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Less than one year ago, several Florida football players sat in front of the national media and essentially called out the high-powered Big 12 offenses. They claimed the reason they had put up such high numbers was simple – they had yet to go up against a good defense. A lot has changed.
It's a new year in the Big 12. An unpredictable year. A year that has seen the once seemingly unstoppable offenses stopped, and the after-thought defenses step up.
Sam Bradford returned. Colt McCoy returned. Dez Bryant and Zac Robinson, too. Yet, the defenses of the Big 12 have suddenly shown up. After being torched for an inordinate amount of yards and touchdowns by last year's offenses, the defenses of Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska have again risen to the top.
Texas' defense in particular has been impressive. The Longhorn defense shut down the powerful Oklahoma State offense last week and helped Texas jump Alabama to second place in the BCS standings.
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy couldn't help but be impressed with how Texas' defense played.
"They've just got so much speed," Gundy said. "They tackle well on defense, and they've got good players who can just make plays."
Running the Texas defense is coordinator Will Muschamp. The former Auburn defensive coordinator stepped in at Texas before last season and has helped reform the always strong Longhorn defenders. Gundy said what he's noticed most is the increased zone blitz packages Muschamp has brought, though he believes it's just a variation of what Texas has always done – play good defense.
Kansas coach Mark Mangino has seen an increased ability in his own defense, too. Despite a loss last week to the always high-scoring Texas Tech Red Raiders, he saw his defense, not his offense, help be the ones to keep the Jayhawks in the game.
"We squandered a pretty good defensive effort for about three and half quarters against Texas Tech who's always explosive," Mangino said. "We just left the defense on the field a little bit too long."
It's now the second week in a row Mangino has fallen despite a salty effort from his defense. The guy responsible for Mangino's misery two weeks ago is Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, a man who has seen more than his fair share of outstanding defenses.
The Sooner head coach said he sees a great opportunity for a possible defensive showdown with a trip to Lincoln on Saturday.
"(Nebraska) is very physical," Stoops said. "They've got a great front four, which is where I believe defense begins. The best defenses are really good upfront. They're very disciplined, which is what I'd expect from one of Bo's defenses."
One name off of Oklahoma's defense, Nebraska fans may recall, is Dominique Franks. The senior cornerback picked off a Joe Ganz screen pass early in last season's Oklahoma-Nebraska game and took it all the way back for a touchdown, helping start the early route of the Huskers. Stoops singled out his veteran defensive back for praise.
"Dom's a very strong, bright player. He really has a great feel for the game and recognizes plays really well," Stoops said. "And on top of that, he has great quickness and speed, so when he zeros in on something, he has a knack to jump it and make a big play."
One defensive player who has been making big plays for Nebraska is defensive tackle Jared Crick.
Perhaps Nebraska's most unsung hero, Crick has stepped up alongside All-American candidate Ndamukong Suh to help bolster the Husker defensive line. In fact, after Crick's 13 tackle, five sack performance against Baylor, he was named the national defensive player of the week.
"He earned it," NU coach Bo Pelini said. "He had a great game. Player of the Week in the nation, that just shows the type of football game he played. We're proud of him."
As for his own defense, Pelini just hopes that despite how close both the Husker and Sooner defenses are statistically, that Nebraska can soon become what Oklahoma already is.
"There's some similarities, and there's some differences," Pelini said. "They're probably a little more pressure-oriented than us right now. They've obviously been in the system a lot longer than we have. They do a good job on defense."
According to Pelini, however, his goals are still definitely in reach.
"I like that we've made progress, but we still have a long way to go. I understand that, and I believe the players understand that."