Former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter had a system that was highlighted by his four pillars — block destruction, ball disruption, effort, and communication. Though the Wolverines have a new defensive coordinator, the pillars remain intact.
Last season, those four pillars were critical to Michigan ranking first in the nation for points allowed, giving up just 10.4 points per game. So far this season, though, the Wolverines have struggled to maintain that lethal defense, allowing 19.7 points per game. The Michigan defense lives and dies by those four pillars, and the strength of them have played a factor in their early-season woes.