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Snubbed: No B1G teams mentioned among PFF’s Top 10 defenses in 2021

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

We’re still more than a month away from the first kickoff of the 2021 college football season, but the B1G is already getting snubbed.

This week, Pro Football Focus (PFF) released its Top 10 defenses in college football entering the 2021 season. There wasn’t one B1G team mentioned in the rankings. Last year, the B1G had three teams finish ranked in the Top 10 nationally in scoring defense and two ended the season among the country’s best in total defense, as well.

Northwestern owned the B1G’s best defense in terms off keeping opponents off the scoreboard — allowing just 15.9 points per game. That average ranked No. 5 nationally. Iowa finished sixth with 16.0 points per game allowed and Wisconsin was at No. 9 after allowing 17.4 points per contest.

Iowa and Wisconsin finished in the Top 10 in the country in total defense, as well.

Here’s a look at PFF’s Top 10:

  1. Alabama
  2. Georgia
  3. Clemson
  4. Cincinnati
  5. Washington
  6. Texas A&M
  7. UAB
  8. Louisiana
  9. Pittsburgh
  10. LSU

The B1G typically has multiple teams finish inside the Top 10 nationally in scoring defense and total defense, but that clearly didn’t matter to PFF.

In addition to the three teams mentioned above, teams like Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio State and Penn State return a lot of talent on that side of the ball. Defense could be a real strength for the conference in 2021.

For now, that’s not how PFF is viewing it.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB