Sitting behind the podium after the Michigan
football team’s win over No. 2 Ohio State on
Saturday, Jim Harbaugh took a moment to look
around.
Usually, his press conferences strike the same
somber, frustrated, dejected chords after games
against the Buckeyes. But when Harbaugh’s well-
documented 0-5 record against his arch rival
changed during Saturday’s 42-27 victory, so did
No. 5 Michigan’s season outlook.
And Harbaugh’s tone followed suit.
“The way it feels now, it feels like the beginning,”
Harbaugh said.
Asked to elaborate, Harbaugh pointed to the
formative days of the 2021 team.
“Just everything about the team,” Harbaugh
said. “Every day, every week, every month. Going
back to the beginning of this year, it’s always felt
like the beginning. Accomplish one goal then go to
the next and the next and the next.”
He’s not wrong. But he’s certainly underselling
the implications.
For the Wolverines, Saturday was more
program-altering than season-altering. In a
three-hour span, Michigan upended its national
perception with its first win over Ohio State
since 2011. No longer are the Wolverines a former
powerhouse gone stagnant. No longer is Harbaugh
the epitome of a coach that can’t get over the hump.
Long-lasting implications are sure to follow on
the field and recruiting trail. More importantly,
though, there’s a new generation of Michigan
football players who have reached the summit. In
that sense, it truly is the rebirth of a program — and
a purpose that no longer seems hollow.
From an outsider’s perspective, it was hard
to take claims of added emphasis on Ohio State
seriously given the rivalry’s recent results. But
within Schembechler Hall, a “What are you doing
to beat Ohio State today?” sign already proudly
hangs. Since January, players have asked the
question of themselves every day.
Now, they know the answer.
“Long term, we’ve set the expectation now,”
junior quarterback Cade McNamara said. “It’s
been so long since we beat Ohio State, but we did
that today. For the guys coming back, now we’ve
got to do that every single year. We know what it
took.”
Harbaugh spent the first six years of his tenure
selling a plan to overtake the Buckeyes. But year after
year, the Saturday after Thanksgiving repeatedly
proved it was nothing more than an empty vision.
He cycled through multiple coordinators on both
sides of the ball and built teams rooted in almost a
half-dozen different schemes.
That is, until he found himself this past winter.
In the days and weeks after the Wolverines’
2020 season careened to an end, it looked like
Harbaugh’s tenure might follow suit. But a school-
friendly contract with a unique buyout structure
and incentive-laden salary kept him at his alma
mater. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel
seemingly dared Harbaugh to break through,
to bring the Wolverines to the upper echelon of
college football.
So Harbaugh took a look in the mirror. He
overhauled the program’s coaching staff and
culture, delivering a much-needed youth infusion.
From an Xs and Os standpoint, Harbaugh
has rediscovered himself. In an era of up-tempo,
no-huddle spread offenses, he and offensive
coordinator Josh Gattis have gone against the
grain in 2021. They’ve relied on run-first football
and 20th-century offensive line fundamentals.
On the other side of the ball, hiring 34-year-
old Mike Macdonald — a first-time defensive
coordinator — marked a clear departure from
Harbaugh’s previous philosophy of relying
on coaching experience. But on Saturday,
Macdonald’s defense kept the Buckeyes’ offense
off-balance with a mix of coverages and disguised
pass rushes.
Harbaugh has always been a non-
conformist, but the 2021 Wolverines take that
to an extreme.
And on Saturday, all of it was validated.
“You guys should’ve seen him in the locker
room after the game,” fifth-year offensive
lineman Andrew Stueber said. “I’ve never seen
him more happy, more excited. … He’s gone
through some tough times, he’s faced a lot of
adversity since he’s been the coach here. To see
him finally beat Ohio State, as a team, as a unit,
we knew what this team was capable of, and it all
starts with him.”
Saturday’s win opens doors Michigan has
yet to experience under Harbaugh. For the first
time, the Wolverines will play for a Big Ten
Championship and College Football Playoff berth
in Indianapolis.
However, that indication pales in comparison
to the fact that this might be permanent. In its
biggest game of the season, in a year full of tests,
Michigan finally created its own narrative. Led
by a quirky, unapologetically authentic coach,
the Wolverines had their own coming out
party on Saturday.
“This is one (celebration) that’ll go long into
the night,” Harbaugh said.
The program-shaping implications, on the
other hand, will last a whole lot longer.
For Jim Harbaugh, this win opens new doors for his program
S P O R T S W E D N E S D A Y
DANIEL DASH
Daily Sports Editor
Photos by Allison
Engkvist, Madeline Hin-
kley/Daily. Page Design
by Brittany Bowman