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When Joe Burrow piloted LSU to a national title in 2019, there was a growing sense that teams needed transcendent quarterbacks to reach the top of the sport.
Defenses quickly put a stop to that notion.
Other than in 2020, when Alabama won during a shortened season behind a Heisman Trophy-winning wide receiver (DeVonta Smith) and others, defenses have largely carried title teams. Georgia started the trend in 2021 with one of the greatest defenses in college football history, suffocating opponents en route to its first national championship since 1980.