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Before the high-flying Deshaun Watson air assault usurped Alabama in last year's national championship game, the old adage held true that college football games were won in the trenches.

But a deeper look at the Tigers shows they weren't bad off on the defensive line in 2016. As a matter of fact, they were just the opposite, and head coach Dabo Swinney's team will be even stronger on the defensive front this year.

The Crimson Tide aren't going anywhere, either.

All the good teams have difference-makers along the defensive front, and if you identify the teams with the best personnel there, you've normally gone a long way in seeing what teams are going to make noise in the rankings.

From the teams with super-duper stars like Houston's Ed Oliver to the programs with a bevy of studs like Ohio State and Clemson, let's take a look at which college football teams boast the best defensive fronts in 2017.

It's a good bet two of these teams will be in the final game of the season.