30Duck Moderator No. 1 Share Posted June 3 Why not! Greg McElroy ranks Top 10 college football defenses entering 2025 - On3 WWW.ON3.COM Greg McElroy ranked college football's Top 10 defenses entering the 2025 season with a Top 5 full of College Football Playoff... 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 2 Share Posted June 3 While I’m not happy to see Penn State as one of the nations top defenses, it certainly is not a surprise. We are going to have our hands full! 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirklandduck Moderator No. 3 Share Posted June 4 I can understand why he put tOSU and PSU up so high. However both of them are dealing with new DCs coming in which often leads to disruption for a while as the team adjusts to the new defensive schemes. I think both will have spotty defensive performances for the first 4-5 games of the season which puts OBD's game with PSU right on that cusp...if Franklin's guys are still getting used to the new DC then our Ducks may have a better shot than expected over on their turf. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Author Moderator No. 4 Share Posted June 4 Great to see OBD on the list. But the defense is full of new players, who could be great, tOSU has 3 starters on defense returning and a new DC, how is their evaluation valid. Isn't this just a list of the teams that have contended for the Natty for years now? Of the 22 starters last season, ASU is expected to have 18 back, including both coordinators, I predict they'll be top 10 on defense, close on offense, but no Skattebo. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 5 Share Posted June 4 On 6/3/2025 at 9:26 PM, kirklandduck said: I can understand why he put tOSU and PSU up so high. However both of them are dealing with new DCs coming in which often leads to disruption for a while as the team adjusts to the new defensive schemes. I think both will have spotty defensive performances for the first 4-5 games of the season which puts OBD's game with PSU right on that cusp...if Franklin's guys are still getting used to the new DC then our Ducks may have a better shot than expected over on their turf. I don't know friend Kirkland, how many games it will take for Jim Knowles' D to take at PSU, but I do know in year one in Columbus, he greatly improved the Buckeyes D. And this season he has three games against the cuppiest of cakes and a week off before the Ducks fly in for a visit. He also has quality players returning on every level of the defense. Penn State Roster Tracker: Where Nittany Lions stand with 2025 player decisions and transfer movement Knowels also has the advantage of watching a lot of film of the Penn State D when he was at Ohio State. Manny Diaz, now the HC at Duke, and Tom Allen, now the DC at Clemson, produced terrific Ds at PSU. I think Knowles is better than the two previous DCs. The way he deployed Caleb Downs and friends against the OBD O in the Rose Bowl was defense genius on display. The game in Autzen was the only game in 2024 where the TOSU D didn't show up. Chip's O was MIA in several games, Penn State, Nebraska, and Michigan, for example, and it was the Ohio State D No. 1 D in the land that won two of these three games and should have, but for a bad day out of its FG kicker, won all three games. Knowles went 1 and 1 against Stein last season. I believe the PSU D on the field in Week 5 will be better prepared than the PSU D we saw in last season's conference champ game. This will be the biggest and most hostile crowd Dante Moore has played against. I'm certain Knowles will have wrinkles up his sleeve against Stein and Moore that he will not need to show in the first three weeks of the season. OBD will be facing a highly motivated team from HC Franklin on down, including a lot of players on D who were embarrassed in Indianapolis. Charles, in a more succinct and to-the-point comment (no surprise), nailed it with his 'Hands Full' comment. I believe Jim Knowles and his D will be ready. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven A Moderator No. 6 Share Posted June 5 PFF grades Oregon's D PFF praises Oregon Ducks' defensive line ahead of 2025 season DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Oregon football should have a great defense for 2025 and PFF says this one particular defensive group is one of the best in college football. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
