Michigan just flat out got beat.
It seemed like it might be a game early. Michigan forced a punt and moved down the field, but a missed field goal would serve as a bad omen. Through the rest of the first half, Notre Dame's offense moved the ball consistently as Michigan's defense reeled against a cool and confident Everett Golson in the passing game (thanks in part to the loss of Raymon Taylor and Jabrill Peppers to injury). Notre Dame was able to string together a pair of 70+ yard drives to open the scoring, and Michigan's defense had several key breakdowns including a couple PI flags on Jourdan Lewis.
Meanwhile, Michigan's offense slowly ground to a halt after two 40+ yard drives stalled and ended in missed field goals to start the game. By the second half, with Michigan down 21-0, turnovers became an issue. Devin Gardner looked crisp early in the game, but unraveled as Notre Dame pushed its way into the pocket time and time again.
Michigan's 2014 season is far from over, but injuries to Raymon Taylor and Desmond Morgan on defense, and continued issues on the offensive line (as well as Gardner's sporadic play behind it) have cast doubt on just how much success this team can find this season.
Things are not looking up this year, and the one thing we certainly didn't see was progress from last game. That might be the most distressing part after two years of diminishing returns.