Michigan football's singing and dancing during Wisconsin's playing of 'Jump Around' at the conclusion of the third quarter of the Maize and Blue's 38-17 rout of the Badgers Saturday was just a little peek into how much the team is enjoying each other during its 5-0 start to the season.
The Wolverines have put their 2-4 2020 season behind them and now appear to be a contender in the Big Ten East.
"The vibes are at the highest right now, with everything," redshirt junior linebacker Josh Ross said Monday. "It’s a blessing to be a part of the team, to be honest. All that we’ve been through, all the vets — [junior defensive end] Aidan Hutchinson, [sixth-year senior center] Andrew Vastardis, [junior wide receiver] Ronnie Bell, guys that have been here for a while. And now we’re back to winning football and back to Michigan football.
"It’s a blessing, and we’re just looking to keep pushing and keep going week to week and keep winning."
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Michigan entered the season unranked and picked by the media to finish fourth in the Big Ten East. After a strong start that has seen the Wolverines rise to No. 9 in the Associated Press' rankings, the expectations from outsiders have risen. But the feeling from inside Schembechler Hall is that they're exactly who and what they're supposed to be, and they're not satisfied.
"Our expectation is to win a championship — Big Ten and national championship — and that’s never going to change," Ross said. "One thing we preach every single day, especially in the defensive room, is that we’re chasing perfection — every time we step on that field for practice, every time we go on that field for games. There are going to be mistakes, but we’re chasing perfection, and we want to be the best that we can be.
"We know what we are capable of, so honestly the outside noise is irrelevant to us. We’re just looking to keep playing winning football, keep playing Michigan football and keep getting better."
Ross missed the second half of the team's 20-13 win over Rutgers with a 'stinger injury,' before returning for the Wisconsin win last Saturday. He was begging to come back in against the Scarlet Knights, but medical professionals didn't clear him.
"You know I wanted to come back for the second half," he said with a smile. "It’s all good, though. Dinged up a little bit. I wasn’t able to get back in the game, but our defense finished and we bowed up at the end of that Rutgers game, leading to this week to have a great game. We’re just looking to keep moving this momentum forward."
Overall, Ross is having the best season of his career. The captain leads the squad with 34 tackles, and has added five quarterback hurries, four stops for loss, a half-sack and a pass breakup. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that Ross looks faster than before, and that's due to an offseason regiment that included yoga and speed and agility training. So far, it has paid off in a big way.
"As far as my speed and quickness, the way I move, that’s something I’ve been honed in on and focused on from the day the season ended last year," Ross revealed. "I feel like that was one of the biggest improvements I needed to make going into the season — how I moved and my ability to be the best ‘backer I could possibly be."
Ross is also the team's top communicator on defense, and has greatly helped the Wolverines' young linebackers, specifically freshmen Nikhai Hill-Green and Junior Colson. The communication lacked when he was out, but has soared while he's in the game and making calls.
"We all watch film together, whether it’s after practice or even the day before the game — we all prepare together," Ross said of the position group. "Communication is a big piece for our defense, and that’s something that moves the train and has us playing so well. This game was by far the most communication we’ve had as a defense. We’re just looking to keep getting better, keep perfecting our craft, chasing perfection … and the sky's the limit for this defense."
The Maize and Blue rank sixth nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 12.8 points per game, and 14th in total defense, yielding 285.6 yards per outing, with first-year coordinator Mike Macdonald playing a big role in turning around the unit's fortunes.
"Coach Mike Macdonald, he’s an excellent coach, and he brings us together so well," Ross raved. "The biggest thing I’m proud about with our defense is that we’re getting better each week, and looking to improve and get even better to become the best defense Michigan’s seen in a long time.
"To be honest, the different feeling, as far as defense, is that our defense plays for each other this year. We play for our brothers; we play for the man standing next to us. I’ll go out there every single day, not only to have my best game, but to make sure I got my brother’s back. That’s how we play and that’s the motivation."
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