michigan's defense?
Turning around this game to give the offense a chance (3 points and 64 yards allowed in the 2nd half) was a first step in the right direction.
They were essentially their normal selves for most of the game. It's just that it took two EXCRUTIATING drives before they found themselves -- and those two ND drives were decisive in this game. Football doesn't work this way, but without those drives, the game is exactly what we all expected (talking about scoring totals/range in a race to 15 points; AKA: this is
not a comment about "if only...then Michigan'd win").
Even then, I don't know that I can complain much about the long passes for ND on those first two drives. The DBs were excellently positioned (being there and getting your head turned around to make a play is almost the entire goal in coverage) and the ball still found the receiver -- especially that first TD. For the DBs, I don't think that's something to fix, nor do I think those balls would usually end up as a reception if replayed 10 times.
When it's like that, there's no choice but to shrug and say "crap, sometimes the offense wins."
So I am not worried about the defense. They definitely have things to improve. Michigan had serious issues tracking Wimbush on the ground in the first half. He's a star on the ground, and the ND line is tits. So there's room for forgiveness that the Michigan front wasn't ready from 15:00 in the 1st. Still, if that is not 100% fixed it will bode very unwell for OSU.
Mixed into that, Michigan will miss Mo Hurst and conveniently convinced ourselves the transition would be no big deal. Even then, the line is still very good. The whole D could live up to expectations.
But how hard will this offense make them work for it?
