Big 12 leads all teams in scoring defense during bowl season
The Big 12 has been the conference of no defense the past few seasons, a place where offenses can come to pad their stats.
One had to look no further than when Oklahoma played Texas Tech, which featured 1,708 yards of offense and 125 points in a game that did not even go to overtime.
The Red Raiders finished 128 out of 128 in scoring defense in 2016, as they allowed 43.5 points per game. Kansas was not far behind, allowing on average 37.3 points against. As a whole, the Big 12 as a conference on defense allowed 30.2 points per game.
On the flip side, the Big Ten allowed just under 24 points per game across the conference.
However, in bowl season, it was the Big 12 that led all Power 5 conferences in scoring defense.
| Conference | Scoring Defense | Bowl Record |
|---|---|---|
| Big 12 | 21.5 | 4-2 |
| ACC | 22.3 | 8-3 |
| SEC | 25.4 | 6-6 |
| Pac-12 | 29.2 | 3-3 |
| Big Ten | 29.8 | 3-7 |
More surprisingly was the Big Ten finishing last among Power 5 conferences this bowl season, after having three schools rank in the top four in scoring defense in 2016 and six in the top 25.
During the regular season, Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin allowed 12.5, 13.6, and 15 points respectively on average, ranking second, third, and fourth behind Alabama's 11.8.
In their bowl games though, the Wolverines, Buckeyes, and Badgers allowed 33, 31, and 16 points. Only the Badgers' defense showed up, while Penn State also allowed 52 to USC and Nebraska, and 38 to Tennessee.
Meanwhile, Baylor held Boise State's explosive offense to 12 points and Oklahoma State shutdown Colorado, beating the Buffaloes 38-8.
When it comes to bowl games, nothing seems to go according to script.
(h/t Bruce Feldman)