Michigan 10th Best Defense in Country (per Massey)

Submitted by wildbackdunesman on

After last year's defense, I would have bet my 401K against this happening this late in the year, but Massey's computer ranking (used by the BCS) says that Michigan has the 10th best defense in the country.

Of course LSU is #1 and Alabama is #2.

BigTen teams +ND:

Penn State #3
Michigan State #4
Michigan #10
Ohio State #11
Notre Dame #18
Nebraska #21
Illinois #26
Wisconsin #28
Iowa #56
Purdue #68
Minnesota #81
Northwestern #85
Indiana #158


He thinks our conference is strong defensively, not as much offensively.
 

http://masseyratings.com/rate.php?lg=cf

michWolves2580

November 20th, 2011 at 9:14 PM ^

Our amazing play in the big house mixed with Ohio's non existent passing attack mixed with our great run defense mixed with the fact that it's not a coincidence that our current coach and the coach that was honored first name's are.... LLOYD BRADY means that Ohio stands no chance.

Wolverman

November 20th, 2011 at 11:34 PM ^

 I don't think it is possible to underestimate a team thats beat you 7 years in a row. Coach Hoke will have Michigan ready for a war on saturday believe that. Withe the exception of the richrod years and a few scattered years here and there it makes no difference what the records are in The Game. There where a few years in the 90ies when OSU was loaded and we struggled but we still came away with a win.

MattisonMan

November 21st, 2011 at 1:01 AM ^

The predictions and expectations from both sides are becoming a cacophony to my ears.  I'll never predict a win at the end of the regular season because I'll honestly never expect one.  They can be dead to the world and still find a way to win against Michigan.  I will, as always, plead for victory on this one and leave it at that.

Sac Fly

November 20th, 2011 at 9:16 PM ^

Is this the biggest turnaround ever? I remember reading a post at the start of the year comparing defensive turnarounds, and our celing was supposed to be at best in the 60's. I don't think a defense has ever jumped 100 spots in one year before.

hart20

November 20th, 2011 at 9:18 PM ^

defense on purpose. Actually not bad defense, horrible defense. And Mattison has to be a defensive god. Those are the only two reasons that can explain the difference between last year and this year.

Yost Ghost

November 20th, 2011 at 10:17 PM ^

you're being facetious but I think it comes down to scheme but more importantly effective leadership. Getting kids to buy in to what you're doing starts when you show them you genuinely care about them and that you're going somewhere they want to follow. Rubbing stuffed animals in the faces of your players and humiliating them in front of their peers is not what inspires them.

Indiana Blue

November 20th, 2011 at 9:25 PM ^

that had 4 Big East teams in the top 10 defenses last year? That was a joke.  Also why would you include that team in south bend (aka - tsisb)? 

The fact is our defense is perhaps the most improved defense from one year to the next in the history of B1G football ... and that is an important sign of the future of Michigan football.

Go Blue!

maizenbluenc

November 21st, 2011 at 10:16 AM ^

Yes, the B1G is pretty good on defense this year, and not so much on offense. Penn State and Ohio are prime examples. Besides the MSU O-line coming of age (against us unfortunately) to align with the experience of Kirk Cousins, and Northwestern when Persa can walk, the only other experienced offense out there is us. Seriously, our defense has gained a lot of steam since the ND game, and the real reason we lost the MSU and Iowa games: we were tinkering around too much with our offense (and Hoke mentioned Denard wasn't 100%).

So I like our odds against Ohio, and whoever our bowl opponent will be. AND despite what happened to us in 2006, I hope the SEC does send two teams to the NC game, because the B1G will fair better in the other bowl games (rather than playing 1-up SEC teams, the B1G may be playing 1-down SEC teams for a change).