Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME Point ✦ Counterpoint: Michigan No Joke Under Brady Hoke WHICH NOTRE DAME OPPONENT WAS THE BIGGER OVERACHIEVER DURING THE REGULAR SEASON? By Wes Morgan Sanctions? What Sanctions? After five straight victories to start the 2010 season, it appeared as if then- Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez had bought himself at least another season and that the program was turning a corner. Then the Wolverines lost six of their last eight games. Michigan finished the regular season with a 7-5 record (3-5 in the Big Ten) to earn an in- vitation to play Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl. Michigan was throttled, 52-14, prompt- ing school leaders to cut ties with Rodriguez after three years. Rodriguez oversaw a 15-22 overall record and 6-18 mark in league play. The pieces were falling into place for his spread offense, highlighted by the develop- ment of dynamic, dual-threat quarterback Denard Robinson, who became the first player in NCAA history to both rush and throw for 1,500 yards in one season. Michi- gan ranked eighth in the country in total of- fense with 488.7 yards per game. But the defense, which gave up 450.8 yards per game (tied for 110th nationally), was in shambles. It's precisely why few people believed new head coach Brady Hoke would be successful overnight. Hoke never got the memo, and new defensive coordinator Greg Mattison rolled up his sleeves. After a 34-10 victory over Western Michi- gan to start the 2011 season, Michigan hosted Notre Dame for the first home night game in program history. The Wolverines defense still featured plenty of holes, but it was Notre Dame's defense that was stun- ningly bad, including a head-scratching effort on Michigan's game-winning drive in the final seconds. The 35-31 victory over the Irish set the stage for four consecutive victories en route to a 10-2 record and Sugar Bowl berth. In one year, Hoke, who received three votes for Associated Press Coach of the Year, which was won by LSU's Les Miles, turned a mess into a BCS outfit. The Wolverines improved 92 spots to finish 18th nationally in total defense (317.6 yards allowed per game) and with a No. 13 ranking in the final regular season Associated Press poll. By Dan Murphy The month of September was supposed to be a precursor for USC. The Trojans struggled to score against a lowly Minnesota team and took a big lump on the chin in Tempe, Ariz., with a 43-22 loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils. Mighty Troy looked shaky with no postsea- son bowl game or conference championship to play for under second-year head coach Lane Kiffin. But Kiffin rallied his talent-rich troops, and USC proved it wasn't going any- where. The Trojans finished with a 10-2 re- cord and ranked fifth in the most recent AP poll. The overachieving in Southern California started in February when, despite heavy- handed sanctions looming for bowl games and scholarship limits, the coaching staff roped in a very strong group of recruits. Many believed that the past indiscretions of ex-Heisman Trophy-winner Reggie Bush and the NCAA penalties that followed would at least temporarily knock USC out of the elite status it has held for the last decade. That didn't happen this year. After losing to Arizona State, the Trojans reeled off three straight wins, including an impressive showing in South Bend against Notre Dame. USC was by far the more physi- cal team in its 31-17 win over the Irish. The Trojans' biggest win of the season was against No. 4 Oregon on the road, where they held on to an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter. With no hype and a relative lack of ex- Michigan head coach Brady Hoke surprised many with a 10-2 regular season in his first year with the Wolverines while dramatically improving the defense. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL pectations, USC came within 38 seconds of putting together a national championship- caliber record. Had Stanford not tied the Trojans (and later won in triple OT) on their final drive of regulation, USC would have been 11-1 with two wins over top-10 teams. That is more than anyone could expect from a team without any real big-picture motivational goals. Michigan might have overachieved by riding its brand name to a BCS bowl, but USC did the most on the field this season. Aaron Lynch Named Freshman All-American In December, Notre Dame 6-6, 265-pound freshman defensive end Aaron Lynch was placed on Phil Steele's first-team Freshman All-America unit, which also includes redshirt freshmen. Joining Lynch on Steele's team was fellow Irish defensive end Stephon Tuitt on the third team and George Atkinson III on the second-team kick- off return unit, behind Clemson superstar Sammy Watkins. More impressive, Todd McShay of Scouts Inc. — Defensive end Aaron Lynch earned Freshman All-America notice for his efforts that included 13 quarterback hurries. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND www.BLUEANDGOLD.com and also a top ESPN analyst for the NFL Draft — ranked Lynch as the No. 3 true freshman among his list of 25. Only Watkins (77 catches, 1,153 yards and 11 TD) and South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (33 tackles, six sacks, two forced fum- bles) — the consensus No. 1 recruit in the country last year — were ahead of Lynch (28 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble and 13 quarterback hurries). Behind Lynch were two running backs in Geor- gia's Isaiah Cromwell (847 yards rushing, 4.7 yards per carry) and Oregon's DeAnthony Thomas (440 yards rushing, 8.3 yards per carry). Lynch played in all but one of the 12 games — the 35-31 loss at Michigan in the second week — and started five because of injuries to seniors Ethan Johnson and Kapron Lewis-Moore. FEBRUARY 2012 13