Michigan Football: 5 things we learned from Wolverines 2018 season
Michigan’s defense has been overrated
Don’t get me wrong, Don Brown has done a great job with the defense. Over the past three seasons, he has coordinated some of the top units in the country but on the same note, it’s time to stop calling Michigan’s defense elite. This season showed us it’s just not true.
That’s not to say Brown is a bad coach. One thing Michigan does is beat teams it is supposed to beat, at least under Harbaugh and a big reason why is that the defense dominates inferior competition. When Brown senses a weaker opponent, he goes for the kill, pressures the quarterback to no end and usually beats the other team into submission.
Michigan's defense isn't elite and has never been elite under Don Brown and the Peach Bowl proved just how overrated it's been. https://t.co/8zEM2WHokB
— GBM Wolverine (@GBM_Wolverine) December 29, 2018
It has worked really well and against teams like Michigan State, Wisconsin and other programs that aren’t as talented as Michigan, it will continue to work. But against the best of the best, Michigan’s defense needs a new approach.
The 63 points given up to Ohio State, the 41 allowed to Florida and even the 21 in the first half against Notre Dame, which played its second-best quarterback, are all examples of when the unit has faltered.
If Michigan’s defense was truly elite, it would carry this team to a big win at some point, but outside of the Michigan State win, which was significant, its come up short. Brown’s units have allowed an average of 29 points a game against top-20 teams since 2016 and so if UM wants to improve in the biggest games and against top-10 opponents, the defense has to be better.