I think both DCs are excellent. I love the way Golden
pairs pressure with coverage. When Lea would pressure, it seemed like we would usually be playing soft coverage behind it and concede the completion. Golden pressures, anticipates where the hot throw will go and blankets it. Both defenses get off the field. Golden seems to create more havoc.
But overall you might as well be asking me to choose between my two kids -- especially in the context of ND DCs during my 35-ish years as a ND fan. Some of my earliest ND memories involve complaining about Gary Darnell.
I mean, off the top of my head, since Alvarez, hasn't it been:
- Darnell - So bad that Lou ended up calling the D himself at times.
- Minter - OK at times, but too complex, such that DuBose was infamously looking at his wristband on a key play.
- Davie - Credit where credit is due. Honestly, the highlight at DC for probably a two-decade span between Alvarez and Diaco. There's probably a hot debate on sports talk radio in purgatory about whether Davie or Diaco was a better DC.
- Mattison?
- Baer
- Minter again. If he had been able to create even modest friction for our opponents, we would have destroyed teams in 05 and 06.
- Brown
- Brown and Tah Noo Tah (great for blogging, bad for football). Though I will never forget those nascent days of FIM with the quote: "Paskorsz, you couldn't break a f*cking egg."
- Diaco
- VanGorder
- Elko
- Lea
- Freeman
- Golden
We can certainly debate relative merits. But let's all remember that we are in a freeking golden age of ND defenses, including the "glory days" of Lou.
Complete thread:
- Why am I so annoyed we might lose Al Golden? -
Larz,
2025-01-22, 10:14
- Here’s why I’m not mad at him -
JD in Portland,
2025-01-22, 13:46
- Right. We've been hoping he wouldn't leave to go back - BillyGoat, 2025-01-22, 14:19
- it would be nice to have a good DC stay longer than 3 years
- Kyle, 2025-01-22, 12:14
- Does that happen any more? Venables was at Clemson -
BillyGoat,
2025-01-22, 12:28
- true, I was hoping he could be Freeman's version of Venables -
Kyle,
2025-01-22, 13:19
- Me too. And I still think there's a chance. It seems like -
BillyGoat,
2025-01-22, 13:30
- LOL. This didn't age well. Or, at least, not for long.
- BillyGoat, 2025-01-22, 13:31
- Sounds like this might have been the only job - Jeremy (WeIsND), 2025-01-22, 13:39
- LOL. This didn't age well. Or, at least, not for long.
- Me too. And I still think there's a chance. It seems like -
BillyGoat,
2025-01-22, 13:30
- true, I was hoping he could be Freeman's version of Venables -
Kyle,
2025-01-22, 13:19
- Does that happen any more? Venables was at Clemson -
BillyGoat,
2025-01-22, 12:28
- I'm less annoyed with every passing day -
Jeremy (WeIsND),
2025-01-22, 11:41
- Golden was a home run hire, though -
Jay,
2025-01-22, 12:08
- The good news is that Freeman doesn't need him as much now - Jeff (BGS), 2025-01-22, 13:17
- Definitely not. There's an art first and foremost to - BillyGoat, 2025-01-22, 12:26
- Are your concerns about Freeman specifically? Or are they - BillyGoat, 2025-01-22, 11:59
- what have his biggest whiffs been? -
Mike (bart),
2025-01-22, 11:58
- I don't have concerns about hires he's made -
Jeremy (WeIsND),
2025-01-22, 12:11
- Why wouldn't he? -
Jack,
2025-01-22, 13:06
- Saban 2.0 - JD in Portland, 2025-01-22, 14:00
- The program is also in a very different spot -
Mike (bart),
2025-01-22, 12:16
- I think we need to get a bit more Diaco-ish -
HumanRobot,
2025-01-22, 12:18
- strong disagree -
Mike (bart),
2025-01-22, 12:27
