College Football: 5 Things to Watch During Michigan vs. Notre Dame

Michigan-Notre Dame week has finally arrived and fans on either side couldn't be more excited.  Obviously, Michigan is preparing for its first home night game, while Notre Dame can't wait to play again after last Saturday's home loss to South Florida.

It's the best matchup of Week Two, and here are five keys to the game that will help determine the outcome.

5. Will Cierre Wood Be Able to Run on Michigan's Defense?

Cierre Wood had a great game last Saturday, rushing for over 100 yards and averaging five yards per carry. To some, it may have been surprising to see him get 21 carries, as Brian Kelly usually likes to throw the ball a lot more than run it.

It will be interesting to see if Wood can have the same success against Michigan's defense.

A big reason he had so much success was because Notre Dame's offensive line was creating huge holes. Those holes probably won't be as big against Michigan.

Without a doubt, Michigan will be more focused on stopping Notre Dame's passing game, so that could potentially play in Wood's favor.

If they're not paying enough attention to him, he could have a big day. However, Greg Mattison always pays attention to stopping the run, so Michigan isn't going to just forget about him.

We probably won't see Wood have as big of a day as he had last week, mainly because Notre Dame will likely be throwing the ball a lot more.

4. Will Michigan's Defensive Line Be Able to Get Pressure?

Michigan's defensive line played surprisingly bad last Saturday. They didn't get enough pressure, resulting in some big plays.

They're going to have to step it up this weekend. Notre Dame's offensive line is very good, so it will be a challenge for Michigan.

Notre Dame has talent and experience all across the line, so this is obviously a veteran group.

If Michigan's defensive line can take away the run, it will be huge. Forcing Notre Dame to become one dimensional will help the defense out a lot.

Seniors Mike Martin and Ryan Van Bergen have to step up and play better. Craig Roh has to play better as well after being a non factor last week.

3. Will Fitz Toussaint and Michael Shaw Be Able to Run on Notre Dame's Defense?

Notre Dame's run defense was fairly impressive last week, as they allowed just 126 rushing yards. What's even more impressive is that they only allowed South Florida to average three yards per carry.

It will be interesting to see how they do against Michigan's backs. Michigan has a very good offensive line so it could be a challenge for Notre Dame's run defense.

Both Fitzgerald Toussaint and Michael Shaw looked good running the ball last Saturday. Toussaint had 80 yards, while Shaw had 54 yards on only four carries.

In fact, in only three quarters of play, Michigan rushed for 190 yards.

It may help Michigan's runners that Notre Dame runs a 3-4 defense. However, both the line and linebacker corps are solid.

The biggest question mark for Notre Dame is probably at nose tackle, whether it's Louis Nix or Sean Cwynar, so it will be key for Michigan's offensive line to push the Fighting Irish back.

The linebackers for Notre Dame are both talented and experienced, as Darius Fleming is a senior and Manti Te'o is very good.

Michigan's backs should be able to run the ball somewhat effectively on Notre Dame's front seven.

2. Will Notre Dame Turn the Ball over as Often as They Did Last Week?

If Notre Dame turns the ball over five times again this week, they probably aren't going to win.  Michigan, on the other hand, forced three Western Michigan turnovers, two of which were returned for touchdowns.

Seeing how mistake prone Notre Dame was last week, and how opportunistic Michigan's defense was, you'd think it would bode disaster for Notre Dame. However, they'll likely come out wanting redemption, and aren't going to be as careless with the ball as they were last Saturday.

TJ Jones had a ball bounce right off of his shoulder pads and end up being intercepted, so all the interceptions last week weren't necessarily the quarterbacks' fault.

Still, both TJ Jones and Theo Riddick made some crucial mistakes last week, and are going to have to play a lot better this week. Riddick especially has to be better, on both offense and special teams.

1. How Will Michigan's Secondary Defend Notre Dame's Passing Attack?

Michigan's secondary looked bad to begin the game on Saturday, but got a lot better as the game went along. What's even more impressive is that they played well even without Troy Woolfolk.

It will be extremely hard for Michigan's secondary to slow down Notre Dame's passing attack this Saturday. Michael Floyd is one of the best receivers in the country, and has rarely been slowed down throughout his career.

TJ Jones and Theo Riddick are also solid, although they didn't play too well against South Florida.

Tommy Rees will start at quarterback and, even though he isn't great, he certainly can get the job done.  If things don't go well for him though, Brian Kelly has shown that he isn't afraid to make a change.

Michigan's young secondary is simply going to have to step up. J.T. Floyd, Courtney Avery and Troy Woolfolk are all going to have to play great at cornerback.

Jordan Kovacs has shown that he is a solid safety, but Thomas Gordon, Carvin Johnson and Marvin Robinson are all going to have to play better than they did last week.

Michigan's mindset needs to be to shut down Floyd.  They need to make Notre Dame prove that guys like Jones, Riddick and Tyler Eifert can beat them.

If Michigan's secondary is able to slow down Notre Dame's passing attack, they will likely win this game.