Like the rest of his teammates, sophomore defensive tackle Ryan Van Bergen struggles to figure out why the Michigan defense has struggled in the second half of most games this season.

Ryan Van Bergen

Q: Given the difficulties the defense has had in the second half of the season, are you close to figuring out what has gone so wrong?

A: I think we're getting close, but there are still fundamental errors we're making, technical errors and as they're decreasing, we're getting better and better, but it's still not a good enough effort. We can't give up 40-some points and expect the offense to pull you out of that, and so we have to get better.

Q: What's been the biggest frustration with how the defense has played?

A: It's not sustained drives that we're giving up. We're giving up big plays and if we can stop giving (opponents) the four or five plays that give them 60 yards or a touchdown, we can really turn the games around in our favor.

Q: Has the frustration brought any finger-pointing or has it made the defense stick together more?

A: We're all trying to get together and say, 'Let's get this figured out'. It's not like we're giving up big play after big play. We're giving up a couple plays that are killing us and so if we can figure this out and make the corrections we need to in practice, we can be a good team. But we're just trying to get better because it's not acceptable.

Q: Defensive linemen don't normally end up in the end zone like you did against Wisconsin. What was that like for you?

A: The touchdown was pretty cool. Leaving high school, I knew I wasn't going to be on the offensive side of the ball anymore, and I thought my days of scoring touchdowns were pretty much over.

Q: Was there any thought of trying to come up with a creative end zone celebration?

A: Once I got there, I kind of looked back because I figured if I was running, someone would have caught me. So when I didn't feel anybody behind me, I thought maybe it was an incomplete pass and I just ran 20 yards looking like a fool. But I looked back and everyone was starting to celebrate and so it was too late to do anything crazy or cool.

Q: What would a win over Ohio State mean to this team with bowl eligibility still on the line?

A: It would mean everything to this team. Obviously, we've had a lot of disappointments later in the season and we all remember having a bitter taste in our mouths walking away from Ohio State in Columbus last year. I think that taste is still there for us to go out, getting the sixth win and beating Ohio State for the seniors at home would just be huge.

Q: Given where Ohio State is and where Michigan is right now, do you sense that there aren't a lot of people that are giving you a chance on Saturday?

A: If you want to look at records, we probably are underdogs going into this game. But I think a lot of people that are around the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry know records kind of go out (the window) when you step out on the field. Different teams show up to play this game.

Q: Being from Michigan, how does this rivalry compare with other big plays you may have?

A: The intensity level - you can try and match it with another game, but it doesn't come to you like it does in the Ohio State game. You come to this game and hits - you really don't feel them, different bumps and bruises you may feel during another game, you may not feel. It's like being on the front line of a battle and it's as close to a war you can come.

Q: So if you don't feel things Saturday, how do you feel come Sunday?

A: You realized you played against Ohio State and you realized you left everything on the field. It's a great feeling, but it's painful at the same time.

Jeff Arnold covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at jeffarnold@annarbor.com or 734-623-2554.