Nebraska Football: Unsung defense ranks among best ever

The Nebraska football program was once known for its stifling defense. One of those defenses ranks among the best ever, but not the one you think.

Few programs in college football hold defensive prowess as close to their hearts as Husker fans do. The Blackshirts and the Skull and Crossbones symbol that Blackshirt players throw after a big play are synonymous with the glory days of Nebraska football.

Over the years, there have been a few Cornhuskers defenses that most fans would think would go down as among the best in college football history. ESPN’s Bill Connelly, who is one of the site’s most well-known stat gurus, recently tried to quantify the 50 best defenses in the sport. NU did indeed make the list, though the team that made the list is likely not the one you’d expect.

Connelly ranked the Nebraska football team that took the field in 2009 as one of the best defenses to ever be assembled. In fact, the analyst has the Ndamukong Suh led Blackshirts as the 16th best defense in the history of the sport. It was in fact, thanks in large part to the near-Heisman winner that head coach Bo Pelini’s unit got as ranked as highly as they did. According to Connelly.

"The Cornhuskers boasted only one All-American in 2009, but he happened to be the best defensive player of the 2000s. Ndamukong Suh commanded constant double- and triple-teams and still racked up 20.5 TFLs and 12 sacks as Nebraska held 10 opponents under 300 yards and held its last two, Texas (Big 12 championship game) and Arizona (Holiday Bowl), to a combined 311 yards and 13 points."

Nebraska Football champions not on the list?

It’s a safe bet that more than a few people are surprised that the defensive units that won three national championships in four years are not on the list. Connelly did explain how he arrived at the numbers he did.

"What’s more impressive …A. Allowing 1.3 points per game in 1939, as Tennessee did under Bob Neyland during one of college football’s lowest scoring ebbs?B. Allowing 5.2 points per game in 1972, as Michigan did under Bo Schembechler?C. Allowing 13.0 points per game in 2016, as Alabama did under Nick Saban during maybe the most offense-friendly season ever?Below are my attempts at answering exactly that. Adjusting for opponents, tempo (where applicable) and my own personal whims, here are what I view as the 50 best defenses in the history of top-division college football."

That he added his own personal whims obviously means there can be some debate and Nebraska football fans will almost certainly argue that there were some other NU units that should be included.

If you’re wondering who the ESPN analyst believes hold the top spot as best defense ever? It happens to be the 2017 Alabama Crimson Tide.