IMB87

October 26th, 2016 at 10:44 PM ^

or just 8.1 PPG allowed.  They managed this in spite of not having standout athleticism that the 1997 (Woodson) and 2016 (Peppers) units had.  Of course, with a shutout this Saturday, the current team can match that achievement.   

Joined: 03/14/2016

MGoPoints: 344

uminks

October 26th, 2016 at 11:59 PM ^

Chuck Long and Iowa offense in check. I was a bit disappointed in the Michigan offense. A very conservative called game plan. If the offense would have played better than we beat Iowa.

Joined: 11/10/2009

MGoPoints: 32040

stephenrjking

October 27th, 2016 at 12:34 AM ^

Hard to believe nobody has brought in Bill Connolly's 1985 season in review yet. To be fair, they aren't always perfect (he'll leave out some important events here and there), but IMO the season in review series he did this summer is one of the best college football historical documents I have ever read. 

And his numbers loooooved Michigan in 1985. By S&P+ they were his #1 team, over Oklahoma. He ranked the defense number one, getting a 6.3 score on S&P+ (Oklahoma was #2 with a 9.3). The team rated, per S&P+ numbers, as the 11th best team of the 1980s period (mostly behind a bunch of Nebraska and FSU teams that didn't win either) and in that decade only Florida State produced a better defensive number, with a 6.0 in 1980. (1980 decade in review, Link). 

According to sports reference, our strength of schedule was second in the nation, too. One of the ones that got away.

 

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143889

Blue Durham

October 27th, 2016 at 11:15 AM ^

I actually think the 1980 defense was a bit better than the 1985 defense. While the 1985 defense gave up only 98 points on the season versus 129 for the 1980 defense, the 1980 defense peaked at the end of the season, giving up only 3 fields goals in the last 5 games (as opposed to 50 points for the 1985 defense). And that was against some pretty good teams/offenses (last 3 games were against #16 Purdue with Mark Herman at QB; #5 Ohio State with Art Schlichter, and #16 Washington).

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 6082

Dr. Sap

October 27th, 2016 at 12:14 PM ^

On Jan. 2, AP and UPI voters awarded 11-1 Oklahoma the national championship. Michigan finished No. 2 in both polls. One AP voter even put the Wolverines No. 1. In its next issue, based on some formula devised by Allen Barra and George Ignatin, Inside Sport magazine raised Michigan to No. 1 over Oklahoma in its final rankings, in part because the Wolverines’ “average opponent was a full touchdown a game tougher” than the Sooners’. Jeff Sagarin’s computer rankings in USA Today also placed Michigan and Oklahoma 1-2.

Joined: 01/04/2015

MGoPoints: 823