Back to the Big Ten Newsfeed

With Back to Back Shutouts, Michigan's Defense Is the Real Deal

This summer, the college football world couldn’t get enough of Michigan and coach Jim Harbaugh. Football writers focused on Harbaugh’s every move, with a big spotlight on the Wolverines’ quarterback competition.

Perhaps they missed the biggest story, though: the Wolverines defense. Michigan has made a surprising push into the Top 25 with passable offense, but the backbone of its success has been a nasty, opportunistic defensive front.

Saturday’s 28-0 shutout of Maryland, coupled with a 31-0 whitewashing of BYU, marked the program’s first back-to-back shutouts since October 2000, when Michigan blanked Indiana and Michigan State.

Jabrill Peppers was part of a dominant Michigan defensive effort Saturday.