RANDOM RAMBLINGS/IS IT JUST ME?

[collegefbfan-8898]

Is it just me or are there nowhere as many blocked punts as we are accustomed to?
Whoever thought Baylor, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, etc. would be this relevant?
Which teams are really playing defense on a consistent basis?
The year the College Football Playoff starts, and the SEC really beats the crap out of each other.

[Cane from the Bend]

Is it just me or are there nowhere as many blocked punts as we are accustomed to?

Sure seems like there are fewer, doesn't it ... maybe they are being coached to not hit the kicker, and it is causing fewer blocks out of fear of a 15 yard penalty.

Whoever thought Baylor, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, etc. would be this relevant?

Baylor has been steadily improving ... though, they may have peaked as their defense does not seem to become more effective (sorta goes into your next question). The state of Mississippi must be squirming in its proverbial seat. Both of these schools have been talked up religiously in the preseason by the media, only to fall flat come mid-season. So, to see them really be what we were told they could be, is a little confounding. They do seem to be the authentic package ... coincidentally, the rest of their conference division do not look to be the genuine article, that they once did. (kinda leading toward your final observation)

Which teams are really playing defense on a consistent basis?

Up until this past weekend, I would have said, notre dame, maybe. Then North Carolina happened to visit South Bend, and there went that. So many defenses seem to be on or off this season. The defense has become an almost second class skill in today's game. And, for those of us who have even a minor background in playing, would just drop our heads into our hands and shake our noggins in frustration.

The year the College Football Playoff starts, and the SEC really beats the crap out of each other.

I would add; or they are starting to level out with more parity compared to the rest of the country.

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[highfly24]

Which teams are really playing defense on a consistent basis?

Stanford. The offense is pretty weak but they have played some good teams and that defense has done a great job time and again. They find themselves in bad situations often but still haven't given up 20 points yet. I'm not a fan of the school but that team has stayed in every game because of the defense.

We will find out about Kansas State defense this weekend. They held Auburn all game a few weeks ago, should've won, but the schedule hasn't been too challenging beyond that.

[Eric]

I think there are still a handful of defenses that you can really count on, but they are few and far between. Louisville has been under the radar by losing their two toughest games, but they sustained an injury at QB, so that had more to do with it than anything else. The Cards have had one of the best defenses in the country, and they really get no love at all. Stanford, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Alabama, Ole Miss, Penn State, and maybe Wisconsin have all been good this year. Clemson traditionally doesn't get a lot of love from the media for that side of the ball, but they've also been really good this year. Michigan is somehow in the top 10 statistically in total defense; the Wolverines aren't quite that special on that side of the ball, but you usually know what you're going to get, so they are consistently decent. As bad as the coaching staff has been, I can only count on one hand the times I wasn't happy with Greg Mattison. Even after last week's debacle, I still have some faith in Baylor's defense (still top 10 in total D, if you can believe it after that performance). The schedule was crap, but they can be dominant against weaker teams. They held Texas to a touchdown, so they are capable of showing up, but I can't vouch for their consistency. If they evaporate against Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, or Kansas State, they're going to get tagged, possibly this weekend in Morgantown as well.

The "SEC Defense" thing, I don't think anyway, holds a lot of water, if it means that they are some minor-league NFL caliber. They still have plenty of talented athletes, but the right coaching scheme can carve them up just like anybody else. Auburn, Arkansas, Mississippi State, LSU, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee all have good defenses with Alabama and Ole Miss the only two teams boasting elite defenses. That's just my opinion though, we'll see as the year progresses.