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It’s no secret: In college football, defenses win championships.

In fact, seven of the last eight BCS title winners finished in the top 10 in total defense. Six of those seven finished ranked in the top three.

All in all, there’s a strong possibility that next year’s college football champion will boast one of the nation’s most stifling defensive units.

But why wait until the start of the 2014 season to get a feel for who that team might be? Why not take an early—keyword: early—guess as to which teams will have the top defenses in college football?

Join Bleacher Report as we count down the top 25 defenses for the 2014 season.