The pendulum has changed direction for football offensive / defensive advantage.

In both NFL and college, the championship game came down to defensive powerhouses with capable offenses. The past 15 years saw the rise of “offense is the best defense” to the point it was basketball-paced football.

These pendulum swings arise due to the advantage of being different. Enough of the competition spends their time and money on being the best at the same thing that an advantage arises by prioritizing a different aspect of the game. It’s fun to see participants in a 150 year old game evolve its strategy using comparative advantage.