Michigan's case for #1

And the best defense in the country

Michigan’s dominant win against Minnesota gave us 2 important lessons:

This was Michigan’s best win all year, and this is Michigans best team in years.

The team got off to a hot start, and we learned that Will Johnson is back! His pick 6 on the second play was a great way to open the game. The defense overall had a beautiful game. They pressured the QB on every play, resulting in bad throws. They eventually forced 2 pick 6s in the end, the second by the young Safety Keon Sabb. The defensive line looked basically unbeatable. They got tons of sacks and completely shut down the passing game. The return of Mason Graham was also huge for them. Minnesota RB Zach Evans was the only player who could consistently make pushes against the line.

Michigan has been perfect in short yardage because of their infinite play calling ability. This is because of all the talent they have on the offense. JJ McCarthy in the running game continues to be so dangerous. His 2 rushing TDs reminded me a lot of the way Josh Allen plays. Interestingly, 3rd string RB Kalel Mullings was used over Edwards in the running game. So far, Mullings actually looks like the better pure rusher. The former linebacker has much more strength, and can push through defenses. Edwards was used in a different way on Saturday, taking many snaps as a receiver instead of a back. This seemed to be more effective. Despite the struggles of Donovan Edwards, Blake Corum is still so hard to stop. His 10 touchdowns so far tell the story of how dominant he’s been. He has a perfect combination of power and speed. However, I feel that Edwards doesn’t have the same breakaway ability. Many times this year, I’ve felt that Edwards gets taken down on plays that Corum would break.

The special teams errors have been a problem. The kickoff out of bounds was an easily avoidable mistake. It didn’t matter in this game, but against tough teams it will.

I’m being very nit-picky, but Michigan is so good that I’m looking for little details to criticize. I think Minnesota coach PJ Fleck’s quote perfectly summarizes it: “this is the best team I’ve seen in 11 years of being a head coach. I’ve never seen a team that deep.”

Now, a brief commentary about the evil Ohio State Buckeyes:

The 6-0 team played like they were 3-3. Despite beating Maryland by 20, they certainly didn’t play that much better. The Ohio State offense struggled against a mediocre Maryland defense. It wasn’t until the second half that their passing game opened up. The running game looked weak as well. I feel confident because Michigan, so far, has a much better team.

As of now, there is no clear dominant team in the country. I think Michigan has the strongest roster. If they can get past Penn State and Ohio State, they have a serious shot at the title.