Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley says ‘no way’ Georgia has top-5 defense if it plays in the Big 12
At the very least this story will allow Georgia fans to remember what happened in Pasadena, Calif., on New Year’s Day this year.
Because it seems like Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley is still a little bitter.
In an appearance Tuesday morning on ESPNU Radio with Danny Kanell and Taylor Zarzour, Riley took a shot at both the Georgia defense and the SEC as a whole.
From OU head coach Lincoln Riley just now on @ESPNUonSiriusXM talking with me and @TaylorZarzour about how difficult it is to play defense in the Big 12:
"If you throw Georgia in the Big 12 every year there is no way they are a Top 5 defense in the country"
— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) July 3, 2018
“If you throw Georgia in the Big 12 every year, there is no way they are a top-5 defense in the country,” Riley said.
Well then.
Fans on Twitter were quick to reply with the counter argument that if you put the Sooners in the SEC, there’s no way they would have a top-5 offense.
Those things aside, what exactly did Riley think this shot would accomplish? His statement not only goes against Georgia but also the SEC as a whole.
It’s a really bad look of sour grapes about a team that overcame a 17-point deficit to beat your own Heisman Trophy winner SIX MONTHS AGO.
UPDATE: He’s trying to backtrack:
That’s not a shot at Georgia….they were absolutely one of the best defenses last year…it’s a compliment to our league-
— Lincoln Riley (@LincolnRiley) July 3, 2018
Yes, the Sooners offense ran rampant in the first half. But also yes, the Sooners offense totaled one touchdown in the entire second half and one field goal during two overtimes.
Georgia’s defense, at or near the top in numerous categories last season, made the better adjustments after halftime. And freeing up the best player on the field in Roquan Smith helped too.
Returning Georgia safety Richard LeCounte III had a fun reaction on Twitter:
🕵🏾♂️🕵🏾♂️🕵🏾♂️ whaaaaa https://t.co/o6CGDdTJHy
— Richard LeCounte III (@LilEasy_35) July 3, 2018
So would a Georgia or Alabama defense in the Big 12 give up a few more points per game? Probably. Would they be markedly worse defenses? Probably not.
