Miami Hurricanes 2001 defense better than 2016 Alabama

The week leading up to the National Championship had a lot of rhetoric if Alabama’s defense was the best ever. Clemson 35’s point performance should have put an end to that conversation and keep the 2001 Miami Hurricanes place as the best in history.

In two National Championship games against Clemson, the Crimson Tide allowed 75 points. In their back to back Appearances in the National Title game, the Hurricanes allowed 31 points in regulation. Can we finally put to bed any defense for a season being better than the 2001 Miami Hurricanes?

In almost every measure, the 2001 Miami Defense is the best in modern-day College Football History. They had more talent then some national champions combined. The 2001 Hurricanes defense was a dominant big-play defense that set the tone for the rest of the team.

Alabama’s defense has received a lot of hype in an era that has more outlets than ever before. Alabama is projected to have three players from their defense picked in this year’s first round. That’s the same amount as the 2001 Hurricanes. Alabama had no defensive players drafted in last season’s first round.

The Hurricanes 2001 defense was the deepest in college football history. They lost Philip Buchanon, Ed Reed and Mike Rumph to the draft. UM overcame those losses and was still a bad pass interference call away from repeating as undefeated National Champions in 2002.

A year later Jerome McDougall and William Joseph were two more Hurricanes from the defensive side of the ball to be drafted in the first round.

The 2004 draft saw four more Hurricanes defenders that were on the 2001 team go in the first round. Safety Antrelle Rolle became the final player from Miami’s 2001 defense to be selected as a first-round pick when was selected in 2006.

That’s a total of ten players from just the defensive side of the ball that became first-round picks from the Hurricanes 2001 defense.

Their talent was unprecedented and their performance dominating. The Hurricanes gave up 117 points in 12 games. They allowed seven points or less eight times and had four games without allowing a touchdown and produced three shutouts.

Miami allowed an average of 9.8 points per game against the nation’s 22nd toughest schedule. They never gave up more than 27 points in any game.

Alabama finished the 2016 season 14-1. They allowed an average of 13 points per game against the nation’s toughest schedule. This Included a game against FCS Chattanooga, and games against Non-Power Five teams Western Kentucky and Kent State.

Miami played all but one of their games against teams from what was then dubbed the power six conferences that included the Big East. Miami defeated Troy State, now known as Troy 38-7. The Trojans were competing in their first year of FBS.

Miami’s biggest statements came in the biggest games, while Alabama struggled in some of their games against ranked teams including their season-ending loss to Clemson. The Crimson Tide struggled for a second straight year against Mississippi escaping with a 48-43 win and allowed 30 against Arkansas.

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Alabama played an almost unheard of ten games against ranked teams. Two of them were games Miami didn’t get a chance to play. The Big East did not have a conference championship game and there was not a playoff in 2001.

In their ten games against ranked teams, the Crimson Tide allowed 173 points for an average of 17.3 PPG. The Hurricanes played five games against ranked teams, allowing an average of 14.4 points. Their back to back blowouts over number 14 Syracuse and number 12 Washington were by a record combined margin of 124-7.

The Hurricanes had six defensive touchdowns and added two more on special teams. Alabama finished the 2016 season with seven defensive touchdowns and added four on special teams. The Crimson Tide had 118 tackles for loss this season and 54 sacks, while the 2001 Hurricanes finished with 122 tackles for loss and 42 sacks in three fewer games.

It remains to be seen how the Alabama players will perform in the pros and its an ages old debate if that really determines how great a college team is. The depth on Miami’s defense is still astounding 15 years later.

It included players like Vince Wilfork, Sean Taylor, Kelly Jennings and Antrelle Rolle. They were just some of the backups on that team. They could have easily defeated Nebraska by a far larger number than the 37-14 final score.

Next: Miami Hurricanes ranked 20th in Final AP Poll

They scored 34 of their 37 points in a 15:16 span of the first half. Until a team can reach and match the accomplishments of the 2001 Miami Defense the talk should cease.

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