R&B Sling the Blue (Sept. 11, at Notre Dame)

ROGER GARFIELD: All right: Three adjectives to describe Michigan’s win Saturday over UConn, go.

BRANDON FALK: Impressive, luck-ridden, fast. Boys in Blue played well, don't get me wrong, but UConn left some points on the field. We'll need to clean some things up to escape South Bend with a W on Saturday.

RG: I'll say enjoyable, assuring, and small. Enjoyable for the obvious reasons -- the sheer glee that Denard Robinson brought to every fan as he went wild. And because we hadn’t seen a nice home win in a long time. Assuring because I felt we could be AWFUL this season, and it appears now that we'll at least be competitive. Small because while it was a big win for confidence, it’s insignificant on the schedule and in the context of this long, trying season that lies ahead.

BF: Your last point is telling. Let us not forget we began undefeated a year ago in the non-conference portion of the schedule, and we all know how the season turned out. Last week was huge for confidence, as well as recruiting. And assuming we drop this game to the Irish, we have to assume we can take care of UMass and Bowling Green in the two games afterwards to begin conference play 3-1. Remember the days when Michigan fans weren't nervous to play FCS opponents or MAC schools? I think those days are back, to be sure.

RG: Saturday's outcome assures me of that, yes. But we still don't know how good or bad UConn is. My guess is they're better than they showed Saturday. And Michigan's ceiling is also much higher. Whether the Wolverines can keep improving at a steady rate remains to be seen. Let's hope they don't get worse and worse each week, like they did after October arrived last year.

BF: Lets dive right into this Saturday's game against the Irish, shall we? I guess I'll begin with some red flags I saw last week, and some encouraging signs that give me hope for a W.

RG: Kick that baby off.

BF: One could argue that a defense is only as good as the number of points it allows, and by that standard, the D last week was pretty good. I still have questions about the secondary. Jordan Kovacs, while a sure tackler, has sub-par athleticism and it will be tested this week. True freshman Carvin Johnson, who grabbed a starting safety/linebacker hybrid position in the opener last week, is out this week with a sprained knee. He'll be replaced by walk-on Floyd Simmons. J.T. Floyd will have to defend an air assault from Notre Dame QB Dayne Crist headed for Michael Floyd, a surefire top 5 receiver on Mel Kiper Jr.'s Big Board. Safety Cam Gordon found himself in position for some big hits last week and missed; I'd love see him separate helmet from head one of these times.

RG: Yeah, Floyd torched us in the Big House last year. Granted, he had another Alpha Dog on the other side of the field -- Golden Tate, now a receiver for the Seahawks -- which diverted the defense's attention. Still, Floyd is nasty, and how the Michigan secondary performs against him in South Bend should provide everyone with a good gauge of that unit's capabilities. I was pleased with the front seven against the Huskies. Craig Roh and Obi Ezeh (both below) had their hands in a lot of plays, and Mike Martin was an animal.

BF: You're right. The importance of Roh and that front seven getting a consistent pass rush can't be understated, and they did a pretty good job of it last week. You know when the D was at its best, though? When it was on the sideline. Let's talk a little about the importance of Time of Possession for this week’s game.

RG: Well, if we monopolize the ball and orchestrate 7, 8 and 9-minutes drives multiple times per game, we're going to demoralize defenses. We're also going to allow our young defense to ease in to the season and build confidence slowly and surely. Denard's decision-making was a big reason we put together those long drives Saturday, and he'll need to keep protecting the ball throughout the season for obvious reasons. While many teams emphasize winning the turnover battle, it's especially important for this group because of its blatantly unproven defense.

BF: One point in which I'm critical of Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez is his obsession with the big play and the quick strike. There IS such a thing as scoring too quickly, and I have no problem with slow, methodical drives down the field -- albeit with a hurry-up offense. Winning the turnover battle and T.O.P. are absolutely keys to victory against the Fighting Irish. The most important two words for Saturday, though? Keep scoring.

RG: Keep pouring it on. Nothing more discouraging for an offense than to work hard for points only to see them answered on an opponents' ensuing drive. Now, I didn't think Michigan went for the big strike too often Saturday. They had drives of 6 and 8 minutes, and the other three were around 3-minute drives. And it's not like Denard was airing it out to Braylon Edwards and Mercury Hayes up top. He doesn't have those guys. But he does have YOUR BOY Martavious Odoms.

BF: Didn't the slot receivers look great Saturday? Terrence Robinson (right). Tay Odoms. Jeremy Gallon also figures to work his way into the mix at some point. Speaking of the notorious JG, how about that headfirst screamer of a dive to muff the first touch of the pig in his collegiate career?

RG: It wasn't exactly graceful.

BF: That one had the hand of Millen all over it. But hey, at least he's a fast wide receiver right?

RG: Faster than most. Did you see any “Fire Millen” signs in the Big House, by the way? I digress. Let me ask you this: Rich Rod said this week that the key to Michigan beating Notre Dame is executing on offense. It's clear he's an offensive-minded coach. But is he too hopeful in hammering home to the team "score, score, score" -- in denial of a poor defense? Or is that a healthy emphasis?

BF: I think one could make the case that he's too offensively focused. The defections the program has had since Rod’s arrival seem to be tilted toward the defensive side of the ball, and he definitely tends to focus much more heavily on offense -- like it’s the offense’s responsibility to win the game regardless of anything else.

RG: But that’s not true, is it? I suppose you can always outscore somebody, even if you can't stop them.

BF: No. Offense is not as reliable as defense is, in any sport. The intricacy and precision rest with the offense, and if there's one thing I learned ... let's just say when a plan gets too complex, things can go wrong. Why do coaches always say passing is riskier than running?

RG: So “3 yards and a cloud of dust” is a philosophy you have no problem with? Where's the creativity?

BF: Well, a fullback trap is designed for 3 yards, and I would call it a creative play. I'd prefer “7 yards and a cloud of dust.” By no means do I want to see Denard take a knee on a breakaway after a 20-yard gain. But with THIS defense, milking the clock doesn't bother me a bit. I'm merely saying that Rodriguez's primary concern shouldn't be whether 30 points is enough, or how the offensive line’s downfield blocking is looking. Let's get some Lamarr Woodleys and Marlin Jacksons back there, score quickly, force a 3-and-out, and score again. Maybe get one of them little crystal footballs while we're at it?

RG: Yessir! To truly be "Champions of the West," we've got to be elite on both sides of the ball. But we don't necessarily need to do that Saturday. I'm optimistic, sure, but I like the Wolverines by a few touchdowns. I just don't think that slow Irish defense can keep up with Denard. Michigan 41, Notre Dame 18.

BF: Find me a National Champion that won with a poor defense, and I'll find you someone in East Lansing whose rooster hasn't crowed.

RG: Oooo. Ca-caw!

BF: I love that score, and man I hope I'm wrong and you're right, but I'll go 38-34, Michigan.

RG: That has a similar look to it. And a W’s a W. (Even if the scoreboard operator is yawning. Even if you kick the ball to keep it in the air and the ref says you didn’t.)

BF: Well, if we’re lucky, the human victory cigar for this week will be a Stephen Hopkins sighting. True frosh, big power back, in there bleeding clock against the Domers. Let's hope we get a whiff of the smoke, shall we?

RG: I'm coughing already.

BF: Go Blue.

RG: Go Blue.

Roger Garfield and Brandon Falk are longtime Michigan football fans who will try and provide accurate and hopeful weekly assessments of the state of the Wolverines for the remainder of the season. They can be reached at rlouisgar@gmail.com and hbrandonfalk@gmail.com.