Harbaugh is good coach but the college game has passed him by...

[FriedmanIP]

Therw are zero questions about our defense that carry any weight. There are a million about JIM'S offense. Let's be honest ..Michigan has been a 9 and 3 type program for most of 25 years or so. I will say rhat if Jim can't run the ball any better than we have against good teams , he and Michigan are a 4 and 5 loss team waiting to happen. When you play bully ball with average backs and below average olinemen you have problems .

I think there are some very legitimate questions as to whether your 2017 defense was actually great, or just solid/good

For example, Michigan's defense was really only good against the run when facing opponents in the Bottom 1/3rd of the Nation

If you compare how Michigan performed against the run when facing at least decent competition to how their 1st Opponent in 2018 (Notre Dame) performed:

Michigan (6 Games):
175 Yards/Game
4.4 Yards/Carry
2 TDs
Opponents Included: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Minnesota, Maryland

Notre Dame (9 Games):
160 Yards/Game
4.25 Yards/Carry
1 TD
Opponents Included: Georgia, Stanford, LSU, USC, Miami, Boston College, Michigan State, Wake Forest, North Carolina State

Both of these teams return 9/11 starters on defense.

So I think it's fair to ask:
"Is Michigan going to be a great run defense in 2018, or just a decent run defense that has some real struggles against better competition"

The same goes for Notre Dame...who was actually a little BETTER than Michigan, on paper



Would you not call this a "Fair Question"?

 

[teddyrob]

I think there are some very legitimate questions as to whether your 2017 defense was actually great, or just solid/good

For example, Michigan's defense was really only good against the run when facing opponents in the Bottom 1/3rd of the Nation

If you compare how Michigan performed against the run when facing at least decent competition to how their 1st Opponent in 2018 (Notre Dame) performed:

Michigan (6 Games):
175 Yards/Game
4.4 Yards/Carry
2 TDs
Opponents Included: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Minnesota, Maryland

Notre Dame (9 Games):
160 Yards/Game
4.25 Yards/Carry
1 TD
Opponents Included: Georgia, Stanford, LSU, USC, Miami, Boston College, Michigan State, Wake Forest, North Carolina State

Both of these teams return 9/11 starters on defense.

So I think it's fair to ask:
"Is Michigan going to be a great run defense in 2018, or just a decent run defense that has some real struggles against better competition"

The same goes for Notre Dame...who was actually a little BETTER than Michigan, on paper



Would you not call this a "Fair Question"?

The defense was on the field too often.

 

[FriedmanIP]

The defense was on the field too often.

That explanation doesn't really work.

Michigan was able to achieve "elite results" against weak rushing offenses, despite "being on the field too often" against those opponents as well.

Furthermore, Michigan did a better job in pass defense against decent opponents, despite "being on the field too often".

The above break-down seems to make it clear that Michigan simply struggled to stop the more competent rushing attacks that it faced in 2017.
Would you disagree?

Now, perhaps Michigan's defense improves enough to start performing better against competent rushing attacks in 2018....we'll find out during the season. But considering that the returning players struggled to do so previously, it seems more than fair to question whether they'll be able to do it in the future.

Pointing being:
While the Michigan Offense is the MAJOR concern, the Michigan Defense also has ?'s as well.

 

[palmspringsblue]

I think there are some very legitimate questions as to whether your 2017 defense was actually great, or just solid/good

For example, Michigan's defense was really only good against the run when facing opponents in the Bottom 1/3rd of the Nation

If you compare how Michigan performed against the run when facing at least decent competition to how their 1st Opponent in 2018 (Notre Dame) performed:

Michigan (6 Games):
175 Yards/Game
4.4 Yards/Carry
2 TDs
Opponents Included: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Minnesota, Maryland

Notre Dame (9 Games):
160 Yards/Game
4.25 Yards/Carry
1 TD
Opponents Included: Georgia, Stanford, LSU, USC, Miami, Boston College, Michigan State, Wake Forest, North Carolina State

Both of these teams return 9/11 starters on defense.

So I think it's fair to ask:
"Is Michigan going to be a great run defense in 2018, or just a decent run defense that has some real struggles against better competition"

The same goes for Notre Dame...who was actually a little BETTER than Michigan, on paper



Would you not call this a "Fair Question"?

Whatever you call Michigan's last year defense , I would take it every year. Any defense that can watch an offense go three and out all day long and still put up those numbers is pretty good. PSU , at their place, was the only game that our defense was poor. I do think that our offense was so horrible against South Carolina that the defense got tired or dispirited. I didn't follow the N D defense very much , but it was obviously very good. If Michigan doesn’t upgrade the offense a ton , it will be a 5 loss season. People can say what they want but the defense will tire of watching garbage on offense , if that is what we put out there.
It will take an excellent qb year to get this clanker of an offense off it's back.

 

[teddyrob]

That explanation doesn't really work.
Somehow, I find you irritating. Leave me alone.

Michigan was able to achieve "elite results" against weak rushing offenses, despite "being on the field too often" against those opponents as well.

Furthermore, Michigan did a better job in pass defense against decent opponents, despite "being on the field too often".

The above break-down seems to make it clear that Michigan simply struggled to stop the more competent rushing attacks that it faced in 2017.
Would you disagree?

Now, perhaps Michigan's defense improves enough to start performing better against competent rushing attacks in 2018....we'll find out during the season. But considering that the returning players struggled to do so previously, it seems more than fair to question whether they'll be able to do it in the future.

Pointing being:
While the Michigan Offense is the MAJOR concern, the Michigan Defense also has ?'s as well.