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BTN analyst compares this Michigan team to 1997 championship squad

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Michigan and national championship have been mentioned in the same sentence quite frequently this year. After beating three ranked opponents in back-to-back-to-back games, the legitimacy of the Wolverines is even more real.

BTN analyst Corey Wootton believes this Michigan team is the best we’ve seen in some time. He’s even comparing it to the 1997 team, a group that went 12-0 and claimed a national championship.

Wooton pointed to the Wolverines’ strong defensive unit as a reason behind his comparison.

“This defense is one of the best in the league,” Wooton said of Michigan. “Week in and week out they just get better. That Notre Dame game, early on, they struggled. I believe if they played Notre Dame right now, they would beat them convincingly the way they’re playing defensively.”

Michigan’s defense ranks first nationally in yards allowed, passing yards allowed and fifth in points allowed. The Wolverines are also permitting just 3.73 yards per play this season, an average that’s one of the best this decade.

Wootton wasn’t done giving Michigan props. He also said the offense is playing at a high level, particularly quarterback Shea Patterson.

“Offensively, they’re rolling with that running game,” Wootton said. “Shea Patterson, that zone read, his ability to get outside the pocket. Now they have Tarik Black. They’re playing the most consistent football, not only in the B1G, but in college football right now.”

The Wolverines are ranked No. 4 in both the USA Today Coaches poll and the Associated Press poll. They’ll likely be in that spot when the College Football Playoff rankings are released on Tuesday, as well.

And that probably won’t change much over the next few weeks. Michigan has games against Rutgers and Indiana before a showdown with Ohio State in Columbus. It won’t be a surprise if a College Football Playoff bid comes down to the outcome of that contest.

Below is the video of Wootton talking about the Wolverines.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB