3-4 Defense: The Obamacare of College Football

Hello everyone,
  This is Matt. Natasha has asked me (for quite a while, I might add) to make a 'guest' post on her blog.  I've finally given in to the pressure and found the time to write something.  I am not sure what to write about, so I'll just wing it like I do most everything else.
   I should probably start out with a short bio so that you can get a feel for who the heck I am. We have two kids, Wyatt and Alexis, who mean the world to me. I spent 7 years in the United States Army as a combat medic and infantryman. I now work for an end-to-end supply chain solutions company in central Texas.  Although not as exciting as the Army, my job keeps me interested and very busy. I like to play golf (I just finished my first round in almost two months), hunt, fish, and spend time with those I love. I'm a sports fanatic and my moods are directly affected by the performance of the teams I support, much to the chagrin of my inexplicably patient love.  I like to drink beer and enjoy a good single malt scotch.  I miss Natasha more than I can ever explain and am spending as much time as I can at work to help pass the days until she comes home. 
    Well, that's enough about me; let's talk about something much more interesting. Oh, you like sports you say? What a coincidence, so do I! You really want to hear my opinion on why the 3-4 defense doesn't work in college? That's awesome, because that is exactly what I want to talk about!
   As I am sure most of you know, since you follow the goings-on of the football program at the University of Georgia, Todd Grantham recently resigned his post as defensive coordinator and high-tailed it to Louisville to work with the very esteemed and well respected Bobby Petrino (that is sarcasm, by the way). Mr. Grantham is a strong proponent of the 3-4 defense because of the options it gives a team against both the run and pass.  It allows for more speed on defense and allows for a variety of options in pass coverage.  On paper, the 3-4 defense looks great for a college team: outside linebackers in college are generally smaller and more agile and would probably be playing safety if they were a little faster.  This allows them to quickly maneuver into the gaps to stop the run or rush the passer. However, much like communism, looking good on paper and actually being good are two different things. 
  The 3-4 is very reliant on a better-than-average nose tackle to disrupt the offensive line's blocking schemes and make contact with the running back in the backfield. This doesn't really seem like a huge problem until you realize that there are very few true nose tackles coming out of high school. This is because the 3-4 defense doesn't work as well against the power running game employed by most high school programs.  If guys aren't playing nose tackle in high school, most don't want to or aren't good enough to play the position in college.
    Remember what I said about smaller outside linebackers being able to play in the 3-4? That's if they are freaks of nature like Jarvis Jones or Ahmad Brooks.  If these smaller outside linebackers are not able to be the engineer on the pain train, the defense doesn't pan out against good running teams.  The University of Georgia, playing in the SEC, lines up against some of the most ruthless and powerful running backs week in and week out. Small linebackers and minimal run support don't match up well against the power running teams of the SEC and other major college football conferences. 
   One of the major benefits of the 3-4 is it's ability to match up against the pass. This is great if you have fast linebackers that can cover a slot receiver, tight end, or running back. However, in the college game, the disparity in speed between offensive skill position players and linebackers is immediately evident and is often exposed over the middle of the field, effectively neutralizing the primary benefit of the 3-4 defense.
   Well, that's enough from me for one day. I bid you all adieu. 

This is Matt's first of many (future) appearances on the blog. He's my go-to for information or advice on all things manly and is a plethora of knowledge. Expect to read more from him.