http://www.detnews.com/2005/college/...D02-266927.htm
Tuesday, August 2, 2005
Analyst says it will be tough for Michigan to compete against schools with powerful defenses.
By Angelique S. Chengelis / The Detroit News
Kirk Herbstreit, who played at Ohio State and serves as a college football analyst for ESPN, took time out Monday to talk Big Ten football:
Q: The media voted Michigan the preseason favorite in the Big Ten. Do you agree?
A: I would rank them Ohio State, Purdue and Iowa. The reason I say that is because you have to have a great defense to be able to win the Big Ten.
As we sit here August 1, on paper, it's hard for me to say Michigan is the No. 1 team in this conference. It's all because the way they have played in the linebacker area and secondary. They have not shown the ability to run the way they're supposed to run.
Compare them to those other three, those other three should -- right now, anyway -- have better defenses.
It's not just the Texas game (the Rose Bowl). This has been going on three of the last four years. (The Wolverines have) had some holes, and they've been suspect against scrambling quarterbacks and passing games.
Q: Could this Michigan offense be powerful enough to overcome opposing defenses, not to mention its own defense?
A: It could be. But to me, I always like to look at defense and schedule and who has an experienced quarterback when I'm trying to forecast in August what's going to happen.
Purdue is a team I would put No. 2 in the Big Ten because they have a great defense, they don't play Michigan, they don't play Ohio State and they play Iowa at home.
Q: How would you rate Michigan State's Drew Stanton among Big Ten quarterbacks?
A: I'd put him (in the) top two or three. I want to see him healthy for a whole year.
Anybody who has an ability to run and throw and play in John L. Smith's offense, you have a chance to be all-conference because he can put you into a position to showcase your abilities. They've got some talent at receiver.
Q: If Ohio State beats Michigan again this year, Michigan coach Lloyd Carr would be 1-4 against Jim Tressel. How important is this Ohio State game to Michigan this year?
A: I don't know about (Carr's being on a) hot seat or anything like that, but
I will say, if Ohio State beats Michigan in Ann Arbor this year, that would be 4-1, and at that point, it's official (Tressel) is in (Carr's) head.
I lived it on the other side. And as much as John Cooper and any Ohio State fan will say, "Ah, it wasn't that big a deal. It wasn't mental," it was 100 percent mental.
So if Tress goes to Ann Arbor and beats him, he will be 2-1 in Ann Arbor, and 4-1 overall, and at that point, he's firmly entrenched in the back of the mind of Lloyd Carr.
If Michigan wins the game, I think everybody is like, "Oh, see, we're OK, everything is OK. I told you there's not a mental thing there."
