With the way the Michigan defense has played this season, especially in the second half, one can wonder whether the Wolverines' defense has actually been tested at all this season.

What would happen if the team faces a bit of adversity in these final two games of the season?

U-M defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was asked this question on Wednesday and he gave his honest response to the question.

When it all comes down to it, you can only play the opponent on the schedule that week.

"Look, you can control some things," Minter said. "I think the No. 1 thing you can control is how you play against whoever you play against. So certainly pleased with the guys’ effort, the guys’ mentality, the guys’ mindset how we’ve been able to play. Man, there’s stuff every week that you go into the game nervous about, worried about. So, I think the guys have just done a good job of focusing on every single day trying to get a little bit better.

"Knowing that, yeah, the way the schedule falls, no matter what the order of schedule is, you want to be playing your best football at the end of the season and so try to evolve, try to get a little bit better each week. Like where we’re at in that regard. The story is far from being written on this group and we’ll find out a lot in the next couple of weeks."

On top of that, the statistics speak for themselves.

First in points allowed per game, first in yards allowed per game with 232 yards given up on average, first in rush defense, which has been outstanding all season.

Those are the kind of numbers you don't just luck into. It requires some skill and being able to put players in the right position to be successful.

If that's the case, what has made Michigan's defense so good this year?

Minter says it all comes down to the players. They are the ones that have to go out and execute each week.

"I think it’s just the players," Minter said. "I mean, these guys, we have a lot of talented players, they play really well together, they really enjoy playing together. They’re a very competitive group that wants to be perfect. You’re never going to be perfect, but they want to get better every day, they want to continue to have success. They work really, really hard at it and I’ve said it from the beginning, these guys really prepare every week as if we’re playing whoever—the Green Bay Packers. So it goes to those guys and their level of preparation.

"I think Coach Herb and what he does with these guys in the offseason to mentally and physically prepare them for the 12-week grind—so mostly credit to those guys and also the other coaches with us on defense have done a great job. Like I said, we got a lot of work to do still to be where we want to be at the end of the year."