I get why OSU fans will play the "so close yet so far" argument (Lord knows I did that in 2016 when UNC lost on the Kris Jenkins shot), but the forest for the trees here is that Michigan is pretty indisputably *better* today than they were last year when they made a national title run. Better shooting, better passing, the best defense in the country. Brazdeikis is the best freshman in the country not wearing a Duke uniform, which no one saw coming. The list for best perimeter defender in the country starts with Simpson.

And I know I've said this before, but it's *really hard* to look at Beilein's major, major stylistic shift and not be absolutely blown away. Last time a high-major coach made such a stylistic shift was when Jay Wright went from saying "we're known for dribble drive" to "we're known for 3s." Beilein was always a "stellar offense will carry a mediocre defense" guy. The last two years, they haven't had the shooters that previous teams had, so he turned into a "good offense will be carried by a stellar defense" guy... basically overnight. He went from Mediocre Defense Guy in 2017 to Tony Bennett Level Defense Guy in the span of, like, 18-20 months. Just remarkable.