Michigan Football: 5 Things That Will Keep Brady Hoke Up at Night

Certain things drive some coaches crazy, and it's no different for Brady Hoke and Michigan.

There are some things that players and teams are just simply expected to do, and it can drive a coach insane if the opposite is done.

Here's a look at five things that could make Brady Hoke lose sleep this season.

Off-the-Field Issues

It sure seems like player arrests are at an all-time high recently. Nothing will drive a coach crazier than off-the-field issues.

With the current controversy at Notre Dame surrounding Tommy Rees and Carlo Calabrese, it sure is nice to be a program like Michigan where this kind of thing rarely happens.

Yes, the program recently had the Darryl Stonum incident, but how often do big-time cases like that really occur at Michigan, especially compared to SEC schools, like Florida?

Remember, Hoke and the coaches are keeping Rich Rodriguez's kids in line, so it should become even less of an issue once he gets his own kids in.

Turnovers

This one is specifically aimed at Denard. He just simply needs to take better care of the ball, and turnovers shouldn't be an issue with this team.

He throws way too many picks and fumbles way too easily. It needs to stop. As long as he continues to turn it over, it will put the defense in bad situations.

If he can take care of the ball, this offense will be that much better.

A Soft Defense

We all know how much Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison hate it when their defense doesn't play with the certain level of toughness required at Michigan.

This defense began to show glimpses of that defense last season, but the coaches will be expecting them to take it to a whole new level.

Everything starts on the defensive line though, and the line will have three new faces starting. The lone returning starter, Craig Roh, was arguably the weakest link on the line last year.

If the line can play well and anchor this defense, this defense has the potential to resemble the Michigan defenses of old.

But, again, that defensive line is a big 'if.'

A Loss to Ohio

I can't even imagine how devastated Hoke would be if his team loses to Ohio this season. Heck, I can barely even imagine how devastated I would be.

It is a game that simply has to be won.

Michigan cannot let Urban Meyer step in and win in his first coaching experience of The Game.

Enough said.

Anything Less Than a Rose Bowl Appearance

If Michigan doesn't win the Big Ten in 2012, the season will be looked at as a failure, just like 2011 was.

However, there is absolutely no reason Michigan shouldn't win the Big Ten in 2012.

As long as Michigan doesn't lose to anybody they're not supposed to, the Michigan-Michigan State game on October 20 could be a potential Big Ten championship play-in game.

If Michigan wins that game, which they certainly should, it seems likely that they'd then appear in the Big Ten title.

I just don't see how anybody other than Wisconsin wins the Leaders Division, so that's who the likely opponent will be.

Beat the Badgers, and a spot in the Rose Bowl will be locked up.

If not, Brady Hoke will lose a lot of sleep that offseason.