Jim Harbaugh emerges as the winner of Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal after third straight Big Ten title — Jimmy Watkins
Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) makes the catch against Georgia defensive back Malaki Starks (24) during the second half of the Peach Bowl NCAA college football semifinal playoff game, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)AP
Michigan’s 26-0 win over Iowa, which clinched the program’s third straight Big Ten championship, doubled as Harbaugh’s mic drop on Saturday in Indianapolis. The man who punished Harbaugh also emceed his victory lap. The coaches who lobbied against Michigan’s “tainted” wins watched another from their couches. And Harbaugh’s culture, which has been questioned and tested under extreme circumstances in recent weeks, proved stronger than ever.
Save your skepticism about the “adversity” UM overcame to clinch another College Football Playoff berth for . Because Saturday night, all that mattered is that Michigan overcame it. The Wolverines are 13-0 in spite of — if also because of — the allegations hanging over their football team. They finished 10-0 in Big Ten play, 6-0 without their coach on the sidelines and 2-0 against top-10 opponents (again, without Harbaugh).
Any way you slice those numbers (or splice the accompanying footage), they are impressive. They counter our cynicism concerning Michigan’s recent rallying cries. And unfortunately for Harbaugh’s enemies, they are a credit to the head coach.
Michigan president Santa Ono raised that point earlier this week during a Detroit Economic Club forum. In his first public comments since UM’s scandal began, Ono reiterated his trust and support of Harbaugh. Then he paid his football coach the ultimate compliment.
“I think he is one of the great coaches out there, in both the NFL and NCAA,” Ono said. “The football team loves him. His coaches love him. I think the greatest sign of a great coach is that the team wins whether or not he’s on the sideline.”
He’s right, you know. Even if Michigan’s rise was built on a false premise, its sustainability the last few months gives credence to a real culture that Harbaugh foreshadowed months ago. Back in July, when Harbaugh only faced one NCAA investigation, he described a “cultural momentum” at Michigan that made his team “a walk in the park” to coach. The players were teaching each other, Harbaugh said. All he had to do was tell the new kids which older ones to watch.
“People call it attitude, people call it culture,” Harbaugh said then. “Where the team is at, it’s in the best place it’s been in since I arrived in 2015.”
Of course, it’s No Michigan anointment can be complete without an asterisk until the NCAA finishes its investigation. By then, the asterisks might include vacated wins and postseason bans, among other things. And until then, the Wolverines will continue fighting the “cheaters” labels they have heard for weeks.
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