Filed under: Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech, Big 12
Coming to Texas Tech this season from the SEC, coach Tommy Tuberville knew he was going to have to acquire a different appetite for offensive football.What Tuberville perhaps didn't anticipate is that his philosophy on what is acceptable on defense would have to change as well. The proliferation of spread offenses across the country has had the effect of producing once unthinkable numbers and that has certainly been the case in the Big 12.
The conference has five teams that currently rank among the top 25 in the nation in total offense and seven teams total that are averaging 424.65 yards per game or better. Big 12 schools are also scoring at a high rate, with five teams ranking among the nation's top 25 in scoring.
Oklahoma State and its spread offense are second in the nation in scoring (48.29 points per game) and third in total offense (529.57 yards per game).
Those numbers are enough to give a defensive-minded coach like Tuberville some sleepless nights.
"You have to be patient on defense, that's what I've found out about it," said Tuberville, a longtime coach at Auburn before taking a year away from football then heading over to Tech. "In the SEC, it's pretty much the bull in the china closet. You have to pretty much stop the run first and the games are always going to be one or two touchdowns difference.
"But in this league, no matter who you play, you might have a great offense, but if your defense doesn't step up and cause some turnovers it can get away quick."
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