No one does this to Wisconsin.

This may not be the Badgers' most accomplished defense or anywhere near its most explosive.

But again: No one does this to Wisconsin.

On Saturday night at Michigan Stadium during the Wolverines' 38-13 win, with a horde of former great offensive linemen serving as team captains, Michigan's front five paved the way for 320 rushing yards against a Badger defense that had only given up 200 twice in the last four years.

On Saturday night, U-M's oft-criticized offense ran for more rushing yards than any Wisconsin opponent since 2011 — when Chip Kelly was at Oregon and Russell Wilson was living in Madison.

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"That's a good football team," Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said.

Back in Jim Harbaugh's first season at Michigan in 2015, he stated early on how the run game was always the last thing to come with the establishment of any program. It's a culture, it's an attitude, it's a lifestyle.

U-M's offensive line had its ups and downs those first two years before bottoming out last season, highlighted by constant pass protection woes and the consistent inability to generate difficult yards against physical opponents.

So after Michigan struggled up front against Notre Dame to open this season, the questions returned. They were warranted.

But U-M insisted this year was different. The Wolverines insisted this offensive line, led by first-year coach Ed Warinner, was capable of being a strength on this football team. Up until Saturday night, the evidence varied.

And then the Wolverines shoved Wisconsin into the ground. Over and over again.

"We've been in those big games (before) and I've personally seen us not be able to finish them," junior guard Ben Bredeson said afterward. "That was a big focus for us this offseason. Change the culture in the offensive line room. We were going to finish games. If we needed a first down to win one or a touchdown to win one, we were going to be able to deliver."

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Saturday was the best overall performance from a Michigan offensive line since Harbaugh's arrival in Ann Arbor. All five up front — Bredeson, center Cesar Ruiz, guard Michael Onwenu and tackles Jon Runyan Jr. and Juwann Bushell-Beatty — are playing the best football of their careers.

Last season, running a zone play was nearly an impossible task. On Saturday, U-M zoned Wisconsin out of the building.

Over the last six weeks, the offensive line has steadily stacked up positive days. Incremental change has led to improved consistency.

And with that, Harbaugh's addition of concepts and schemes to Michigan's offense has increased the overall diversity of a group that could barely run 10 different things effectively last fall.

Now, suddenly, U-M's a football team that makes defenses plan for the power game, vertical passing, zone-reads, fullbacks in the flat, tight ends down the seam, run-pass options and an offensive line that's capable of punching the opposition in the mouth.

Michigan's identity is, in short, diverse power. Led by its quarterback and his front five.

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If this continues, it could unlock a world Michigan hasn't seen yet under Harbaugh. A world where the offense functions as a true complement to its already established championship-level defense.

No matter who it plays.

"I think we've got the best offensive line in the country," said running back Karan Higdon, who leads a rushing attack that's now averaging 217 yards per game. "It's a pleasure to run behind these boys."

Michigan has always tried to establish itself as a power football team during Harbaugh's tenure. At times, it's been a success. Other times, not so much. But the addition of Warinner to the program has clearly checked a box that's been blank far too many times.

This group hasn't had repeated errors this season. It has expanded its arsenal week after week. Quarterback Shea Patterson explained how Warinner and Harbaugh worked on adding more zone reads to the package this week.

It worked for an 81-yard rush in the first half. And shortly after Patterson kept another for a 7-yard touchdown in the third quarter, Warinner was exultant on the sideline — pumping both fists in the air while Harbaugh stood in front of him, arms raised.

The most critical move of Harbaugh's offseason was finding a quarterback. He accomplished that when the Wolverines landed Patterson. The second most important move was finding a way to fix this offensive line.

As it stands today, Harbaugh's most important hire at Michigan thus far has been defensive coordinator Don Brown. No. 2 is Warinner.

This offense has a quarterback. It has a line. It has diversity.

And it has a chance to deliver big things for U-M the rest of the way.

"It's a confident group that really trained itself this offseason," Harbaugh said. "Runyan, Bredeson, Cesar, Mike Onwenu, Juwann Bushell-Beatty — they're all playing their best football and playing really well together."

Contact Nick Baumgardner: nbaumgardn@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickBaumgardner.