In 2017, does Miami have a top 10 Defense?

[JgDaCane]

Oh yeah baby!! Front 7 Is littered with NFL talent. 1st round talent. While our secondary may be young they will not back down. Kids like JJ, Bandy, Carter etc could give 2 ***** if they are freshman or 5th year seniors. They just wanna hit you in the mouth. So yes top 10 easy. I watched college football from noon-midnight every Saturday this year. NOBODY hits like us NOBODY. Not even Bama.

 

[gvillecane]

Didn't read every single post on this thread so apologies if someone already mentioned this...
Corn and Adrian Colbert were great tackling CB's. Hopefully, whoever replaces them (Malek Young, Michael Jackson, Redwine, Bandy, Deejay Dallas, Jhavonte Dean) can step up and give us the advantage of having physical, good tackling corners.

 

[DTP]

Scouts are already calling norton a first rounder

I haven't seen that. It's a deep defensive tackle crop next season, far superior to this year which is stacked at edge rusher and defensive backs. Next season there are 4 guys projected in the first round in most early mocks. I haven't seen Norton named, in the first or second round. He doesn't look like a first round talent to me, although no question he improved this season.

Anyway, we need to get the defensive YPA to 6.0 or below if we want to threaten a legitimate Top 10 defense. It was 6.3 this year.

The adjustments are meaningless...assertions that we played tougher offenses than other conferences and therefore we're better than it appeared.

That is flimsy rationalization. Offseason fluff. You are what you are.

So, if a team plays a schedule of powderpuffs and crushes them all by the average score of 60-3, that makes them not only the best team that season but probably the greatest team of all time? You know, since opponents ability doesn't matter when ranking a team.

 

[DTP]

This is a good question. Unfortunately, the NCAA uses statistics like total defense and scoring defense to determine their rankings. That would be fine if everyone played the same teams. Miami has to play in the ACC, home to some of the nation's top offenses. Meanwhile teams in the SEC or Big 10 don't see the number of high powered offenses on a week in week out basis. I think the true measure of a defense should be the amount of yards/points you hold an opponent to under it's average. If you hold a team that's averaging 35 ppg to 20, it's more impressive than holding a team that averages 17 ppg to 10. At least that's the way that makes the most sense to me. If you consider that Miami held high scoring offenses FSU, UNC, Pitt and WVU far under their averages, you could make a point that Miami had a top ten defense in 2016.

Just for $hits and grins, I ran through a few sets of stats and the numbers are favorable to Miami's defense.

The per game scoring average by Miami's 12 FBS opponents (I excluded FAMU) was 30.17
Against Miami the average was only 19.83. That's holding opponents to over ten points below their average.

Only one team scored more against Miami than their season scoring average and that was Virginia Tech who averaged 35 ppg but dropped 37 on an injury depleted Hurricanes defense.

Notable performances: FSU (avg 35.1 held to 20) UNC (avg 32.3 held to 20) Pitt (avg 40.9 held to 28) NCSU (avg 27.0 held to 13) WVU (avg 31.2 held to 14)

Edit: I'll throw in App State (avg 29.2 held to 10)

Did you just one up yourself?!?

Lol. I just wanted to add to my original post and I figured quoting myself was the easiest way to do it.

 

[HurricaneOmeezy]

no question...possibly even a top 5 defense imho

 

[blackvern]

Hopefully Courtel returns and Dean can lock down the other corner position and be as physical as elder was

But most importantly it all depends on our offense...we cant be out there with 5 or 6 3 and outs a game and keep putting our defense on the field...That will kill our defense.. And lets stay injury free we dont have the depth anywhere but D line and thats if Courtel stays

 

[Hurracanes]

Bump.

Lot's of L's in this one.

 

[sdaly12]

Depends on DT's of they stay yes if not we are painfully thin at this position.
Defensive numbers in college are a bad indicator due to scheduling and style of play....
but you know it when you see it ! Bama, UGA, Clemson pass the eye test.
we still do not look dominating upfront on either side of ball
heck Bama O line men looked like 3-5 year NFL vets as did the size of Wisconsin Oline
point being it all starts in the trenches you drive off the L.O.S or hold the L.O.S,
who know when we will get there

 

[SmokeyRone]

Defense, despite depth and talent holes, did enough to easily finish 12-0. A competent offense and they would have been a top 5 D, IMO

 

[Awsi Dooger]

Bump.

Lot's of L's in this one.

Not for me. My stuff travels well. I wrote it was a deep defensive tackle crop forecast for 2018 and Norton was not projected high...that he didn't look like a first rounder to me.

I also posted that our pass defense needed be be 6.0 YPA or below to get within the Top 10. That's exactly what it took.

 

[Hurracanes]

Our Defense still has ways to go. Especially in the Passing game.

2017 Rankings:
Scoring: 21.0 PPG; ACC: 4; National: 28
Rushing: 145.8 YPG; ACC: 6; National: 43
Passing: 217.1 YPG; ACC: 8; National: 56
Total: 362.8 YPG; ACC: 6; National: 38

 

[Lexcane]

Those

Not for me. My stuff travels well. I wrote it was a deep defensive tackle crop forecast for 2018 and Norton was not projected high...that he didn't look like a first rounder to me.

I also posted that our pass defense needed be be 6.0 YPA or below to get within the Top 10. That's exactly what it took.

lol at this clown.