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Topic: What's your team's best defensive line?

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OrangeAfroMan

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What's your team's best defensive line?
« on: November 18, 2020, 08:23:49 PM »
What year?  Emphasis on every player being good, not having one all-time great and 3 other guys.

Is Michigan's 2016?
“The Swamp is where Gators live.  We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous." - Steve Spurrier

OrangeAfroMan

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Re: What's your team's best defensive line?
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2020, 08:47:06 PM »
I'm not sure about Florida's.  A lot of d-lines that come to mind had 2 studs.

2012 had 3, though:  DT Sharrif Floyd, DT Dominique Easley, DE Dante Fowler....the other DT wasn't great, but he was a super-stud 5* recruit.  But 3 first-rounders is pretty good.

1993/4:  DE Kevin Carter & DT Ellis Johnson...and the others were very good, too.

2006:  DE Jarvis Moss & DE Derrick Harvey....DT Ray McDonald was good, too.  Ask Troy Smith about these guys.

1996/7/8:  DT Reggie McGrew & DT Ed Chester...the DEs were basic.  The '98 LB trio was sick, though.

1999/2000:  DE Alex Brown & DT Gerard Warren.....all-time sack leader at UF played alongside the 3rd pick in the draft, so not bad.
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Mdot21

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Re: What's your team's best defensive line?
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2020, 08:58:41 PM »
What year?  Emphasis on every player being good, not having one all-time great and 3 other guys.

Is Michigan's 2016?
Best I’ve ever seen at Michigan was 2016.

Their two deep was special. Their DT’s were so underrated. Glasgow was SO good and Mo Hurst Jr- to this day it shocks me he wasn’t drafted high- he was incredible. I know he had that heart/medical issue- but 5th rd? That was insane.

MaximumSam

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Re: What's your team's best defensive line?
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2020, 09:43:37 PM »
For OSU...

My mind immediately goes to 1996. I don't know that they were the best, but Matt Funkes, Winfield Garnett, Luke Fickell, and Mike Vrabel is maybe the first defense line that I remember.  Certainly not a bad lineup as far as coaching goes.

2017 is pretty danged talented.  Chase Young and Nick Bosa are in the 2 deep, along with Sam Hubbard, Dremont Jones, and Tyquan Lewis.  I don't remember that line being so great, though.

2002 was maybe the best defense I've seen at OSU, but aside from Will Smith not a ton of star power.

ELA

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Re: What's your team's best defensive line?
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2020, 10:17:38 PM »
2014

Calhoun and Rush on the outside, although not a ton of depth.

Interior with McDowell (as a freshman before he went nuts), Thomas, Heath, and Knox.  Back to back #1 in state recruits...and they weren't the starters.

bayareabadger

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Re: What's your team's best defensive line?
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2020, 12:05:31 AM »
UW options off the top of my head (since it's been 3-4 since 2013, basically none of those are in the mix)

2009 - JJ Watt and O'Brien Schofield on the outside was just silly. Butrum, Moore, and Stehle weren't bonkers good, but were plenty solid. 

2004 - That defense was built on a monster D-line, though the back end was super as well. Anttaj Hawthorne, Erasmus James, Jason Jefferson and Jonathan Welsh. Had a couple OK backups. 

1998 - Tom Burke was the star with Jake Sprague, Ross Kolodziej, John Favret. Wendell Bryant was a freshman backup.

I think maybe there was an early 90s group that might've been near there, but wasn't around for it and too lazy to research. The 2006 group of Matt Shaughnessy, Nick Hayden, Mike Newkirk, Jason Chapman, Joe Monty, Jamal Cooper was a cut below, but quite good. 

OrangeAfroMan

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Re: What's your team's best defensive line?
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2020, 12:59:54 AM »
Was Wendell Bryant better than Erasmus James?  I think they were both great, but they're sort of blurred together in my mind.
“The Swamp is where Gators live.  We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous." - Steve Spurrier

Kris60

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Re: What's your team's best defensive line?
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2020, 06:25:09 AM »
I’ll go with ‘88. Mike Fox, Jim Gray, Chris Parker, Renaldo Turnbull.

