One of these days Jim Harbaugh is going to win at the end of the game, on a national stage, against a ranked opponent, on the road.

Or, maybe one of these days he won’t.

Until he does, he’ll remain more hype than anything else.

At this point, how can you argue otherwise?

On Saturday night in South Bend, against No. 11 Notre Dame, Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines looked unprepared and overamped, unable to create running room for its backs or a reliable pocket for its promising new quarterback — Shea Patterson — in a 24-17 loss at Notre Dame Stadium.

And that’s got to change.

As do the penalties and the personal fouls and the disjointedness that looked like they carried over from last year.

Yes, U-M stayed in the game when Notre Dame came close to blowing them out, and Patterson had a chance to tie it late until he fumbled in a crashing pocket.

Harbaugh can work with that kind of fight and spirit. But fight and spirit aren’t enough.

At some point his team has to start making the plays that his rivals keep finding ways to make.

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Patterson needs playmakers

All the hype isn’t Patterson’s fault. He could’ve scaled the painting of Touchdown Jesus and kissed him on the cheek and that still wouldn’t have been enough Biblical pixie dust to sprinkle on the inconsistent offensive line.

Or heal Tarik Black’s broken foot.

Or repopulate the roster with a couple more playmakers, of which this team still doesn’t seem to have enough.

Patterson didn’t get to throw to Miles Boykin, a long and athletic receiver who leapt and hauled in throws despite defenders nearly piggy-backing him. He had to spread the ball underneath, on crossing routes and outs to the sideline.

He showed touch in a way that no quarterback did last year. And tossed a perfect lob for a 52-yard gain early in the third quarter.

It’s easy to spot the accuracy and poise in Patterson, and he even slipped out of the pocket a few times to extend plays, where he threw on the run with touch, too.

He will get better. But he’ll need the rest of the offense to step into the glare with him.

Your turn:Grade Michigan's performance in 24-17 loss to Notre Dame

Defense has thin margin for error

Don Brown’s all-or-nothing defense, when it’s getting home, and swarming, is quite a sight, and it can overwhelm an offense.

In moments, or even in stretches, Brown’s everyone-at-the-line-and-attack strategy will produce a flurry of sacks and quarterback hurries, or a sequence of run defense that cuts off all angles and racks up tackles for loss.

But it’s deceiving.

For while the blue-and-maize tsunami can force three-and-outs – or three and backs -- the slightest leak can turn into a deluge, and open Wyoming-sized swaths for the offense.

All that aggressiveness shrinks the margin for error, so when an error happens, as several did against Notre Dame, the mistakes become catastrophic.

This is a fine way to play against Rutgers.

Yet Notre Dame? Or any of the other ranked teams on the schedule?

Maybe not.

Look, the defense will be fine. A few penalties and dropped interceptions helped the Fighting Irish as much as the Wolverines’ mistimed over-eagerness.

But Saturday night in South Bend reminds us that it’s still about what the defense could be. And not what it actually is.

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