[jonvalk wallpaper]

On WTKA last week (before the Maryland game) the roundtablers got into a short discussion comparing Michigan's 2015 defense to, say, the 2006 one. Asgardian walked with it, comparing the M defense to others this year and some other great defenses by simply counting how many times they…

1. Held opponent to 7 or fewer points, or
2. Held opponents to 8-14 points, or
3. Gave up 15 or more

I'm gonna go position by position. Argue any with me:

Position		2015	Grd		2006	Grd		1997	Grd
NT		Glasgow	A		Taylor	B+		Renes	A-
DT/3T		Henry/Hurst/Godin	A-		Branch	A-		Williams	B
SDE/5T		Wormley/Taco	B+		Biggs	C+		Steele/Feazell	A
WDE/WLB		Ojemudia/RJS	B-		Woodley	A		J.Hall	A-
SAM/Nk		Peppers/Ross	A-		Crable	B+		Copenhaver/Swett	B+
MLB		Morgan	B+		Harris	A		Sword	B+
WLB/BKR		Bolden	C		Burgess	C		Dhani/Mayes	B
SS		Hill	B		Adams	B		Ray	B+
FS		Wilson	B		Englemon	B-		Hendricks	B+
BCB		8/Clark/Peppers	B		Hall	A		Weathers	B-
FCB		Lewis	A		Trent	B-		Woodson	A+
Nickel CB		Clark/Stribling	B		Harrison	C		Peterson	C+
Scores		2015 UM	3.23		2006 UM	3.08		1997 UM	3.33

It's hard to compare eras (Peppers versus Clint Copenhaver!) but the 2006 defense didn't have enough depth at DB for the young spread era and that was its downfall. None of these defenses had any real holes; the 1997 defense didn't even have a spot that was less than really good (B).

I made a tool so you can try this with other defenses (be nice and don't sandbox where someone else is working). I got a 2.93 for this year's  Northwestern and a 3.38 for 2013 Michigan State.

Now you're playing with….power rankings. Eye of the Tiger has been doing his own weekly ranking of Big Ten teams. He does this the way Brian does the "Fear Level" and "Desperate Need to Win Level" stuff in the previews, IE he starts with a baseline then gives a +2 for a win over a good team, –1 for a loss to a solid team, etc. Northwestern and Iowa are tops right now, though MSU has fallen behind Michigan.

Alum96 has kept up his version of this too, which informs by pointing out how wrong he was about things like Maryland being any good at football. And if you desire simple numbers instead of feels and backchecks, alum also has started posting the S&P+ rankings of M and the States.

Etc. Weekly reminder you should read B&W and ItBS. THE_KNOWLEDGE is from a future of a parallel universe in which people score on Michigan's defense sometimes.

[jump for the Most Lions Thing Ever]

Best of the Board

HARBAUGH PHOTOSH—

If you haven't clicked already you won't click anything in Dear Diary ever.

ON THE MOST LIONS THING EVER

I don't know what part of this to not quote. So here's the whole post except the gif isn't animating:

It is the most Lions thing ever. You've got ref screwjob, a stupid NFL rule, bad luck, a 1st round receiver, a hall of fame player being wasted, a dancing RB who could have blocked the guy who made the fumble happen, OMIGOD YOU FUMBLED OUT OF THE END ZONE ON THE WINNING PLAY, Statts Padford, moral victory, and a game they never should have been in because they played awful and seriously out-Lion this I dare you.

HASHTAG LOSE YOUR DIGNITY WITH ACE

Once Ace's ska band was outed on the internet, people felt a need to empty the skeletons from their closets in solidarity. Wolverine Devotee "wins" this by posting a picture of himself with a fanny pack.

The guy behind him promptly panicked and inserted a 3-3-5 defense. Another guy admitted to liking Pop Evil and omigod no being in a ska band in high school is not an embarrassing thing that is an embarrassing thing don't tell people that.

Also Dungeons and Dragons is cool and while I've only played it once I stand by this.

ETC. Getting the BAND back together. Reader-organized MGoTailgate still happening (we'll be at the Alumni Association Tailgate tomorrow). Recruiting is bad.

Your Moment of Zen

Watch this happen for another 60 years.