Five Best Defenses in College Football

It’s no coincidence that three of the four teams that reached the College Football Playoff a season ago — Alabama, Clemson and Georgia — ranked first, fourth and sixth in total defense. The other team — Oklahoma — had college football’s best quarterback in Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield.

‘Defense wins championships’ is the old adage, and it evidently applies to success in college football in 2017 and looking ahead to the future.

Here are five teams expected to have the best defenses in 2018:

Surprise, surprise — Dabo Swinney and defensive coordinator Brent Venables return one of the nation’s best defenses as they look to win their second title in three years.