Anonymous Big Ten Players Discuss Michigan, Part 2
TheWolverine spoke with players from all around the conference at Big Ten Media Days regarding the 2018 Michigan Wolverines' football team, in an attempt to get their true thoughts on the Maize and Blue.
The athletes were granted anonymity to protect their identity, and we've rounded up the best of what they had to say on Day 2 from Chicago:
• A defensive player, explaining what it was like facing Michigan's offense: “We were expecting them to run it down our throats, and we were prepared for them to do that. We played great defense and slowed them down in the first half.
"They went to their passing game and opened things up in the second half, and we weren’t expecting that. That’s when the game kind of got away from us.
"They started catching the 50/50 balls — our guys were in coverage and had tight defense, but they’d just catch them. We stopped their run, but the 50/50 balls hurt us. [Junior quarterback] Shea [Patterson] stood out. He put the ball right on the money for his guys.”
• An offensive player, when asked what he remembers about Michigan's defense: "They had a crazy amount of talent, and we saw it all over the place on film. They’re extremely well coached and we thought we could attack them in certain areas, and we actually did in the first half.
"They made adjustments and it led to a battle in the second half as well before they came out on top. They were as sound defensively as you can be. They’re up there [in terms of the best defenses we saw], but it just depends on when you play some of these teams.
"They'd probably be a little more stingy early in the year, or might come out a little flat after a big win or a tough loss.”
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