College Football Rankings: Power Ranking the Top 5 Defenses in 2011

Over the past few years, football has suddenly become a game geared toward flashy plays and big offensive showdowns.

Whatever happened to good, ole fashioned defense?

Offense may be the new fad, but at the end of the day it's still defense that wins championships.

Even Auburn, who relied on its offense all season, won the National Championship last season due to its defensive play.

You don't need to look very hard to find great defenses in college football.

In fact, some defenses this year have the potential to be some of the most dominant we've seen in recent years.

We'll be looking at only the best of the best in these rankings. Here are the top five defenses in college football this upcoming year.

5. Nebraska Cornhuskers

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LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 13: Jared Crick #94 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers runs down D.J. Beshears #20 of the Kansas Jayhawks during first half action of their game at Memorial Stadium on November 13, 2010 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Eric Francis/Getty I

The Nebraska Cornhuskers' first season in the Big Ten will be aided by one of the best defenses in the nation.

Last year, Nebraska had to find a replacement for star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and they found him quickly in Jared Crick.

Crick finished last season with 9.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for a loss.

This season, the Cornhuskers will look to replace star cornerback Prince Amukamara. There are also a few other holes to fill in the secondary.

Other than that, last year's ninth ranked scoring defense looks the same.

The questions in the secondary shouldn't present a huge problem, since the Cornhuskers usually have relatively good depth.

This defense has the capability to be one of the most dominant yet again in 2011.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 04: Brian Rolle #36 of the Ohio State Buckeyes holds the trophy as the Buckeyes celebrate their 31-26 victory against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on January 4, 2011 in New Or

With all the focus on Terrelle Pryor and the "Tat Five" the Ohio State defense seems to be flying under the radar.

The Buckeyes are consistently one of the top teams in the nation defensively, and the 2011 team will be no different.

In 2010, they allowed just 14.3 points per game. The statistic ranked them as the fifth best in the nation.

The team rarely has any big-name talents known across the nation, but as a unit they always seem to be one of the best.

Don't get me wrong, they still occasionally find stars like James Laurinaitis and Cameron Heyward.

Ohio State lost some of their most talented players in this year's NFL Draft, but I wouldn't expect much of a drop off. The Buckeyes always have depth, and this year will likely be no different.

3. LSU Tigers

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ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 07: Members of the Louisiana State University Tigers celebrate after defeating the Texas A&M Aggies 41-24 during the AT&T Cotton Bowl at Cowboys Stadium on January 7, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Image

The LSU Tigers will be losing their three biggest defensive stars entering the 2011 season: Patrick Peterson, Drake Nevis and Kelvin Sheppard.

It's hard to believe, but the team could be just as good without them.

Morris Claiborne and Tyrann Mathieu will fill in fine at cornerback, although neither will be as amazing as Peterson.

Senior Ryan Baker will lead the team into battle at linebacker. The playmaker could become one of the higher picks in next year's NFL Draft.

The entire defensive line is athletic, talented and diverse.

It's amazing how stacked the Tigers are on the defensive side of the ball. If the offense steps up this season, LSU could be on pace for a National Championship run.

2. TCU Horned Frogs

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 04: (R-L) Tanner Brock #35 and Logan Sligar #59 of the TCU Horned Frogs react after making a tackle in the first half against the Boise State Broncos during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on January

I know I'm going to take some major heat for this one, but TCU deserves a little respect.

This is a team that went undefeated and had the top ranked scoring defense last season, allowing only 12.0 points per game.

For those who want to make the argument about the comparative weakness of the Mountain West conference, I'd just like to remind you that the Horned Frogs did hold Wisconsin to just 19 points in the Rose Bowl.

That Wisconsin team was the fifth ranked scoring team in NCAA football, scoring 41.5 points per game last year.

Obviously, this team will get the knock for playing weaker opponents. Maybe that's deserved, but respect needs to be paid to the team that led the nation in total defense for three straight seasons.

Tank Carder and Tanner Brock are the leaders of this defense. Both likely have futures at the next level.

Talk them down all you want, but don't be surprised if the season ends with TCU as the top ranked defense yet again.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

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TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 02: Dont'a Hightower #30 of the Alabama Crimson Tide against the Florida Gators at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 2, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

It's almost unfair how great Alabama's defense is each and every year.

I'm sure you won't hear many complaints from Crimson Tide fans.

The team that ranked third in scoring defense with 13.5 points per game last season will return nine starters in 2011.

Experience, along with talent. That's a dangerous combination.

The key departure is that of defensive tackle Marcel Dareus, who was the third overall selection in the NFL Draft.

Dare I say, replacement Josh Chapman won't show much of a drop off in talent.

The defense will be led by the line-backing corps, which is likely the best in the entire nation.

Defense wins championships, and it's the reason Alabama will be back in the hunt this season.