The Glaring Issue For The Wolverines Defense The Last Five Seasons
Note: Stats are in terms of per game. In parenthesis are games played. Top 10 defenses do not include Michigan’s stats. The stats are taken of each year individually first, meaning that each year counts the same towards the average.
In the Jim Harbaugh era, the Wolverines defense has finished each season ranked in the Top 10 in yards allowed per game and in the Top 25 in points allowed per game. The only other defense to accomplish that feat in each of the last five years is Clemson.
While Michigan’s defense has been solid the last five seasons, there is a tremendous drop off in their play when they face offenses ranked among the Top 25 in yards per game. In 57 contests against offenses ranked outside the Top 25, the Wolverines have allowed 257.0 yards and 15.0 points per game. However, in eight games against the nation's top offenses, U-M has allowed 440.8 yards and 38.4 points per game.
Michigan’s 56-10 win in 2018 over (0-2) Nebraska is the only time in the last five years the Wolverines have allowed less than 350 yards and less than 31 points to an offense that finished the season ranked in the Top 25 in yards per game.
Compared to the nation's Top 10 defenses each of the last five seasons, Michigan has given up 24.4 less yards a game and 0.3 less points a game against offenses ranked outside the Top 25. However, when facing a Top 25 offense, Michigan has allowed 50.6 more yards per game and 12.7 more points per game than the other Top 10 defenses have.
In addition, every season in the last five years, Michigan has allowed at least 7.9 more points per game to Top 25 offenses, than the other Top 10 defenses in yards allowed per game have surrendered.
The Top 10 defenses in the last five years allowed offenses ranked in the Top 25 108.8 more yards per game and 10.4 more points per game than they allowed against the rest of their opponents (ranked 26th-130th).
The Wolverines, by comparison, have allowed 183.8 more yards and 23.4 more points when facing a Top 25 offense.
Partially due to the defense's poor performances against the nation's best offenses, the Wolverines record in games against offenses that rank in the Top 25 in yards per game is 2-6. The only two wins coming against Nebraska in 2018 and Indiana in 2015 with losses coming against Florida State in 2016, Penn State in 2017, Alabama in 2019 and Ohio State three times in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
