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Can defense catch up?

 
By Michael Baldwin | Published: October 21, 2008    Comment on this article Leave a comment

The Big 12 is an offensive league. But once the current crop of exceptional quarterbacks graduate, will defenses still be at a disadvantage because of in vogue no-huddle, spread offenses?

More Info

Offensive league
Big 12 leaders
Total offense
National ranking… Team… …Yards
2… Texas Tech… …557.0
4… Oklahoma… …544.1
5… Missouri… …520.9
7… OSU… …501.4
10… Texas… …484.0
14… Kansas… …460.9
18… Nebraska… …438.9
Total defense
National ranking… Team… …Yards
34… Oklahoma… …315.7
39… Texas… …323.1
47… OSU… …335.9
58… Texas Tech… …351.0
64… Nebraska… …360.0
65… Kansas… …360.1
66… Colorado… …361.0

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"I don’t think anybody ever has a stronghold for good on anything,” said OU coach Bob Stoops. "Defenses will continue to match up and be able to handle it. But I don’t see quarterbacks going away, either. Everybody has young quarterbacks coming up who are skilled. Defenses will have to rise to the occasion.”

Offenses have the upper hand this season. Seven Big 12 offenses are ranked in the top 20 nationally but no one has a top 30 defense.

It won’t get much easier next season. Missouri’s Chase Daniel, Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell and Nebraska’s Joe Ganz are the league’s only senior quarterbacks.

Sam Bradford (Oklahoma), Colt McCoy (Texas), Zac Robinson (OSU), Todd Reesing (Kansas), Josh Freeman (Kansas State), Robert Griffin (Baylor) return.

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Related Topics: Sports, Football, College Athletics, College Football



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