End Zone: UM 09-29

9/29/2011

People are scared the other shoe will drop. They’re nervous that this season, like the two that came before it, will come unglued now that the Big Ten season has begun. They know if the Wolverines don’t improve they could be sent into a tailspin ending in another fruitless November.

But I’m not referring to you fine ladies and gentlemen, or even media types. I’m talking about guys like Ryan Van Bergen, Kevin Koger, and Jordan Kovacs. Michigan’s leaders aren’t buying into the hype building around this team, because, well, they shouldn’t. They’ve won just six league games the past three seasons and their 4-0 start and No. 19 ranking are not a clear indication this one will be any different. This mind-set, built on an attitude that good enough can never be good enough, begins at the top with coach Brady Hoke, who is impossible to impress and permeates throughout the rest of the program.

So how good is this team? Better than anyone could have reasonably expected to this point. Beyond that, I don’t know. The defense is beginning to play with the type of physicality Hoke desires, which should mitigate any problems encountered in league play if the offense continues to have problems getting on the same page in the passing game. The Wolverines seem equipped to compete with the better teams in the Big Ten and win relatively comfortably over the weaklings, such as Saturday’s opponent, Minnesota.

Read the full Big House Blurbs blog at http://toledoblade.typepad.com/bighouseblurbs/