Are you looking for the “Best College Football Defenses”? Well then, you are at the right place. When the other side has the ball, the defence’s task is to protect them. The defence’s target is to prevent the offence from gaining 10 yards in four plays. If they can do this, their team can regain possession of the ball. A turnover, such as a fumble or an interception, is another way for defences to gain possession of the ball. This is why defences are so important in a game of football.

Each passing year appears to be the highest-scoring in college football history. As the tempo, yards, and points increase, judging defences becomes more complex. In the 1950s, a top-20 defence might have expected to give up 10 points per game. That figure was closer to 20 in 2015. Allowing five yards a play was once thought to be a sign of weakness; today, that figure will be in the top 30. Of course, statistics will help in this situation as well. Stats cannot offer all-or-nothing responses, but they do set a benchmark for us and provide meaning for a team’s achievements.

What makes for a solid defence? Success, statistics, and dominance must all be considered when compiling the list. Oh, just a little huffing and puffing doesn’t hurt either. Without further delay, here are the top ten college football defences.

Army Black Knights

Last fall, Army was ranked No. 1 in defensive efficiency in the nation, so taking the Black Knights out of this list would be a sin. New defensive coordinator Nate Woody, who has been in the running for many positions this summer, appeared to invigorate the team last season. The Black Knights gave up the best 275 yards per game in the country under Woody’s watch, thanks to their ball-controlling, triple-option offence. Woody’s team returns some main playmakers, including star defensive backs Marquel Broughton and Jabari Moore. The Black Knights restrict possessions and add constant pressure to opposing offences.

West Virginia Mountaineers

West Virginia returns eight starters from a defence that ranked first among Power 5 teams and fourth overall last season, allowing just 291.4 yards per game. That’s part of the reason the Mountaineers have been assigned the tag of the sexy sleeper in the Big 12 title chase. Last season, the Mountaineers’ by-committee defensive style paid off, as they restricted long plays and were one of the best tackling teams in the nation. Chris Hummer, a national columnist for 247 Sports, makes the following observation. Dante Stills is an elite run stopper, and he’s flanked by Akheem Mesidor (6.5 TFLs, 5 sacks) and Jeffery Pooler (6 TFls, 3 sacks), making West Virginia one of the best starting defensive lines in the nation.

Clemson Tigers

The Tigers have more returning starters on this side of the ball than any other ACC team in the 2021 season. With seasoned cornerback Deion Kendrick opting out of the 2021 NFL Draft in favour of another season at Clemson, the secondary has a veteran core that can be one of the best in the nation. Since finishing in the Top 10 in overall defence for the previous six seasons, the Tigers fell to No. 15 last falls with 326.8 yards a game and were beaten in the College Football Playoff by Ohio State’s Justin Fields. That won’t happen again, particularly with this group of talented individuals returning.

Cincinnati Bearcats

The losing of defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to Notre Dame is certainly a concern for the Bearcats, but head coach Luke Fickell’s fingerprints have been all over this team for years, and that won’t change in 2021. Cincy returns 15 of 22 starters to a team that just lost one game as the Group of 5’s national torchbearer last season. Mike Tressell takes over as the defence’s play-caller after 14 seasons at Michigan State, and his new system in the American Athletic Conference should be interesting to watch. Last season, Cincinnati allowed just 4.5 yards per play, which was the fourth-best in college football.

Iowa Hawkeyes

There’s a lot of pressure on Zach VanValkenburg to excel this fall on the defensive line, where he’ll be replacing four core players from a team that ranked first in the country in yards per play last season. Last season, VanValkenburg had 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, and his position should grow in 2021. On safety, you won’t encounter a more well-coached team in the Big Ten, and the Hawkeyes will lean heavily on it. Matt Hankins, Xavior Williams, and Riley Moss, as well as former walk-on Jack Koerner, are all set on the defensive line for Iowa. The Hawkeyes will have a well-rounded defence.

Georgia Bulldogs

Jordan Davis, the ‘alpha male’ of Georgia’s safety, has a chance to be the best interior defensive linemen in the SEC this fall. That’s how good he is. The Bulldogs’ best individual position unit at linebacker is behind Davis in the centre of the defence. The predicted starters are upperclassmen Nakobe Dean, Adam Anderson, Quay Walker, and Nolan Smith, all of whom carry tenacity to the field. Last season, Dean led this defence in tackles, and if he remains fit, he can do so again in 2021. He’s a player who has a keen sense of the game and moves fluidly in his place.

Wisconsin Badgers

Can the Badgers have the best defence in the Big Ten next season? The teams from Iowa and Ohio State will put up a fight, but it will be tight. Inside linebacker Jack Sanborn, outside linebacker Noah Burks, and cornerback Caesar Williams all revealed in January that they will be returning to Wisconsin as starters. Four key players, including pass rushers Isaiah Loudermilk and Garrett Rand, have left the team, but Jim Leonhard’s system places his best players in place to make plays, and Wisconsin can once again be a Top 10 squad. Wisconsin will indeed be hoping that the offence keeps up its end of the bargain this time.

Iowa State Cyclones

On defence, Matt Campbell’s team returns nine starters, one of the highest percentages in the Big 12. According to Michael Swain of Cyclone Alert, the Cyclones should have one of the best linebacking corps in the world with Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Mike Rose and veterans O’Rien Vance and Jake Hummel next to him. Since missing several studs on the defensive side, Iowa State is well-equipped at linebacker and on the back end to withstand any early problems upfront. All-Big-12 corner Anthony Johnson is a potential pro, and the Cyclones are up on safety Jaquan Amos, a Villanova transfer.

Texas A&M Aggies

In 2021, the Aggies will lose leading tackler Buddy Johnson and leading pass-rush specialist Bobby Brown, but they will retain 75 per cent of their defensive output. Looking at the predicted depth chart, Texas A&M returns 13 of its top 15 tacklers, plus some starters who are returning for a second senior season thanks to the NCAA’s blanket eligibility exemptions. Demarvin Leal, a former five-star defensive end, is one of the main attractions. He received a lot of push off the line of scrimmage last season, including seven stops for losses. The coaching staff is looking forward to seeing Jaylon Jones, a former five-star cornerback, play as a sophomore. As a newcomer, he was given a heavy workload and passed the eye examination with flying colours.

LSU Tigers

This is what makes predictions so entertaining: take a 5-5 squad from the previous season and almost ensuring Top 10 results the next year. That’s what Ed Orgeron expects from a roster that returns 20 of 22 starters, including his top four defensive linemen and a star-studded secondary led by cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., a potential first-round selection. Last season, LSU was at the bottom of the defensive rankings, ranking dead last in the FBS against the pass, and the Tigers have a legacy to restore in the SEC after being humiliated several times. They clearly have the potential to do so, and Orgeron is hoping that a new DC will bring a system that plays to his athletes’ strengths.