He's ruined the Big 12. We've turned into what we all used to joke the PAC 10 was: All league of all offense and no D. Even teams with defensive tradition and good athletes like OU, and Texas can't stop these ridiculous offenses. I begin to think the days of the Blackshirts, and Wrecking Crew style defenses are gone forever. Certainly they won't return unless the NCAA steps in to better balance the rules. They are too much in favor of the offenses right now... Heck even my Aggies are running a form of the spread. More from necessity than desire since we can't run the ball with a decimated line. It's starting to look like it will be here to stay. Even with a "good" defense you have to be able to score big points for a win. It was refreshing to watch the OSU/PSU game last night. Teams slugging it out, not winging the ball all over the place was nice to see.
I don't think you 'have' to do it to win. During USC's recent 'run of greatness', a lot is made of their offense but almost no one acknowledges the fact that they've had bone crushing defenses every year. the Pac10, for years, placed an emphasis on offense and we were basically told that we didn't play 'real football'...continually passed over in the polls. Good/Great defenses don't seem to have a problem with those super pass/spread offenses. I have felt for years that the rules are skewered to favor the offense...but I gave up hope long ago...but the best D's still win.
I love to watch good offenses and would be bored silly with 6 - 3 games every week. But some of the 65 - 60 games are a bit much. I agree with Corey that the best D's still win.
I like the spread offenses myself, esp if the ones like Texas where the QB can run the ball and they do a little option. This is much like the wishbone era when some ridiculous scores were being run up by the wishbone teams until the defenses figured it out. I think the defenses will catch up, maybe not to the extent where the scoring will go down to 14-10 games. But the more people run it, the more DCoord will see and get to experiment with various things to stop it. I also really like the Service Academy offenses. I used to stay up late on Sat Night to watch the Air Force in late Mtn West or before that WAC game. They were so much fun to watch for me at least.
I have always believed the best defense usually wins, and still do to some degree, but it just isn't the same now especially in the Big XII. We've seen spread teams get knocked around by fast, physical defenses in the past, but now teams with elite players are using the system, and they won't be over matched by the defenses. These days a "good" defense that faces the spread is one that can slow them down enough to force some field goals, and turnovers in hopes that their offense will score enough to hold up. Note: Tech does not fall in the category of "elite" players. Crabtree might be, but the rest of the team is not.