Commentary

Notre Dame's offensive advantage

If the Irish offense plays to its elite potential on Saturday, Michigan could be in trouble

Updated: September 8, 2011, 3:32 PM ET

By KC Joyner | ESPN Insider

Even though the Notre Dame Fighting Irish enter Saturday night's road game at the Michigan Wolverines as the favorite, many expect their offensive production to be a problem after a sloppy Week 1 performance and a quarterback change from Dayne Crist to Tommy Rees. The Irish instead are perceived to have the advantage because of a defense that is appreciably better than Michigan's.

However, a deeper look at the game tape and the numbers from Notre Dame's season-opening loss to the South Florida Bulls reveals that the Fighting Irish have an offense that is quite close to overpowering -- and that they should pose a serious challenge for the Wolverines' defense.

To read more about the potential for Notre Dame to have an elite offense in 2011 and what that means for Michigan's defense on Saturday night, become an ESPN Insider today.