THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL DEPARTMENT

GETTING DEFENSIVE

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Is it Brian Cushing's show on September 13th?

What's that old saying? Something about defense winning championships? USC subscribes to that theory—although it always helps to have (as one scout estimates) six future first-round draft picks in the lineup.

Ohio State buys into that old maxim too, and may be the only team with a better D than USC. Then again, the Ohio State defense was pretty great the past two years, when the Buckeyes lost by a combined 41 points in consecutive BCS title games.

That gives Ohio State's trip to USC on Sept. 13 an interesting subplot: Call it the nation's best defensive team against the nation's most defensive team. Sure, USC lost two games last year with similar personnel. But the Trojans' potential No. 1's (DT Fili Moala, DE Everson Griffen, LBs Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga, and safety tandem Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays) started only two games together last year. With all six in the lineup for this season's opener at Virginia, USC held the Cavs to 187 total yards in a 52-7 waxing.

The Buckeyes enter the Coliseum with a whole bag of chips on their shoulders. Lose big, and OSU can forget playing for the title again. Lose close, and OSU probably needs to win out and hope pollsters forgive and forget.
But win in any fashion, and Ohio State could get some cred back. LB James Laurinaitis, CB Malcolm Jenkins and OT Alex Boone all say they returned to Columbus to win a BCS title and quiet critics who say, as Jenkins puts it, "the seniors don't have a legacy."

They point to Sept. 13 as a day to dis the disrespecters. But they're also focused on staying calm. "It's definitely tough to block that stuff out," says senior LB Marcus Freeman. "But we have done a great job of preaching 'Just focus on this moment. Don't worry about the national championship. Just have fun.'"

Especially on the plane ride home.

BEST DEFENSIVE TEAMS
1. USC: Best Troy bunch ever?
2. Ohio State: Held seven foes to single digits in '07.
3. LSU: New co-coordinators, same legion of talent.
4. Georgia: Physical DTs with speed behind them.

MOST DEFENSIVE TEAMS
1. Ohio State: See any press-conference transcript.
2. Oklahoma: Paging "Big Game Bob," please.
3. West Virginia: Minus RichRod, it's struggling.
4. Texas Tech: Time to be more than "quirky and fun."

FINDING FAULTS

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Better find those holes on third down, sir.

Georgia hasn't lost a regular-season nonconference game since 2000. Wisconsin? Not since 2003. But don't just hand each of them four easy wins. Both teams have one serious flaw—and an opponent to exploit it.

WISCONSIN AT FRESNO STATE, SEPT. 13
WISCONSIN'S PROBLEM: Big plays In Wisconsin's four 2007 losses, the Badgers defense got zapped for 25 plays of 20-plus yards.

FRESNO STATE'S ANSWER: Brandstater to Ajirotutu The Badgers could be susceptible to long connections from QB Tom Brandstater to explosive WR Seyi Ajirotutu. In the Bulldogs' 24-7 win at Rutgers, Brandstater drilled Ajirotutu (17.8 career yards per catch) for gains of 77 and 31 yards. After the game, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano specifically credited Brandstater with burning his pass defense deep: "He is very comfortable in what he's doing."

GEORGIA AT ARIZONA STATE, SEPT. 20
GEORGIA'S PROBLEM: Converting third downs In two losses last year, Georgia converted nine of 32 third downs. In their opening win, over Georgia Southern, this year, the Dawgs went just 4-for-9.

ARIZONA STATE'S ANSWER: Get in the backfield The 2007 ASU D allowed just a 32.3% conversion rate, 11th in the nation. The biggest reason for the Sun Devils' success: DE Dexter Davis, a preseason Nagurski candidate who had 10.5 sacks last year. In 2008, 20 ASU's defense has allowed only 11 of 32 third-down conversions. And Davis? He leads all BCS conference players with four sacks through two games.
- TED BAUER

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