Starting with Phil Steele’s 2010 projected defense rankings, but I ranked team rush D and team pass D separately, then used my distance theorem to come up with our first fantasy focused total defense ranking.

Can UCF defense help knock off NC State and Kansas State in 2010? We feel confident the Knights can help your fantasy season. (Icon SMI)

I then overlaid total rank of opponent OLs to be faced during the season, which led to some big surprises for your draft prep – several of the top projected Ds also face the nation’s worst OLs to amplify their badassitude.

Teams like Iowa (10), North Carolina (1, pre-sanctions?), Miami (FL) (4), Alabama (8), and Florida (6) are sure to be among the 1st Ds off the board on draft day, but may end up producing similar numbers to those 2nd-tier defenses with easier schedules like Southern Miss (25), UCF (40) or surprising Kent State (46) when it’s all said and done.

Below are the rankings, then the attachment illustrates the full power of this Death Star with conference, division, AQ status (to help you sort if playing AQ only) and all the individual variables discussed above. I bolded the Top 12 in each category (Top 10%) and italicized the bottom 10%.

Fantasy College Blitz Defense 2010

RANK
1    UNC
2    TEXAS
3    OKLAHOMA
4    MIAMI
5    OHIO STATE
6    FLORIDA
7    USC
8    ALABAMA
9    TCU
10    IOWA
11    NEBRASKA
12    BOISE STATE
13    PENN STATE
14    SOUTH CAROLINA
15    OREGON
16    WEST VIRGINIA
17    MISSISSIPPI ST
18    LSU
19    MISSISSIPPI
20    PITTSBURGH
21    VIRGINIA TECH
22    NOTRE DAME
23    FLORIDA STATE
24    AUBURN

25    SOUTHERN MISS Defense 2010 All Rank.pdf – Matt Ryan

26    RUTGERS
27    CLEMSON
28    MISSOURI
29    ARIZONA STATE
30    CALIFORNIA
31    CONNECTICUT
32    WISCONSIN
33    ARKANSAS
34    OREGON STATE
35    BOSTON COLLEGE
36    MICHIGAN
37    SYRACUSE
38    UCLA
39    USF
40    UCF
41    GEORGIA
42    MICHIGAN STATE
43    ARIZONA
44    NORTHWESTERN
45    COLORADO
46    AIR FORCE
46    KENT STATE
48    TEXAS TECH
49    KANSAS STATE
50    UTAH
51    CINCINNATI
52    OKLAHOMA STATE
53    TEXAS A&M
54    BYU
55    PURDUE
56    UAB
57    ILLINOIS
58    TENNESSEE
59    SMU
60    COLORADO STATE
61    ARMY
62    WYOMING
63    VIRGINIA
64    GEORGIA TECH
65    KENTUCKY
66    SAN DIEGO STATE
67    NAVY
68    NC STATE
69    LOUISIANA TECH
70    STANFORD
71    MEMPHIS
72    MARYLAND
73    TROY
74    BAYLOR
75    MIDDLE TENNESSEE
76    ARKANSAS STATE
77    FIU
78    MINNESOTA
79    WASHINGTON
80    HOUSTON
81    TEMPLE
82    KANSAS
83    NEVADA
84    UTAH STATE
85    OHIO
86    RICE
87    NEW MEXICO
88    MARSHALL
89    FRESNO STATE
90    BUFFALO
91    NORTH TEXAS
92    HAWAII
93    EAST CAROLINA
94    UNLV
95    CENTRAL MICHIGAN
96    FLORIDA ATLANTIC
97    LOUISVILLE
98    NEW MEXICO STATE
99    IDAHO
100    NORTHERN ILLINOIS
101    SAN JOSE STATE
102    LOUISIANA
103    BALL STATE
104    INDIANA
105    TULSA
106    IOWA STATE
107    TOLEDO
108    WASHINGTON STATE
109    WESTERN MICHIGAN
110    WAKE FOREST
111    VANDERBILT
112    ULM
113    AKRON
114    DUKE
115    Western Kentucky
116    MIAMI (OH)
117    UTEP
118    TULANE
119    BOWLING GREEN
120    EASTERN MICHIGAN

Related posts:

1. BLITZIndex 2010 Defense Rankings: Oregon tops another list
2. BLITZindex College Football Defense Rankings, Nov 2
3. BLITZIndex College Football Defense Rankings, Week 11: I have run out of clever Frog similes
4. BLITZindex College Football Defense Rankings for October 25
5. BLITZIndex Defense Rankings: Horned Frogs still the baddest in the land

Tags: Cheatsheet, Defense, Hacking, Hacking Phil Steele