I believe some would call these fightin’ words. Or were merely neck deep in the offseason, one of the two.
Georgia entered its College Football Playoff semifinal matchup with Oklahoma this past January with one of the top defenses in the country. 60 minutes -- and two overtimes -- later, the Bulldogs had allowed 48 points and 531 yards en route to a thrilling six-point win that earned UGA a spot in the national championship game. During an interview on ESPNU Radio on SiriusXM with hosts Danny Kanell and Taylor Zarzour Tuesday morning, OU head coach Lincoln Riley was asked about the criticisms the Big 12’s defenses -- or lack thereof, as some would say -- face on a yearly basis.
To counter those critiques, Riley pointed to the very defense his Sooners statistically shredded in the Rose Bowl loss.
“You go throw Georgia’s defense, which was a top 5 ranked defense going into the Rose Bowl, you go throw them in the Big 12 every year they’re not going to be a top 5 defense,” Riley said in a quote sent to us by SiriusXM. “I mean, it’s just probably not going to happen.”
While that quote is certain to draw attention, Seth Emerson of The Athletic is here to remind everyone that there was a wee bit more to the interview than just that one sound bite currently making the rounds.
For all the headlines using the first part of the quote, perhaps some attention on the second part of the quote: "That's not a shot at Georgia. They were absolutely one of the best defenses last year. It's a compliment to our league." https://t.co/6XH7BdjNHJ
— Seth Emerson (@SethWEmerson) July 3, 2018
Party pooper.
We now resume your regularly scheduled offseason, already in progress...