what is exciting is to have Koenning see what he can do with even better talent. That's for sure. That's what I will be hanging my hat on.
his teams were far from untalented but then again so were chavis'. i think its amazing the 2 dudes who are the most qualified according to many, are the 2 dudes who give up the highest % on 3rd downs than anyone else. its an enigma wrapped in a conundrum wrapped inside a pig in the blanket. fulmer maybe.
Thats what impresses me the most about this guy- what he's done with what he's had. At LSU he'll be pretty damn good.:tigereye:
I understand your logic, but top 4 is a really small group. I would be happy with a D that consistently puts up top 10 numbers. I'd love to hold every offense we face to zero yards, but I'm much more concerned with the points given up. I haven't looked at the numbers but I bet even the best D's in the SEC are giving up quite a bit of yards per game. Offenses have really evolved lately and teams are moving the ball better. The teams of 3 yards and a cloud of dust are long gone.
