... like he will all year, on the U-M-ND series, this particular game, and his predictions about it. He touched on…
• Michigan victory over Notre Dame under the lights in The Big House a few years back: "It's almost surreal. You almost have to go back and watch it again to really remember all the small details of that game.
"We were on the 2-yard line, threatening to score, when the third quarter expired. But as of the end of the third quarter, we were down 28 points … I don't think there's been a bigger comeback.
"Not only was it a big stage, playing Notre Dame, it was a bigger stage being the first-ever Michigan night game, but then to come back from 28 down to win that game, in the last few seconds, with Roy Roundtree catching it in the corner? The win over Ohio State was a big game in our careers, but the win over Notre Dame — because of all those different elements — it's right up there with that Ohio State game."
• The intensity of the rivalry: "It's not as heated, it's not like we don't like each other on a cellular level, like the other two rivalries that we have. There's a little bit more of an underlying respect there, when you go into that game. But it still has all the makings of a rivalry game.
"It's good to have a non-conference rival, especially one as talented, year-in and year-out, as Notre Dame. It gives you a good measuring stick to know, are we bound for a Big Ten championship? Are we on that track? Or do we need to rethink some of the things we're doing before we approach our Big Ten schedule.
"This is a great opportunity to find out if there are people that are not ready for the moment."
• What the Wolverines need to focus on: "The emphasis, I've go to believe, in the team meeting room this week, from Coach [Jim] Harbaugh, has got to be execution and doing your job. Especially on a road trip, night game, ESPN is going to be there, GameDay is going to be there, opening game, both teams ranked, it's easy to get in the hotel on game day and as you're sitting there watching other games, they're talking about, 'Oh, this breakout player,' and this guy and this play, until you start thinking, oh, I've got to make all the plays I can today when I get out on the field.
"Realistically, you don't need to do that. You need to make the plays that are your assignment to make. Some people get caught up in trying to be that highlight guy. That is just a detractor from what your team is trying to accomplish.
"You need to stay on track with your game plan, execute your position with technique and make sure you're sound in whatever you're supposed to be doing, and don't do more than your job. Trust the other 10 guys to do their jobs as well as you're trying to do yours and things will take care of themselves."
• His prediction for the game: "There's no reason to think, going into the second half, if the game is close, that Michigan won't come away with this one. I believe in our defense 100 percent. If there happens to be a way that they scored in the first half, the adjustments made in the second half, they will be stifled in the second half.
"If they get five or six first downs, four of them are coming in the first half, maybe one in the second half. That's how much confidence I have.
"I may be eating a ton of crow on Sunday, but that's how I feel regarding our defense. I'm very confident and would bet my next rent check that they will stand tall. We will win the second half, just based on our defensive performance."
Here's the full podcast: https://michigan.rivals.com/news/michigan-football-pre-game-podcast-ryan-van-bergen-with-john-borton
• Michigan victory over Notre Dame under the lights in The Big House a few years back: "It's almost surreal. You almost have to go back and watch it again to really remember all the small details of that game.
"We were on the 2-yard line, threatening to score, when the third quarter expired. But as of the end of the third quarter, we were down 28 points … I don't think there's been a bigger comeback.
"Not only was it a big stage, playing Notre Dame, it was a bigger stage being the first-ever Michigan night game, but then to come back from 28 down to win that game, in the last few seconds, with Roy Roundtree catching it in the corner? The win over Ohio State was a big game in our careers, but the win over Notre Dame — because of all those different elements — it's right up there with that Ohio State game."
• The intensity of the rivalry: "It's not as heated, it's not like we don't like each other on a cellular level, like the other two rivalries that we have. There's a little bit more of an underlying respect there, when you go into that game. But it still has all the makings of a rivalry game.
"It's good to have a non-conference rival, especially one as talented, year-in and year-out, as Notre Dame. It gives you a good measuring stick to know, are we bound for a Big Ten championship? Are we on that track? Or do we need to rethink some of the things we're doing before we approach our Big Ten schedule.
"This is a great opportunity to find out if there are people that are not ready for the moment."
• What the Wolverines need to focus on: "The emphasis, I've go to believe, in the team meeting room this week, from Coach [Jim] Harbaugh, has got to be execution and doing your job. Especially on a road trip, night game, ESPN is going to be there, GameDay is going to be there, opening game, both teams ranked, it's easy to get in the hotel on game day and as you're sitting there watching other games, they're talking about, 'Oh, this breakout player,' and this guy and this play, until you start thinking, oh, I've got to make all the plays I can today when I get out on the field.
"Realistically, you don't need to do that. You need to make the plays that are your assignment to make. Some people get caught up in trying to be that highlight guy. That is just a detractor from what your team is trying to accomplish.
"You need to stay on track with your game plan, execute your position with technique and make sure you're sound in whatever you're supposed to be doing, and don't do more than your job. Trust the other 10 guys to do their jobs as well as you're trying to do yours and things will take care of themselves."
• His prediction for the game: "There's no reason to think, going into the second half, if the game is close, that Michigan won't come away with this one. I believe in our defense 100 percent. If there happens to be a way that they scored in the first half, the adjustments made in the second half, they will be stifled in the second half.
"If they get five or six first downs, four of them are coming in the first half, maybe one in the second half. That's how much confidence I have.
"I may be eating a ton of crow on Sunday, but that's how I feel regarding our defense. I'm very confident and would bet my next rent check that they will stand tall. We will win the second half, just based on our defensive performance."
Here's the full podcast: https://michigan.rivals.com/news/michigan-football-pre-game-podcast-ryan-van-bergen-with-john-borton
