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9/24/2019 4:19:40 PM

What to watch for as No. 17 Michigan takes on No. 8 Notre Dame

We’re about to find out how long 
that hangover lasted.
There’s no rest for the weary, as 
No. 19 Michigan welcomes No. 8 
Notre Dame in a game that would 
have meant far more six weeks ago.
The Wolverines, as you likely 
know, suffered their second loss 
of the season last week at Penn 
State, a heartbreaking 28-21, the 
ramifications of which will continue 
to ripple. They have little more than 
pride to play for through the rest of 
the season, but this program could 
sure use some pride these days.
The Fighting Irish come to town 
scathed in their own right, with a 
narrow loss at Georgia poking holes 
in the sails of their College Football 
Playoff hopes. They need to win out, 
and they need to do so in impressive 
fashion. Even that will require some 
help from others.
Here are just a few things to 
watch, in a top-20 matchup that 
feels far more like the semifinals of 
a consolation bracket.
Is Michigan up for this?
We’ll know early on whether 
this is a game it truly wants to play 
— if all that talk about moving on 

quickly, refocusing attention and 
rearing up for a night game against 
Notre Dame was substantiated. 
“We have an opportunity — 
we have a decision to make,” said 
senior quarterback Shea Patterson 
on Tuesday, stopping just shy of 
elucidating that decision. “Our goal 
is to win every game the rest of the 
season. I love this team. We’re all so 
close, and we trust each other, and 
we love playing together. I don’t 
think there is any other goal than to 
just win.”
That is an admirable goal, and 
exactly what a senior quarterback 
should say the week after a loss that 
effectively ended his season hopes.
Point all you’d like at Notre 
Dame’s weak schedule or pedestrian 
showing 
against 
Southern 
California two weeks ago. The 
Fighting Irish are ranked 21st in 
SP+, which is slightly more bearish 
than the more traditional rankings. 
But if the Wolverines aren’t 
mentally, emotionally and physically 
invested in these outcomes, none of 
that will matter. We’ll know pretty 
early whether talk is cheap inside 
Schembechler Hall or whether this 
team believes it still has something 
to play for.
If it does, there’s a real argument 

it is the better team on Saturday — 
and should win. If it doesn’t, nothing 
else really matters.
How will the Wolverines start?
In two top-15 matchups this year, 
Michigan has fallen into deficits of 
28-0 and 21-0, both of which proved 
insurmountable. Needless to say, 
another early dud would spell doom 
for a Wolverines team in desperate 
need of a therapeutic win. 
There are endless reasons for 

slow starts, a trend that dates back 
to Michigan’s 21-3 deficit in the first 
half of last year’s season opener at … 
 
Notre Dame. 
The quickest way to sink hopes 
of a season resurgence would be to 
come out flat — squandering any 
perceived energy carried over from 
last week’s promising second half. 
This offense needs to hit the ground 
running, building on the back of 
a lively 21-point second half last 

week. It cannot revert to old ways. 
This defense can’t afford to spot the 
opposing foe multiple touchdowns 
before it finds its footing.
Sometimes, 
football 
is 
complicated. Other times, you just 
can’t afford to hand a top-10 team 
a multiple-touchdown lead before 
either team can catch its breath. 
Most teams aren’t good enough to 
do that. Michigan certainly isn’t.

MAX MARCOVITCH
Managing Sports Editor

EVAN AARON/Daily
The Michigan football team lost in South Bend last season, 24-17, to the Fighting Irish and gets a chance at revenge this week.

Continued ON PAGE 8B

