Michigan Football: To win titles, U-M must ‘Play faster on defense‘

To win titles, Michigan football must “play faster on defense,” according to Bleacher Report’s Brad Shepard.

Back in 2004, Michigan football won a share of the Big Ten title, splitting the honor with Iowa.

The season before, No. 5 Michigan football defeated No. 4 Ohio State in The Game, earning the title outright for the Wolverines and securing a spot in the Rose Bowl pitted against top-ranked USC and their daunting head coach Pete Carroll. That matchup didn’t end well.

Since 2004, crickets.

The dark ages of U-M football began immediately following Lloyd Carr’s departure in 2007. While Brady Hoke was able to conjure up 11 wins once, the light didn’t shine on The Big House until the man in the Khakis strutted down the tunnel to the cheers of hundreds of thousands of eager fans begging for relief from the many woes plaguing the program.

Or maybe it hasn’t returned. Perhaps only a glimmer of light made it through.

The program isn’t the mess it once was, and Jim Harbaugh has averaged a little over nine wins in his five seasons, which has brought with it national recognition once more.  But when the big boys come to play, Michigan football falters.

Their record: 0-5 against Ohio State and 2-12 against top-ten opponents.

Some believe all U-M needs is an elite quarterback to push them over the hump and into the College Football Playoff, or, at least, into the Big Ten Championship game – both places they’ve never been before. It’s tough to argue with that logic when you look at the reigning National Champions and their Heisman winning QB Joe Burrow, who set just about every record on his way to a 60 touchdown passing season.

Others will say that defensive coordinator Don Brown has to hit the road for the Wolverines to compete on the national stage.

Bleacher Report’s Brad Shepard believes what troubles Michigan has to do with the defense, but not with the man in charge.

“The bottom line is if Michigan is going to compete for titles,” he wrote, “it has to play faster on defense.”

Brad cited KJ Hamler’s 53-yard wide-open touchdown as an example. UM was also burned by Ohio State’s Chris Olave, who snuck behind the secondary on his way to a 57-yard touchdown.

It’s a theory, one that Michigan has attempted to tackle with the addition of safety Daxton Hill, who ran a verified 4.3 forty. Increased playing time and added responsibilities for Hill might be the key to shutting down opposing offenses.

Will it be enough? Only time will tell.

Below is the excerpt from Shepard’s article about Michigan. 

"Every year, we hear how Michigan has a bunch of fast playmakers on defense, but when the biggest games of the season arrive, there are lapses.Even if Michigan’s defense is fast, it’s not good at preparing for fast teams under head coach Jim Harbaugh’s regime.Ohio State has shown way more speed than the Wolverines in each of the past couple of seasons, and even though Michigan seemed to upgrade that area last year, it had blunders, including Penn State wide receiver KJ Hamler’s wide-open 53-yard touchdown in the second half that killed an epic rally.The bottom line is if Michigan is going to compete for titles, it has to play faster on defense. Losing Lavert Hill, Josh Metellus and Josh Uche won’t help, but the Wolverines still have a bunch of talent.Ambry Thomas eschewed the NFL and should be a strong returning cornerback. Safety Brad Hawkins performed well as a first-year starter in ’19, and his absence in the Ohio State game was no doubt a big reason why the Buckeyes torched Michigan once again.There’s no doubt the most exciting potential of any Michigan defender—outside of elite rising junior Cameron McGrone—belongs to Daxton Hill. If Hill can win a starting safety job, he’ll immediately upgrade the defense’s athleticism.Other unproven players who could help with more team speed are DJ Turner, Gemon Green, Michael Barrett and Anthony Solomon.McGrone is on a one-way path to being one of the nation’s best defenders, and the linebacker’s sideline-to-sideline speed will continue to be an asset. Michigan needs other elite athletes like Hill to show out."