The new Pac-12: Where defense comes to die

This is all my fault.

If you watched any Pac-12 football in 2011, you may have noticed a key component of the game missing througout the entire season.

But I'm not talking about a particular coach or player. I'm talking about defense.

In the era of the spread offense, the Pac-12 finds its teams rapidly adjusting to the changing of the guard with each passing season. And as Washington State hired offensive guru Mike Leach to be their next head coach, it has become evident that the old "defense wins championships" mantra has never been further from the truth.

For some statistical evidence, here's a breakdown of the points per game in the Pac-12 over the last five seasons (yes, there were only 10 teams up until this season).

2011: 30.9 PPG
2010: 29.1 PPG
2009: 26.9 PPG
2008: 27.2 PPG
2007: 28.5 PPG

Though the differences may not be staggering, one can see that there is certainly an upward trend in terms of offensive production. You can also believe that Mike Leach's entrance into the conference will only continue the trend, particularly for a program that has been devoid of offensive production for much of these past five seasons.

The implementation of more of the spread offense and offensive explosion is certainly nothing new to college football, however. Anyone who watched one quarter's worth of a MAC or Big 12 game this season could certainly figure out that the plan for most defensive coordinators was to ensure that their team's offense had the ball last.

Now, even programs that have typically sent prominent defensive players to the NFL are realizing the importance of being able to spread the field and score points in bunches on offense. Just look at the USC Trojans. Just a few years removed from sending great defensive personnel like Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews, and Troy Polamalu to the NFL, the Trojans' defense is practically an afterthought with Matt Barkley, Robert Woods and Marquise Lee on the roster.

Despite being the fourth-best defense in the conference this season, the Trojans gave up over 100 more yards per game in 2011 (374.8) than they did when leading the conference in defense back in 2007 (274.2).

The conference has also witnessed firsthand the importance of having a dynamic offense when Oregon head coach Chip Kelly came over from New Hampshire to serve as the Ducks' offensive coordinator in 2007. Since his arrival, Oregon has averaged no less than 36 points per game, including an astonishing 47 points per game during their run to the national championship in 2010. Kelly continues to recruit stellar, impact athletes on the offensive side of the ball that he is able to utilize efficiently in the open field seemingly at will. Even in their lone Pac-12 loss to USC this season, the Ducks still managed to rack up 474 yards of total offense.

Arizona State and UCLA still have yet to choose their next head coach, but nearly all of the names mentioned thus far are those known for their offensive innovation and their teams' ability to score lots of points. And with Mike Leach (whose Texas Tech team averaged 510 yards of total offense in his last three seasons) now in the fold in Pullman, the rest of of the Pac-12 understands that the days of relying on stingy defenses to carry them to the Rose Bowl and beyond are long gone.

I kinda like to think of the new Pac-12 like that old Edwin Starr song, albeit with a lyrical twist.

Defense. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.