INDIANAPOLIS – The return of college football’s boogeyman, Jim Harbaugh, helped lead the No. 2 ranked Michigan Wolverines to their third consecutive Big Ten championship in shutout fashion.
The Wolverines had been under a microscope for most of the 2023 season, but with Harbaugh back on the sideline for the first time in four weeks, his knowledge and tutelage to the players and coaching staff helped blank the No. 16 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes 26-0 thanks in part to a glorious defensive performance.
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Defense
The Wolverines allowed 120 yards through the air and 35 yards on the ground while forcing three fumbles secured by Kris Jenkins, Josh Wallace, and Kenneth Grant.
The Wolverines also forced three stops on fourth down to seal the victory thanks in part to Mike Sainristil, who had two total tackles with two solos, one sack, one forced fumble and one tackle for loss, which got him the most valuable player award during the post-game ceremony.
“This MVP trophy is not for me, man,” said Sainristil. “This one is for the team. The work we put in all season; we talked about it yesterday as we needed to get the offense the ball while keeping Iowa’s offense sleepy while knocking them out of their rhythm.”
All season, the college football world has been talking recklessly about Michigan and Harbaugh, but they were chasing ghosts as the sign-stealing investigation, which led to his suspension, showed that he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing.
Because of the three-game ban to finish the regular season, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti decided to take matters into his own hands and handed down the ban ahead of Michigan’s first road test against Penn State while they were in flight to Happy Valley, which was why the fans in attendance jeered him post-game.
The players took to social media once the announcement was made that they were losing their coach in a shocking manner. So they in unisonance, all posted the word “Bet.”
Read: ‘Bet’: Several Michigan football players take to social media after Jim Harbaugh suspension
Petitti went from chasing the boogeyman, who most coaches seem to be in fear of, to boogieing off of the post-game podium and into the tunnel, which just so happened to be the one the Wolverines came out of.
The #MIchiganWolverines win their third consecutive Big Ten championship in shutout fashion, but check out the warm welcome the Michigan faithful gave the commissioner.https://t.co/WEHbhbazrC
— Brandon L. Carr (@Carrpediem21) December 3, 2023
Harbaugh knew that after the game he and Petitti would have to exchange words as Saturday (Dec. 2) would be the first time both men were in feet of each other since the ruling.
In true Harbaugh fashion, he insisted that the trophy be handed to injuried offensive lineman Zak Zinter as a respectful but troll gesture.
When asked about being Big Ten champion outright while also winning the programs 45th title, he too ended the regular season with the same word that his players did four weeks ago when he was suspended.
“Bet,” said Harbaugh.
The Wolverines looked to be going through the motions on offense, but running back Blake Corum rushed the ball 16 times for 52 yards and two touchdowns, which tied the career-leading record of 55 by Anthony Thomas.
The Wolverines have won three straight championships outright for the time in program history. Battling through all of the hoopla, they showed character which Harbaugh says it’s about his staff and players.
“I don’t know a coach that could have it better than to have these coaches and these players and this staff,” Harbaugh said. “I got one question for you, ‘Whose got it better than us.’”
The Wolverines had been ridiculed due to the sigh-stealing allegations by many for the last few months, but after all of the games that have occurred to finish out the 2023 regular season, those same people who questioned the team’s validity over the past few seasons will now have to rank them as the No. 1 team in the country as like Harbaugh said, no body has it better than the 13-0 Wolverines.
