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Back in 2005, that was the question asked of USC’s offense. Now, looking at it from a talent standpoint, I think you would have to go with USC’s unit, which had 9 starters taken in the first two rounds of the NFL draft.
However, from a pure effectiveness standpoint, you have to go with OU.
The Sooners are averaging 53.3 points per game, 7.1 yards per play and 556 yards per game. They rush for 202 yards and pass for 354 yards each game. They have scored at least 60 points in each of their last four games and over 50 eight times this season.
By comparison, that USC team averaged 579 yards and 49 points per game and 7.5 yards per play (heck, maybe it underachieved, given its talent!).
The Sooners have a 4,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher (DeMarco Murray) and another who has 988 and will soon pass 1,000 (Chris Brown), plus two receivers (Juaquin Iglesias, 967, and Jermaine Gresham, 806), who have a shot at 1,000-yard seasons (two games left to play).
USC had a 3,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard rushers and 1,000-yard receiver (with another just under 1,000).
I am certain that no school has ever had a 4,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard rushers and a 1,000-yard receiver (much less two of them) in the same season. And, mind you, OU still has two games to go!!
Pretty amazing, historic stuff. How exciting would a Florida-OU matchup be?
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Im thinking of what could be the unifying factor between both of those two offenses? It may be that when both of them faced Texas they lost. OU’s offense may be good but when they went up a good defense in either Texas or TCU they were forced to become one-dimensional and were both times held well below their scoring average. In my opinion I would have to say that USC’s offense was the superior one in that they went up against one of the best defenses in the nation and only lost because of the freak that was VY.
I hear you Hornsgotscrewed.
Your points bring me to another: If you agree that “defense wins championships”, then isn’t the more pertinent question, who has the best defense ever? Further, with 50-60 point games common place in the Big 12, one has to wonder “does defense happen there”? It will be interesting to see what happens in the Natty match-up where a Big 12 squad will face a stout, speedy D.
So who does have the best D in the nation? Would that be USC? Shouldn’t that count for something? Why is it high octane offenses get you noticed but historic D just means “you play in a weak conference”?
Will we ever learn? See Oklahoma offense circa 2003/2004 and look where that got them. Also remember that Oklahoma has lost its last 4 BCS games, but still we want to give them the benefit of the doubt? Will we ever learn?
Chris,
the problem with saying who has the “best ____ ever” is that it is all speculative and dependent upon the era in which the team played and which conference they happened to play in at the time. Defense could be judged in much the same way that you are speaking of these offenses. Maybe they did not face any worthy opponents and thus their stats were inflated. Now, i will not argue that overall today the SEC has superior defenses to the Big 12, but excluding Florida and Alabama i do not believe that their defenses are any better than the Big 12 offenses. What I believe is that in order to succeed a team needs a capable defense coupled with a high powered offense or vice- versa. The problem with many of the Teams today is that they lack both. They either exist like many of the C-USA or Big 12 teams and play in systems that throw up points, or they play in systems like the SEC that play defense but tend to be anemic on the other side of the ball.
My Gripe hear lies in the nature that although I feel Florida and Alabama are both deserving, well-rounded teams; Oklahoma is not. Their defense is porous and lacks the ability to stop even mild offenses such as Kansas, Kansas State and Nebraska. Even Washington, the worst team in FBS, was able to put up 14 before Reynolds was even injured. Their lack of ability to manage a game due to this crucial part of the game is masked by Stoops willingness, and lack of sportsmanship, in running up scores on demoralized teams.
So ultimately what I’m saying is that although yes “Defense wins championships,” it is not the alltime defense that necessarily wins them. All a team needs is a capable defense matched with a top-tier offense, although not necessarily an all-time offense, to succeed. 2005 Texas, 2001 Miami, 2000 Oklahoma are all examples of what a team with an above average offense coupled with a good defense can do.
My memory is fuzzy, but was there an overall lacking of good defenses in the pac10 during the 05 season?
I’ve been saying all year long it seems like the Big12 this year is like the pac10 of yesteryear – all offense, no defense. Without pouring through the numbers, it seems week in/out, there was a ton of games this year in the big 12 where scoring was in upper 30s/40s/50s? Is that great offense? Or bad defense? Or a bit of both. I’m guessing the latter, but again, Best offense ever is all subjective.
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