Jim Harbaugh Declines To Answer 'Irrelevant' Question About Ryan Day

Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh declined to answer a simple question about Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day.

Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh certainly has no love for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Nor, it seems for Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day. 

In fact, it seems that distaste, while never officially documented, extends both ways between the two coaches. 

To be fair, that is hardly surprising, with Day owning the series between the two up until the last two years. 

Meanwhile, the Wolverines have been embroiled in a sign-stealing scandal for the last month and a half, in which Ohio State has been specifically linked as a target in multiple ways. 

And after a Monday press conference, it appears that things are as pointed as ever between the two, with Harbaugh declining to answer a question about his respect level for Day, which he deemed 'irrelevant'. 

"It's all about our preparation for Ohio," Harbaugh said after a long pause. "The days, the minutes, the hours, everything leading up to this game. That's where our focus is, preparing ourselves and planning. Going to practice and then executing. So anything else is irrelevant when you get into this kind of big game week."

This is not the first time that Harbaugh has thrown a subtle jab at Day while trying to appear to take the 'high road' during a press conference. 

Last season, Harbaugh sent a remark seemingly addressed for Day after their 42-27 win over the Buckeyes in 2021 - a jab he made in response to Day threatening to 'hang 100' during a contentious Big Ten coaches conference call in 2020. 

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"There's definitely stuff that people said that spurred us on even," Harbaugh said after that game. “Sometimes people that are standing on third base think they hit a triple, but they didn't.”

Day later admitted on the Stoney & Jansen with Heather radio show last year that it was indeed a response to Day during the coaches' call.

“It was definitely a counterpunch by me, to the comment that they were going to hang 100 on us, etcetera," Harbaugh said. "Kind of like Sugar Ray Robinson.”

Whatever the case, the rivalry between the two will add another chapter this Saturday in Ann Arbor, in what has become arguably the most anticipated game of this college football season.