Our defense is better than most but it isnt overbearing right now. It basically does what Bama's did in the OM game. It waits back (often too far back) on the offense to get too greedy. We've done that for a number of reasons. The main one is to prevent big plays from allowing teams back into ballgames we have the lead in. Possibly the better benefit is to get younger players time in these 1st four games. The best evidence that we are better than we played in the last 2 is that in the Auburn game, when we couldnt afford to allow them to breath, we didnt. Our defense destroyed them. They kicked a field goal and returned a kickoff. Outside of that, and a drive during the last minutes down by 3 scores and our backups in, they didnt move the ball for ****. I think, unless we are playing a top 20 offense, our defense will do that every week for the rest of the season.
NOW as to why. Our defensive line is pretty good. They do not get to the qb as much as our fans would like, but then again they are left to fight 5 linemen most of the time and our linebackers cover receivers and lay back to avoid big plays. Cam Lawrence is pretty good at lb, but Deonte Skinner is a mutha 17ing monster. On the DL, Autry is ready now for the nfl. Our other LB's are damn good too. We play 6-8 a game and will continue to no matter the score.
I'll put our Defensive Backfield against anyone's in the country. They, again, are playing back to prevent homerun balls. You are familiar with this. Bama essentially decided to do the same thing to prevent OM's only chance at scoring on a big play by doubling Moncreif. That is what we are doing now.
My gushing homerism notwithstanding, you really wont know if our defense is really a nationally ranked group until we face down UT, Bama, and A & M. Those 3 will tell the world whether we are legimate top 15 or just another team trying to get into the best bowl they can.