Michigan Wolverines' End of Season Grades and Awards

That and add in a bunch of hype about how Mike Barwis has whipped these guys into shape before the season and you get the 69th ranked defense in the country.

Thanks. Way to show up.

The defensive line was great but it couldn't make up for the linebackers and secondary giving up big play after big play.

There was only so much Terrance Taylor, Will Johnson, Brandon Graham, and Tim Jamison could do. And those guys did a lot. Graham had 10 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles along with 46 tackles to earn second-team Big Ten.

Unfortunately they had guys like Stevie Brown, Charles Stewart, Brandon Harrison, John Thompson and Obi Ezeh watching their backs.

Ezeh's 98 tackles are impressive but he really needs to step up in his junior season next year to get me off his back. But right now he takes on too many blockers, doesn't hit the gaps and gets run over by Beanie Wells on a yearly basis.

I don't want to discuss the passing defense inefficiencies or Stevie Brown ever again. I just want to drill them out of my memory.

Donovan Warren was solid but I want to see why he got a five star rating out of high school. Right now he just reminds me of Jeremy LaSueur, a solid defensive back who doesn't make many mistakes.

Goodbye Morgan Trent. That's all, just goodbye.

One guy though that fans need to be watching is Jonas Mouton. He really came on strong at the end of the season and will be a force next year. He gives me hope that Michigan's linebacking corps will be alright.

But Michigan got dominated so many times and by bad to mediocre teams. Illinois ran all over the Wolverines, Justin Siller and Purdue embarrassed them then there's Toledo.

A lot could be blamed on the offense for not converting third downs (27.3 percent on third down) and putting the defense on the field too much.

But at some point that argument has to be thrown out, especially when the defense is giving up 500+ yards to a really bad Purdue team.

That and the fact that Michigan ranks 60th in third-down defense. They can complain about the offense not being able to stay on the field but they can't complain about not being able to get off the field on third down.

Final Defensive Grade: D-

Defensive MVP: Brandon Graham

Special Team

Oh, the ups and downs that special teams provided this season was truly epic. Well the downs anyway.

The only ups I can speak of is Zoltan Mesko's punt fakes and his general ability to hang a ball in the air for 45 minutes.

The bads were many and often.

Martavious Odoms should never, never return punts again, unless that is all he is practicing from today to the beginning of the season.

Why Greg Matthews wasn't back there more often just to have a better chance of possessing the ball is beyond me.

Odoms' fumbles could be called on cue by the end of the season. When he did it against Ohio State I barely flinched. I just knew it was going to happen and accepted it.

K.C. Lopata is on the Philip Brabbs level and he put himself there after missing a chip shot against Toledo.

Lopata ended the season 10-for-15 and missed from less than 30 yards out twice.

Mesko is the lone Michigan player on the All Big Ten first team.

Final Special Teams Grade: C

Special Teams MVP: Zoltan Mesko (obviously)

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