Eight of the past 10 national champions finished in the top 10 of ESPN’s defensive efficiency ratings -- a per-play, opponent-adjusted measure of defensive productivity. Ohio State last season was one of the few champions that did not (16th overall), but the Buckeyes posted three of their highest single-game ratings of the season in the Big Ten championship game and College Football Playoff.

In today’s game, offense puts up the flashy numbers, but defense continues to win championships. On Monday, we took you through the top five projected offenses for 2015, and now we’ll take you through the top defensive units in the country.