Kirk Herbstreit knows the Michigan football team is headed in the right direction.

He just thinks it needs time to get there.

"I think the big thing Michigan fans are going to have to do is be patient because, even though people want 11 or 12 wins right now, the reality is the roster doesn’t have the type of personnel you’re going to have (after) two or three years of recruiting," the ESPN college football analyst said Friday.

"At this point, it’s kind of a work in progress. They’re lucky to have Denard Robinson, who is so creative and so explosive on one side of the ball. The defense, I mean, you guys tell me: Who is difference-maker on that side of the ball? Who is a guy who, when they take the field, you have to prepare to figure out a way to deal with him?

"I just did LSU and Oregon (last week), and LSU has seven, eight maybe. Michigan doesn’t have that right now and they have to recruit to get their personnel up to that level."

For Herbstreit, though, there's no doubt Michigan will get there. Why?

Channeling his best Brady Hoke impression, Herbreit said because, frankly, this is Michigan.

"At the end of the day, no matter what anyone thinks, Michigan football is Michigan, and eventually the cream rises and they will get their talent back and they’ll get their program back," Herbstreit said.

Herbstreit is in Ann Arbor as part of ESPN's College GameDay, which will broadcast from campus Saturday morning. He'll also call Saturday night's game between Michigan and Notre Dame (8 p.m., ESPN).

Both teams have a lot at stake in the night game, which is the first in Michigan Stadium's 84-year history.

"Notre Dame thinks they’re a BCS team," he said. "If they lose this game, now you’re 0-2 with some big games left to go. I think the BCS at that point probably is out of reach.

"For Michigan, there’s a lot at stake too. Even though it’s a nonconference game, new coach, trying to get ready for the Big Ten — if they win this game, look at the rest of their schedule. There’s a very good chance they’re sitting there at 5-0 as they get ready for the meat and the grind."

Herbstreit touched on a variety of other topics:

On Michigan's offense:

"They were still airing on the side of the spread. But now going against personnel that is equal or better, now we’re going to find out really where Al Borges is going in 2011 with Denard Robinson as his quarterback."

On Notre Dame benching Week 1 quarterback Dayne Crist and starting Tommy Rees:

"I'm very excited to see Notre Dame, they switched quarterbacks a half into the season. I’m anxious to see how Tommy Rees plays, I’m anxious to see if he struggles on the road in this environment. Do they pull the trigger and go, ‘Hey, Dayne, you ready? Get back in there.’ I want to see how that’s handled."

On whether Rich Rodriguez set back Michigan for future years:

"I don’t think so because there are too many examples of teams that right away have been able to go find a new coach and within two years, they win a national championship. Jim Tressel, Urban Meyer Gene Chizik, Bob Stoops. I mean, that’s four examples going back to 2000. … I don’t think Brady Hoke’s inheriting the type of personnel those four coaches inherited, but I do think there’s a very good chance over the course of three years of recruiting — because, it’s Michigan."

On Brady Hoke:

"I think it’s too early to get a feel and gauge for what direction they’re going. I like Brady Hoke, I like being around the football office, feeling it’s Michigan. It feels like Michigan with Brady and bringing back some of the traditions, just because he’s been around the staff. It’s that family tree with Bo (Schembechler) and Gary (Moeller) and Lloyd (Carr), and now, Rich (Rodriguez) tried to get a feel for it, but I don’t think he ever got that, and I think now with Brady it’s back to that."

On being an Ohio State alum who covers Michigan:

"I'm not your typical Michigan basher. I pretty much treat Michigan like I treat Illinois or Florida or USC or Ohio State. To me, they’re teams. When I have a job to talk about what’s good, I talk about what’s good. When I talk about what’s bad, I talk about what’s bad. My dad played at Ohio State, I played at Ohio State, we were both captains. But my dad also coached with Bo and Woody (Hayes), so I was brainwashed to respect Michigan and not ever by happy when they lose to Appalachian State or in a bowl game."

On the Ohio State/Michigan rivalry:

"As an old tradionalist when Woody and Bo were going back and forth, I liked that, personally. I liked when Ohio State and Michigan were both winning and I like when there’s some animosity on that Saturday. That’s the way I was raised, and that’s where we need to get it back. These guys right now today, these coaches are a little bit more politically correct and I don’t mind a few barbs being thrown back and forth between them."

"The funny thing about Ohio State and Michigan is, the fans hate each other, but the former players, there’s really a respect I think with Ohio State and Michigan players because there so similar in the type of people they are and there’s such a respect for that rivalry."

Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.