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four national championships. Both schools still have a long way to go (Alabama beat Michigan 41-14 to start the 2012 season and beat Notre Dame 42-14 to end it), but the progress is easy to see. "They're going to impose their will on people in the running game eventually," Balas said. "I don't think they're there yet. The line is too young, but how quickly the line jells is how good this offense will be." For now, Michigan hangs its offensive burden on the capable shoulders of redshirt junior quarterback Devin Gardner. A better passer than Robinson was, Gardner gives Michigan a more professional look. He provided a brief tease when he replaced Robinson as the starting quarterback for the last four games of the year. Gardner completed 59.5 percent of his passes in 2012 and accounted for at least two touchdowns in every game in which he was the starter. Offensive coordinator Al Borges had a full month to install more of a West Coast offense prior to the Wolverines' appearance in the Outback Bowl. In that game, a loss to South Carolina, Gardner threw for 214 yards and three touchdowns in a balanced attack that dominated the time of possession. "That's when we started to take a pretty good step," Borges told reporters in August. "We scratched the surface pretty good in the bowl game, but still weren't there." Balas believes that the ceiling is still a long ways away for Gardner in the new Michigan offense. "I think Devin Gardner is a legit AllAmerican candidate if he plays to his potential," he said. "He's a guy with extreme confidence and pinpoint accuracy. He can do some things with his feet, too." Gardner will have to choose from a committee of receivers in the passing game this season. The loss of sophomore wide receiver Amara Darboh (foot surgery) will spread the touches even more. Darboh was expected to have a breakout Sophomore tight end Devin Funchess, who hauled in two receptions for 47 yards against Central Michigan last week, is expected to be a vital part of Michigan's passing attack. photo by per kjeldsen ✦ Page 2 season after playing mostly special teams as a freshman. Fifth-year senior Jeremy Gallon will step into a bigger role as the team's top target this season, and sophomore tight end Devin Funchess also has a chance to become a major part of the passing attack. Funchess earned Freshman All-America honors last year with 15 receptions and five touchdowns. He and incoming freshman Jake Butt give Michigan the talent at tight end to continue to push toward that more hard-nose style of moving the ball. The Wolverines' strength also lies at the line of scrimmage on defense this season. A full first and second group of defensive linemen give Michigan a similar look to the 2012 Irish defense. Balas said Hoke's team may still have a few questions to answer on the back end, but the front seven should make it very difficult for opponents to run wild. "I think they're going to be a lot better defensively than people give them credit for," he said. "If they can stop the run it's going to make things a lot easier for the defensive backfield." Notre Dame won't have to face returning top tackler Jake Ryan, who will miss at least the first half of the season with a knee injury, but Michigan has the talent to create backfield pressure with the four rushers they'll be able to put on the field. Junior defensive end Frank Clark and true freshman Taco Charlton are both expected to be impact players. Hoke's team took a small step backward last season after surprising the country with a Sugar Bowl victory during his first year in Ann Arbor. Despite the hiccup in the win column in 2012, Michigan appears to be following the time-tested pattern back to its sturdy roots. The return both schools are making to a more traditional mentality creates the makings of some memorable matchups in the Notre DameMichigan series, while it lasts. ✦