The Same ≠ The Same

I'll start with a qualifier.  Greg Mattison and Brady Hoke (along with the defensive assistants) have done an amazing job with Michigan's defense.  That much is clear and obvious.  However, it's disingenuous to assert (as I've been hearing/seeing) that the defensive turnaround is solely a result of coaching and that all of the players are the same with only the results different.

From the 2010 Ohio game to the likely starting defense on Saturday, the Wolverines defense returns 5 starters.

By my count:

Starters in 2010 & 2011:
DE/DT Ryan Van Bergen (RS SR)
NT Mike Martin (SR)
MLB Kenny Demens (RS JR)
WDE Craig Roh (JR)
SS Jordan Kovacs (RS JR)

The Missing 6:
DE Greg Banks (graduated)
WLB Jonas Mouton (graduated and in NFL)
Spur Cam Gordon (hurt most of the year, now seeing special teams duty)
FS Ray Vinopal (transferred to Pitt)
CB James Rogers (graduated)
CB Courtney Avery (current nickel back)

The replacement 6:
DE/DT Will Heininger (RS SR, hurt most of last year, played some late in the year)
WLB Desmond Morgan (true freshman)
SLB Jake Ryan (RS FR, generated a ton of practice hype in 2010)
FS Troy Woolfolk (RS SR, injured all of 2010)
CB JT Floyd (RS JR, hurt towards the end of 2010)
CB Blake Countess (true freshman)

Firstly, the whole unit has been MUCH healthier than in 2010.  The most significant injury they've had on defense was Cam Gordon who missed most of the season and is now 3rd on the depth chart at SLB behind Jake Ryan and Brennan Beyer.

The only position where there has been a talent downgrade was at WLB where Michigan has had some trouble replacing the enigmatic Mouton.  First it was Brandon Herron with a little bit of Mike Jones sprinkled in.  Herron suffered an undisclosed injury and was supplanted by Desmond Morgan for Notre Dame.  He was awful and replaced by Brandin Hawthorne who made a couple of nice plays and parlayed that to a starting role that he eventually ceded to the resurgent Morgan.

Other than that, Michigan is either more experienced or simply better at every position.  I didn't even mention a healthy beast-mode Mike Martin vs. the gimpy-ankled-got-chop-blocked-by-Sparty 2010 version.

I've also been hearing people giving credit for his great recruits like Countess and Morgan.  Sorry, those guys committed to the previous staff so Brady/Mattison get credit for coaching them up but not reeling them in.

That is all.  Go Blue.  Beat Ohio.

P.S.  Read 3 & Out by John U. Bacon if you haven't already.