The Michigan Wolverines Are The Most Battle-Tested Team In The Country
Although most Michigan fans would admit that being 10-0 at this point in the season was expected, nobody could have imagined the adversity the Wolverines would have to overcome in order to get there.
It started prior to the season when U-M announced that head coach Jim Harbaugh would be serving a three-game self-imposed suspension to begin the year. The suspension centered around an NCAA investigation for recruiting violations back in 2020, and it's still possible that Harbaugh is going to face additional penalties next season beyond the self-imposed suspension. While Harbaugh's absence on Saturday's was certainly noticeable among the team, the results on the field were as expected.
After serving his three game suspension, Harbaugh returned to the sidelines for Michigan's Week 4 matchup against Rutgers. Much like the first three weeks, the Wolverines looked dominant in their conference opener, and that trend would continue for the next several weeks.
Heading into the Week 8 matchup against Michigan State, the Wolverines were once again considered heavy favorites in the rivalry matchup, but controversy began to swirl around the program regarding another NCAA investigation into an illegal scouting scheme. The media frenzy that followed put the Michigan Football program squarely in the national spotlight, and for all the wrong reasons. Harbaugh would ultimately coach the Wolverines to a dominant victory against Michigan State in East Lansing, and would do so again the following week against Purdue in Ann Arbor - putting Michigan at a perfect 9-0 on the year.
Photo: Christopher Breiler
Heading into the biggest game of the season against No. 10 Penn State, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti did the unthinkable by issuing a three-game suspension for Harbaugh less than 24 hours before Michigan's game against Penn State - and did so without a completed NCAA investigation or any evidence linking Harbaugh to the sign-stealing scheme. During his Monday press conference, Harbaugh indicated that he found out about the suspension via social media while he was on the team plane headed to Happy Valley.
Once again, the Michigan Wolverines would have to overcome Harbaugh's absence due to an NCAA investigation, and they had to do so in their biggest game of the year. Led by offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, the Wolverines took the field in Happy Valley and dominated Penn State on both sides of the ball. Following the massive road victory, Moore, along with several other members of the football team, were overcome with emotion.
There's no doubt that these players and coaches have tried to block out all of the outside noise surrounding their program, but the emotion following Saturday's critical win made it clear that the ongoing issues with the NCAA and the Big Ten are having an impact. Where other teams might become distracted and fold under such pressure, this veteran-led group of Wolverines continues to respond each week - and the outside noise has only galvanized their resolve.
Sitting at 10-0, the Wolverines will make the trip to College Park this weekend for a matchup with Maryland and a shot at becoming the first program in college football history to reach 1,000 wins. At this moment in time, it's unknown whether or not Harbaugh will be on the sidelines with his team to celebrate such an incredible milestone. Along with preparing his team for this weekend's game, Harbaugh is also preparing for a critical court appearance on Friday to take legal action against the Big Ten's recent ruling.
Regardless of whether or not Harbaugh makes the trip, there's absolutely no doubt that the Wolverines are ready to handle their business on the road this weekend. Under normal circumstances, you might look at this Maryland game as a "trap" game - sandwiched in between two big-time matchups with Penn State and Ohio State. But if this season has taught us anything, it's that we're far away from anything resembling "normal" circumstances. It's also taught us that, no matter the circumstances, the Wolverines are more than prepared to issue a strong response where it matters the most - on the field.
