I would agree with Navy, I see zero difference between the recent versions. I've given up 0 and 6 points in my last two user games in Bottom Feeder, but I also gave up like 5 billion yards to Best in Powerhouse in a game I won something like 67-50. You can play great defense, but you have to practice it and adapt and frankly, you have to guess, a lot. If you just sit back and try to react, you're going to give up 500 yards. You have to guess, pick up on tendencies and try to force a mistake. Sometimes you'll whiff, sometimes you'll succeed. But honestly, whiffing while taking a risk and just sitting back and trying to react will result in the same outcome so why not try to risk it?
Yes, defense is at a disadvantage, but as the CFB Discussion thread on the other side of the forums shows, defense is at a disadvantage in actually football too. That doesn't excuse some of the bullshit that happens, like safeties just not backing up and all of that, but it isn't any worse for 14 than it was for 13, 12, etc.
Every version of the game has had its quirks. Habib, in your case, a lot of the stuff you did on defense in '13 worked because it took advantage of programming quirks in the game that year, not necessarily because it was sound defensive strategy. '14 has different quirks but you kept trying to do the exact same stuff as the previous version.
Against me, you would always try to widen and walk down safeties so they would be in a position to both get back to cover the pass but help in run D. In '13, that worked because the offense had no way to stress the perimeter. Jet didn't work, bubble screens didn't work, now screens didn't work, speed option didn't work and route mirroring was so prevalent that DBs could line up out of position and still cover outside routes like Corners. In '14, the offense can do all of those things successfully. All the screens work great, Jet works well, Speed Option works well and route mirroring doesn't really show itself much. That forced you to actually keep guys out of the box to cover those receivers... in turn freeing up the interior run game which you weakened by manually spreading your safeties so wide. Once the back got to the second level, he was gone because your safeties weren't home.
Again, not really excusing the game and trying to claim that defense is competent, but it isn't impossible. You just have to figure out the quirks and play on the strengths of your personnel. I should also say that defense in online lobby play is useless. In OD play with adjusted sliders, it's salvageable.