John Mateer shows respect to Michigan's defense after a narrow win

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The Oklahoma Sooners and the Michigan Wolverines couldn't have had two different starts to the 2026 college football season. The Sooners dominated the University of Texas at El Paso Miners, 51-0, whereas the Wolverines won on a last-second Hail Mary to defeat the Western Michigan Broncos, 13-12.

While much has been made about the Wolverines' narrow win, the Sooners aren't buying into the noise. While Michigan struggled offensively, the defense showed up. Michigan held them to just 221 yards of total offense, including 89 yards passing.

Quarterback John Mateer raved about the Wolverines' defense earlier this week.

"They're good," Mateer said via OUInsider. "They played a good game. They didn't get a touchdown scored on them. I know there's a lot of noise, whatever, but the facts are the facts; they didn't get a touchdown scored on them. They've got a lot of talent."

Oklahoma isn't going to Ann Arbor expecting the same type of game it had against UTEP. Michigan's defensive front has the talent and physicality to make things difficult for Mateer and Co. The Sooners know Saturday's matchup will reveal far more about both teams than their Week 1 results.

That's ultimately why Mateer isn't interested in judging Michigan solely by the final score. The Wolverines may have left plenty to clean up offensively, but their defense already showed it can keep a team in a game. With Oklahoma bringing a much more explosive offense into the Big House, that defense could be the biggest obstacle standing between the Sooners and a second straight win over Michigan.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: John Mateer shows respect to Michigan's defense after a narrow win

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