Houston, Texas - Michigan's defense is ready to rock and roll in the College Football Playoff National Championship!

Following a disappointing loss to TCU in last season's College Football Playoff semifinal, the Michigan Wolverines recognized the need for a significant change in their game, particularly on the defensive end.

Now, they're suiting up in Houston ahead of Monday's National Championship title game, and got real about last year's shortcomings in an exclusive with TAG24 NEWS.

"We did not play well in the TCU game last year," Michigan defensive line coach Mike Elston told TAG24. "We lacked in four or five areas of fundamentals we should be great at. Strictly fundamentals that fell off as the season went on."

Addressing these issues, Michigan implemented a daily focus on four to five fundamental aspects of their defense to prepare to battle for the CFP title.

"During this entire season we met with the players, we hit for 10 to 15 minutes these four or five fundamentals: efforts and angles in tackling, block destruction, ball disruption – creating turnovers at every level – and communication," Elston said. "We really hit on those four components of fundamentals every single day and that just made all the difference for us."

The emphasis paid off, leading to a remarkable turnaround for the Wolverines. Now, they boast the top-ranked defense in the nation, gearing up to poise a challenge against Washington's Heisman finalist quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

Monday night poses a significant challenge for the Wolverines as they go up against Washington's formidable offense.

Reigning Maxwell Award winner quarterback Penix Jr. has had a historic season, becoming the first player since Patrick Mahomes to achieve back-to-back seasons with 4,500 passing yards.

Despite Penix's impressive performance, Michigan's defense remains unfazed and is determined to make their presence felt on the field come Monday.

"The No. 1 goal for us to do defensively is to win," defensive line coach Elston told TAG24. "How we do that is: we have to communicate, we have to eliminate big plays, we have to stop the run, and we have to make Michael Penix uncomfortable."

"Everybody has to play their best," he added. "This is the big stage. We are gonna get their best. If we can get after the quarterback and stop the run, we can say we performed really well."#

Will Michigan's top-ranked defense win the Wolverines their first national title since 1997?

Michigan will suit up against Washington on Monday night in the College Football Playoff Championships at 7:30 PM ET airing on ESPN.