Ed Orgeron on How LSU Defense Can Adjust to "Basketball on Grass" Offenses

Since the 2019 season, Ed Orgeron has pretty much coined the term "basketball on grass" when referring to the efficiency in which modern college football offenses operate nowadays.

Long gone are the days that college defenses can carry teams to undefeated seasons or be expect to hold an opposing offense to under 20 points. There have been some truly phenomenal defensive players to grace the LSU stage over the last three or four years.

But college offenses have periodically moved away from the I-formation or having their quarterbacks under center and moving towards a more pro style offense like the spread. It's forced defensive minded coaches like Orgeron to really rethink what can be done to slow down those offenses and it's something the college world is still adjusting to.

"Yea, I know offenses are going to score points. That's what they do now a days. Back in the day when I was at Miami, I think our goal was to limit them under 13 points," Orgeron said. "I don't think that's realistic now a days. I think offenses will score points. What I want to do is take care of what we can take care of. Eliminate the big play, the explosive plays, eliminate the mental errors and play defense. Run to the football and tackle and make them earn it."

Offenses are more and more spread out and schemed in a way to put athletes on athletes and let the best man win. It took longer than expected but the combination of Joe Burrow and Joe Brady helped LSU unlock its future offensive style and has recruited a steady stream of quarterbacks over the next few years to keep it around for good.

As much as the offensive game has changed over the last few years, defenses are still trying to figure out the best ways to slow down these potent offenses. Nick Saban has been one of the brightest defensive minds of the generation but even he has said how difficult it's been to adjust to what offenses are capable of.

"I mean, it's challenging as a defensive guy to be able to adapt and adjust to the way the game is played now. I think the rules in college football has sort of ignited the change throughout the game," Saban told 680 The Fan this summer. "Blocking three and a half yards down the field on a pass play which leads to RPOs is a dramatic change in the way you play football. You need to be spread out to do that."

In 2019, the LSU defense allowed opposing offenses to average 344 yards per game and 28.94 points per game, just a fraction off the then 30.08 program record in 2016. The next year, LSU shattered all records by allowing 492 yards per game and 34.9 points per contest, largely because of the explosive plays allowed in all of the games.

Eliminating the mental mistakes like Orgeron said, is one way to keep these offenses from big chunk plays downfield and that comes through communication and trust in the back half of the defense. That's what LSU spent an entire offseason trying to correct and will be interesting to see what kind of progress is made in 2021.