Teams Assess Defensive Strengths, Struggles

Defensive outlooks vary widely across the teams assessed. Notre Dame has been dominant, leading the nation in total defense and ranking second in turnovers forced, while Detroit has shown pass-rush progress but still faces questions about its defense’s consistency. Michigan State’s defense has struggled, especially generating pressure, and injuries have thinned its linebacker depth; Mississippi State is also looking to improve after allowing Alabama 56 points. Clemson has added talent and coaching changes to strengthen its defense, but injuries, uneven pass-rush production and other setbacks have limited the results so far.