2013 College Football Expert Predictions: Top 5 Defensive Lines – South Carolina the Best

2013 College Football Expert Predictions: Top 5 Defensive Lines – South Carolina the Best: In the game of football, there is no easier recipe for success than controlling the line of scrimmage. On the defensive side of the ball, the responsibility of winning the battle in the trenches belongs mainly to the defensive line. Whether the big guys up front are simply occupying blockers so that their teammates can make plays or are actually making big plays themselves, a stout defensive front can be the groundwork for an elite defensive unit, and history says it takes a strong defense to win a national title in college football these days. In fact, 10 of the 11 champions have ranked in the top 15 nationally when it comes to stopping the run. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the top defensive lines in the country heading into the 2013 college football season.

1.      South Carolina Gamecocks

Any line that has a player like Jadeveon Clowney on it is going to be one the best in the business, and while the Heisman hopeful did lead the Gamecocks with 13.0 sacks last year, his fellow linemen are more than capable of taking advantage of double teams he draws. Fellow defensive end Chaz Sutton is back, and the same came be said for stud defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles. With three starters back, including the best defender in the country in Clowney, from a group that helped South Carolina lead the SEC with 43.0 sacks last year, opposing quarterbacks are going to be in for a long year.

2.      Stanford Cardinal

While defensive ends Ben Gardner and Henry Anderson are the headliners, Stanford returns all of its starters along a defensive line that dominated in the trenches last season and paved the way for one of the toughest defenses in the country. After all, the Cardinal led the country with 57.0 sacks a year ago and ranked fourth in stopping the run. The talent, experience and chemistry of this group should lead to another productive season.

3.      TCU Horned Frogs

With Chucky Hunter on the inside and Devonte Fields on the edge, TCU has one of the best tandems in the country leading its defensive line. Fields in particular has star potential, and he is coming off a true freshman campaign that included 10.0 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss. The Horned Frogs line isn’t the biggest around, but they are all fast, athletic and relentless. Fields is the X-factor, but TCU’s entire defensive line can cause havoc.

4.      Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Fighting Irish use a 3-4 base, and since two of the three starters along the defensive front are among the elite at their positions, the Fighting Irish line qualifies as one of the best in the country. Nose tackle Louis Nix is a wrecking ball at the point of attack, and he commands double teams on a routine basis. Meanwhile, defensive end Stephon Tuitt piled up 12.0 sacks last season as a sophomore. Yes, Notre Dame did get whipped in the trenches in the title game last year, this is still the same defensive front that helped the Fighting Irish allow the fewest points of any team in the country in 2012.

5.      Arizona State Sun Devils

Defensive tackle Will Sutton is the best playmaker at the position in college football, and his presence alone in the middle of Arizona State’s line makes it one of the better units in the country. The bad news for opponents is that the entire defensive line returns intact for a Sun Devils’ defense that finished second in the nation with 53.0 sacks in 2012. Sutton and company get consistent pressure in the backfield and make a ton of plays behind the line of scrimmage. You can’t ask for much more out of s defensive front.

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