I think Tenuta's defense is more like Pelini's defense, in that they both create pressure by masking coverages than to rely more on the blitz to force bad throws the way Saban and Muschamp run their defenses. Both "styles" have the requirements. In a Saban/Muschamp defense, where blitzing is the weapon of choice, you need shut-down corners capable of working "on an island" as well as punishing and fast safeties and linebackers capable of crashing in quickly. If you have a pass-catching RB, that can "chip" a defender and then slide to the middle of the field and throw the ball right behind the blitz, you have a WIDE open field to run. Crowton's middle screen with Charles Scott is a play that obviously has big-time success against a blitz-happy defense. In a Pelini/Tenuta defense, you need athletic LB's and a dominant D-line capable of getting pressure on the QB without much blitz help and have the LB's and safeties give a coverage look pre-snap, but change their assignment after the snap. Pelini has used a lot of nickel packages this season where Danny McCray or Chad Jones, both safeties, take the slot receiver, but both are good enough in run support to crash down. Our biggest weakness has been teams that have a fast slot receiver that runs a lot of slant patterns or RB's coming out of the backfield catching passes in the "flats" and then turning up field. IMO, both styles of defense are more than effective (as the defensive rankings for LSU with Saban/Mushcamp, LSU with Pelini, Auburn with Muschamp and GT with Tenuta have proved) and both styles will do both things. Pelini and Tenuta will both use the blitz but it's clear that Pelini hasn't blitzed as much as Saban and Muschamp did...and Saban and Muschamp will both show blitz but then pull back. Again, I'm sure someone else that has seen GT play might have a different opinion of the schemes that Tenuta runs from what I feel..