The one this year anchored by The Stills Brothers is actually very good too.

847badgerfan

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Re: What's your team's best defensive line?
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2020, 07:38:05 AM »
UW options off the top of my head (since it's been 3-4 since 2013, basically none of those are in the mix)

2009 - JJ Watt and O'Brien Schofield on the outside was just silly. Butrum, Moore, and Stehle weren't bonkers good, but were plenty solid.

2004 - That defense was built on a monster D-line, though the back end was super as well. Anttaj Hawthorne, Erasmus James, Jason Jefferson and Jonathan Welsh. Had a couple OK backups.

1998 - Tom Burke was the star with Jake Sprague, Ross Kolodziej, John Favret. Wendell Bryant was a freshman backup.

I think maybe there was an early 90s group that might've been near there, but wasn't around for it and too lazy to research. The 2006 group of Matt Shaughnessy, Nick Hayden, Mike Newkirk, Jason Chapman, Joe Monty, Jamal Cooper was a cut below, but quite good.
1993 was Shakerford, Fowler and Thompson. Very solid for sure.

Right now: Benton, Williams, Lowdermilk, Rand, Henningsen - could be special. So far, they have been.

2017 with James, Sags and Sheehy was really good too.
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847badgerfan

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Re: What's your team's best defensive line?
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2020, 07:38:45 AM »
Was Wendell Bryant better than Erasmus James?  I think they were both great, but they're sort of blurred together in my mind.
Hard to say which was better. Both were really good. I guess I'd go with James.
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NorthernOhioBuckeye

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Re: What's your team's best defensive line?
« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2020, 07:57:17 AM »
For OSU...

My mind immediately goes to 1996. I don't know that they were the best, but Matt Funkes, Winfield Garnett, Luke Fickell, and Mike Vrabel is maybe the first defense line that I remember.  Certainly not a bad lineup as far as coaching goes.

2017 is pretty danged talented.  Chase Young and Nick Bosa are in the 2 deep, along with Sam Hubbard, Dremont Jones, and Tyquan Lewis.  I don't remember that line being so great, though.

2002 was maybe the best defense I've seen at OSU, but aside from Will Smith not a ton of star power.
While the 2002 line did not have a lot of "star" power, they were VERY good. Tim Anderson was a rock at nose guard. Quinn Pitcock and Kenny Peterson were solid.  Howver, the DE's were really the stars and moved down into tackle positions occasionally. Simon Fraser, Mike Kudla, Jay Richardson, Darrion Scott and as you mentioned, Will Smith. 

While they didn't have the star power, they dominated every game they played allowing the back 7 to make plays all over the field. And they had too with the offense that struggled all year to put a lot of distance between themselves and their opponents. That was a special group.

rolltidefan

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Re: What's your team's best defensive line?
« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2020, 10:07:43 AM »
1992

2009

2016

the 2011 d might be better overall than any of them, but the dline wasn't where the star talent was.

Cincydawg

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Re: What's your team's best defensive line?
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2020, 10:20:12 AM »
1968:

Amongst the headliners were a pair of All-Americans, defensive tackle Bill Stanfill and safety/returner Jake Scott, who would both go on to iconic All-Pro careers in Miami.
 
 Steve Greer would be named All-American in 1969, Russell calling him “the toughest player he ever coached”. Stanfill, Greer, Terry Osbolt and Lee Daniel formed the middle of the line in the old “Wide Tackle Six.” The ends were the best in the conference – David McKnight and, before rising to fame for the Atlanta Olympics and as Chairman of The Augusta National Golf Club, Billy Payne. 
 
All-SEC linebacker and longtime team physician Happy Dicks had suffered an injury and looked doubtful for the Bulldogs thrilling 21-20 win at South Carolina, which led to the greatest headline in sports history from the superbly talented mind and pen of the inimitable Lewis Grizzard. “Dogs To Play Cocks With Dicks Out.”

FearlessF

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Re: What's your team's best defensive line?
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2020, 10:28:57 AM »
might have to go back to 1970 for the Huskers

1984?

1993, 94, 95?

I'll have to do some research
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