Michigan Football: Wolverines send a message with Notre Dame beatdown

Michigan football didn’t just beat Notre Dame Saturday night in the Big House, the Wolverines destroyed them and sent a message in the process.

It’s amazing the difference that a week makes. A week ago, Michigan football was explaining another loss in a big game and Jim Harbaugh was again deflecting rumors about the NFL.

Maybe, in hindsight, whoever spread those rumors about Harbaugh seeking an exit strategy, did Michigan football a favor, because the team that dominated Notre Dame 45-14 isn’t the one we have seen so far this season.

At least not for four quarters.

There have been glimpses of hope this season, including the second half at Penn State and the win over Iowa, when the defense looked every bit as dominant as it did Saturday night.

Those two wins are what Michigan football is all about. The offense doesn’t have to be fancy, not when Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins carry the rock 35 times for 223 yards and two touchdowns. As a team, the Wolverines went over 300 yards.

Shea Patterson only had to throw the football 12 times, but he completed six passes, tossed two touchdowns and didn’t throw an interception.

Patterson also said it best after the game when he said “We played our best game,” Patterson said. “When we do that, we’re a really tough team to beat.”

More from GBMWolverine

• 3 things to watch for Michigan football vs. Rutgers
• Michigan football vs. Rutgers: Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for College Football Week 4
• Michigan Wolverines news: Jim Harbaugh wants J.J. McCarthy ‘gunslinging’, plus a drop in recruiting rankings
• Grades, game balls for Michigan football vs. Bowling Green
• Michigan Wolverines news: Jake Moody is money in the NFL, plus more

This win reminded you of the Wisconsin game a year ago or Penn State when Michigan football simply kicked butt the old-fashion way. It wasn’t fancy, it was physical football.

I still don’t know if this team can beat Ohio State, but if it’s true to its identity, maybe it can. First things first, are three very important games against Maryland, Michigan State and Indiana.

At 6-2 and with a win over two top-20 teams, the Wolverines resume could be pretty solid if they could somehow win out and even at 9-3, a solid bowl game would be on the way.

But more than any of that, this team and this program sent a message. Notre Dame is no slouch. It’s an elite program and the Irish came in as a playoff contender and left eliminated from contention.

Michigan football is probably right there with them in that regard. But after the 31-point domination, we all witnessed Saturday at the Big House, it doesn’t matter so much.

There is renewed hope in Ann Arbor and about this season. It hasn’t gone as expected, but in game eight, this team looks exactly like we expected at the start of the year and you can guarantee one thing: No team, not even the one from Ohio is excited about venturing in the Big House.