Everyone knows that the Texas defense is good, but when you look at the numbers through the first four weeks of the season, it is somewhat astonishing just how dominant the Longhorns have been on the defensive side of the ball.
With four games in the rearview mirror, the Horns are tied with the Georgia Bulldogs for the fewest points allowed per game among SEC teams at 13.3 per game.
However, while Texas has already racked up two top-15 wins, the Bulldogs have yet to play a ranked opponent, their most recent wins coming over unranked Arkansas and Oklahoma. Meanwhile, the Longhorns defeated the then-No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 2 and just held the then-No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers to just 17 points.
In other words, the dominance of the Texas defense has been second to none so far this season, and it's just getting started.
That's also in comparison to the Oklahoma Sooners, who are supposed to boast one of the top defenses in the country, with head coach Brent Venables coming from a defensive background. While the Horns and Dawgs have allowed just 13.3 points per game, the Sooners have already allowed 16.0 PPG, with only one ranked game on their resume so far (the 41-13 loss to Georgia).
SEC teams' points per games allowed through Week 4
1. Texas Longhorns, 13.3 PPG
1. Georgia Bulldogs, 13.3 PPG
3. LSU Tigers, 15.5 PPG
3. Tennessee Volunteers, 15.5 PPG
5. Oklahoma Sooners, 16.0 PPG
6. Alabama Crimson Tide, 20.3 PPG
7. Auburn Tigers, 20.8 PPG
7. Missouri Tigers, 20.8 PPG
9. Mississippi State Bulldogs, 21.0 PPG
10. Texas A&M Aggies, 21.5 PPG
11. Vanderbilt Commodores, 21.8 PPG
12. Florida Gators, 22.8 PPG
13. South Carolina Gamecocks, 24.8 PPG
14. Kentucky Wildcats, 25.0 PPG
15. Arkansas Razorbacks, 27.0 PPG
16. Ole Miss Rebels, 30.8 PPG
Texas's defense is undeniably making up for its lackluster offense
And while we might have the highest expectations possible for Texas's offense, which boasts stars like Arch Manning, Cam Coleman, Hollywood Smothers, and Trevor Goosby, it has undeniably been the defense carrying the load of the 4-0 record and the No. 1 ranking.
In comparison to the top-ranked defense in the SEC, the Longhorns find themselves right in the middle of the conference's ranking for offensive productivity.
Somewhat shockingly, it's the Florida Gators topping the charts on offense, scoring 4.55 points per drive, followed by Georgia at 4.13 points per drive. Texas has the ninth-most productive offense at 2.93 points per possession.
SEC teams' points scored per drive through Week 4
- Florida Gators, 4.55 points per drive
- Georgia Bulldogs, 4.12 PPD
- Mississippi State Bulldogs, 3.74 PPD
- Alabama Crimson Tide, 3.72 PPD
- Ole Miss Rebels, 3.16 PPD
- Tennessee Volunteers, 3.11 PPD
- South Carolina Gamecocks, 3.04 PPD
- LSU Tigers, 2.96 PPD
- Texas Longhorns, 2.93 PPD
- Kentucky Wildcats, 2.91 PPD
- Missouri Tigers, 2.82 PPD
- Auburn Tigers, 2.31 PPD
- Texas A&M Aggies, 2.22 PPD
- Arkansas Razorbacks, 2.00 PPD
- Oklahoma Sooners, 1.72 PPD
Of course, even those numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt because Texas has gone up against two impressive defenses in Ohio State and Tennessee (tied for the third-best in the SEC in points allowed per game).
So, with lesser defenses still on the horizon, the Horns can only be expected to improve on the offensive side of the ball. However, that schedule also comes with some of the most productive offenses still ahead, putting more pressure on Texas's defense to step it up a notch.
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