Michigan withstood Jim Harbaugh’s three-game suspension, ending the regular season with wins over Penn State, Maryland and rival Ohio State under the direction of offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore. Harbaugh addressed his return to the sidelines for the Big Ten Championship game against Iowa: ‘I would say it’s good to be back, but I never left.”
“My focus has been with the team the entire time,” Harbaugh said Sunday regarding his suspension. “It’s been a tremendous season. We’re in the exact position that we worked so hard to be in. We’ve accomplished many of our goals, but not all of them. Next is winning the conference championship. I would say it’s good to be back, but I never left.”
Harbaugh revealed how he celebrated after the win over Ohio State and praised Moore and quarterback JJ McCarthy for their roles in the win. He also previewed Iowa and touched on Zak Zinter’s injury and whether he’d donate his salary to NIL, among other things.
Here’s what Harbaugh had to say ahead of his return to the sidelines.
OPENING COMMENTS
“There’s quite a bit of enthusiasm today in Schembechler Hall. I was able to meet with our coaches and just tell them how proud I was. I can’t thank them all enough for the effort. I have to give praise and credit to all who contributed, especially Sherrone Moore. I have to single him. Not a thing I would have changed in the way he called that game and the decisions that he made in that kind of environment and under that kind of pressure. Huge shout out to Sherrone.”
ON HIS REACTION AFTER ROD MOORE’S GAME-SEALING INTERCEPTION
“It was probably the happiest I’ve ever been. It was one of the happiest moments of my life, just for every single player: Rod, Sherrone, and all of our coaches. This is the team. Sarah and I were watching it. There were hugs and high-fives. It was a very glorious moment.”
ON THE OFFENSIVE GAME PLAN AGAINST OHIO STATE
“We wanted to be creative. We felt Ohio State was very good. Defensively, this is the best Ohio State team we have played. They haven’t given up very many big plays. We were able to get some explosive plays; We knew we were going to have to be creative to get them. We got all the creative plays off the call sheet. They were executed beautifully. The offense was physical. They were aggressive. They weren’t going to be denied. Sheronne believed in them, and it reflected in the way he called the game.”
ON JJ MCCARTHY BEING MICHIGAN’S ‘GUARDIAN OF VICTORY’
“You give credit to one; you really have to give credit to all of the players. But there is no doubt that JJ McCarthy is the incredible player that he is. Fearless is the best way to describe him. He is never careless, but he is fearless. What a leader. The record speaks for itself. Once again, his play was exceptional and game-ball-worthy. He was the guardian of victory once again for the Michigan Wolverines.”
ON ZAK ZINTER’S INJURY, SEEING HIM IN HOSPITAL
“We’re with Zak. I was hoping for the best but you start preparing for the worst. He is just so tough. He is so strong. Ended up being a broken fibula and tibia. You really feel that. When you’re laying there in the field with a broken bone, those bones tend to rub together. It’s really painful. At the hospital, he was so happy for his team. The great news was it was the best of the worst-case scenario. Those bones will heal.”
ON AJ BARNER’S BIG GAME
“AJ has been great. All the new guys have been great additions to our team: Josiah Stewart, Josh Wallace, Drake Nugent, LaDarius Henderson, and Myles Hinton. So many guys have been tremendous additions to our team right from the beginning. Every single guy. AJ has been a great contributor. He’s elite in blocking, but he has also shown to be a tremendous receiver. He makes the tough catches and has a play demeanor that speaks for itself. It’s tough. It’s physical. He’s been a tremendous teammate in every way.”
ON THE EMOTION OF RETURNING TO THE SIDELINES
“My focus has been with the team the entire time. It’s been a tremendous season. We’re in the exact position that we worked so hard to be in. It’s onward now. We’ve accomplished many of our goals, but not all of them. Some still are out there. Beating Michigan State, beating Penn State, beating Ohio State and winning the Big Ten East. Now, the next is winning the conference championship. That’s where our focus is. I would say it’s good to be back, but I never left.”
ON WHAT MAKES IOWA A TOUGH MATCHUP
“Anytime you win, it’s a team effort. Your team was able to make the plays that were needed to stop the drives and cover the kicks. Iowa does that. They win. Our team is really good when we don’t turn the ball over. We are undefeated when we don’t turn the ball over. That’s one of Iowa’s specialties. Nobody does it better than Iowa. You have to earn everything that you get. It’s going to be a tough, physical game. We have to get ourselves in that mindset. We understand the task of the championship game. Both teams really want. We’re going to have to do what we always do: plan, practice and go execute. It has to be good. If not, we’ll have a good chance of getting beat.”
ON THE AWKEYES ELITE DEFENSE
“Really good players. Really great scheme. They’re always in the right place. The way they adjust emotions and the way they adjust the shifts… They can adjust to tempo. They’re in the right place at the right time. There’s a mentality to go after the ball. The nose for the ball is at a very elite level. Images of heat-seeking missiles after the ball. You have to be really precise. You just have to play really good football, really disciplined football.”
ON WHETHER HE’D DONATE PART OF HIS SALARY TO NIL EFFORTS
“There’s a lot of people profiting. Coaches are profiting millions. I’ve had people tell me, ‘Don’t say anything about that. That’ll take away money for the coaches.’ I’ve been able to donate money back to the to the athletic department, which I did in 2021. For the players to be to be compensated, I’m using my voice. I would take less money for the players to have a share. I hope other coaches would use their voice to express the same thing.”
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