Forget onepeats – who was the last team to beat a Gene Chizik defense?

Georgia.

In November, 2003.

That streak might come to an end this year (then again, it has a good chance of standing also). It’s not uncommon for good coordinators to duplicate success from job to job, but it’s amazing to construct two separate defenses of undefeated programs. Of course he had good talent to work with and a strong offense making the difference in a lot of those wins. The guy must be doing something right though.

The Chizik defenses we saw at Auburn weren’t especially overwhelming or physical, but we did see plenty of speed. Linebackers all over the field. Agile defensive tackles. Defensive ends who specialized in the pass rush. Even in Georgia’s solid 2003 win, points were excruciatingly tough to come by, and I didn’t feel good until Odell Thurman’s back-breaking interception. In 2004, Auburn’s defense was overshadowed by the offense, but the defense led the nation in scoring defense and was Top 5 in yardage. I was especially impressed in the 2004 Georgia game how Auburn made plays to stop the few potential game-changing drives that Georgia put together.

Chizik’s Texas defense last year wasn’t quite as good. I didn’t consider them dominant against Ohio State or USC, and they were a bit shaky against the run, but they played well enough during the season to finish as a top 10 unit in scoring and total defense while giving Young and Co. plenty of support.

28 and counting. How long will it last?