- Also, I think that we have to assume we will continue to - BillyGoat, 2025-01-22, 12:30
- Maybe more Diaco-ish in terms of having a ready-made -
bpeters07,
2025-01-22, 12:29
- We had a ready made default. C-1 Robber - Mike (bart), 2025-01-22, 12:33
- thanks, that's what I was trying to say - HumanRobot, 2025-01-22, 12:32
- strong disagree -
Mike (bart),
2025-01-22, 12:27
- I think we need to get a bit more Diaco-ish -
HumanRobot,
2025-01-22, 12:18
- Why wouldn't he? -
Jack,
2025-01-22, 13:06
- Agreed. -
KGB,
2025-01-22, 12:05
- I think Golden was recommended to Freeman by Swarbrick -
HumanRobot,
2025-01-22, 12:09
- true
- Jay, 2025-01-22, 12:31
- true
- I think Golden was recommended to Freeman by Swarbrick -
HumanRobot,
2025-01-22, 12:09
- Totally agree. The "misses" all deserve at least an asterisk - BillyGoat, 2025-01-22, 12:02
- I don't have concerns about hires he's made -
Jeremy (WeIsND),
2025-01-22, 12:11
- Golden was a home run hire, though -
Jay,
2025-01-22, 12:08
- I really want to know what the hell he was thinking on D -
Jay,
2025-01-22, 10:27
- Coincidence? -
Domer99,
2025-01-22, 10:58
- I dunno -
Jay,
2025-01-22, 11:03
- I don’t love this take but -
Dallasdomer,
2025-01-22, 11:26
- I completely disagree on Lea relative to Golden. -
KGB,
2025-01-22, 11:41
- I think both DCs are excellent. I love the way Golden -
BillyGoat,
2025-01-22, 11:55
- We will miss Golden if he leaves - DenverIrish, 2025-01-22, 12:33
- I think both DCs are excellent. I love the way Golden -
BillyGoat,
2025-01-22, 11:55
- I completely disagree on Lea relative to Golden. -
KGB,
2025-01-22, 11:41
- I don’t love this take but -
Dallasdomer,
2025-01-22, 11:26
- I dunno -
Jay,
2025-01-22, 11:03
- Yes. - PMan, 2025-01-22, 10:34
- We just couldn't get home on Howard. -
KGB,
2025-01-22, 10:31
- Howard's pocket presence was excellent too -
bpeters07,
2025-01-22, 10:45
- Especially because that pass was rushed and incomplete - CK08, 2025-01-22, 11:00
- It felt like he was getting rid of the ball very quickly.
- Grantland, 2025-01-22, 10:36
- Which means receivers were open - Jack, 2025-01-22, 10:48
- Howard's pocket presence was excellent too -
bpeters07,
2025-01-22, 10:45
- someone in Slack -
HumanRobot,
2025-01-22, 10:31
- is the Coach Cam a different feed than Skycast?
- Jay, 2025-01-22, 10:48
- Yeah -
bpeters07,
2025-01-22, 11:09
- speaking of Ryan Harris -
Jay,
2025-01-22, 11:14
- Awesome - bpeters07, 2025-01-22, 11:25
- speaking of Ryan Harris -
Jay,
2025-01-22, 11:14
- Yeah -
bpeters07,
2025-01-22, 11:09
- Coach cam showed Freeman having an extended conversation - bpeters07, 2025-01-22, 10:42
- is the Coach Cam a different feed than Skycast?
- On the last 3rd down play where we blitzed 7 -
Mike (bart),
2025-01-22, 10:30
- how about the first TD -
Jay,
2025-01-22, 11:09
- Smith faked a reverse/end around - CK08, 2025-01-22, 11:41
- the timeout usage generally was BAD -
Mike (bart),
2025-01-22, 11:19
- I hated the timeout on OSU's last drive of the half -
CK08,
2025-01-22, 11:43
- It was an aggressive call - Jeremy (WeIsND), 2025-01-22, 12:15
- I hated the timeout on OSU's last drive of the half -
CK08,
2025-01-22, 11:43
- how about the first TD -
Jay,
2025-01-22, 11:09
- Coincidence? -
Domer99,
2025-01-22, 10:58
- Because it's the stupid, cheap-ass Bengals. -
KGB,
2025-01-22, 10:26
- Yes. Agreed. - Greg, 2025-01-22, 10:56
- I've got a bunch of copes lined up -
HumanRobot,
2025-01-22, 10:21
- Even if this isn’t exactly right - Dallasdomer, 2025-01-22, 13:09
- Here’s why I’m not mad at him -
JD in Portland,
2025-01-22, 13:46