Alabama has had some historically good defenses in the Saban era, but none matched the sheer dominance of the 2011 unit. Try on these stats for size:
- 3.3 total yards per play allowed was 20% better than runner up LSU (4.1)
- 72.2 rushing yards allowed per game was 13% better than runner up FSU (82.7)
- 111.5 passing yards allowed per game was 15% better than runner up South Carolina (131.7)
That defense was simply staggering.
Unfortunately, the offense and special teams failed them when LSU visited Tuscaloosa in November 2011, resulting in a 9-6 OT loss featuring zero touchdowns for either side and potentially leaving the Tide on the outside looking in where the BCS national championship was concerned.