By Kyle Golik
As Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord dropped back to pass after a lengthy delay due to a review of wide receiver Julian Fleming reception then fumble that was recovered by fellow Buckeye wide receiver OSU Emeka Egbuka, McCord was pressured by a swarming Wolverine defense and force a desperation heave into the middle of the field where Michigan defensive back Rod Moore came away with the game clinching interception.
The Michigan football program has been under siege since Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti levied a three-game suspension to Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. They had to endure another assistant, linebacker coach Chris Patridge, terminated due to “allegedly participating in the destruction of evidence,” according to Yahoo Sports. There were plenty of questions of the program’s integrity and lack of institutional control.
Throughout it all, the Michigan players blocked out the noise from outsiders and hunkered down to get it done.
“No one cried. No one whined,” running back Blake Corum said, Corum was tied to a LLC he had a business stake in with former staffer Connor Stalions, the ring master of the espionage scandal. “The job has to get done no matter what.”
Quarterback JJ McCarthy, said Harbaugh’s pregame message to the Wolverines on Friday night, Harbaugh took a page out of his coach Bo Schembechler’s playbook.
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“The whole mantra: the team, the team, the team,” McCarthy said. He said Harbaugh told them: “We are that team.”
Being that team is what this group is, they have epitomized what the Michigan Man is all about.
When Fielding Yost spoke at his retirement banquet in 1940, Yost said, “My heart is so full at this moment, I fear I could say little else. But do let me reiterate the Spirit of Michigan. It is based on a deathless loyalty to Michigan and all her ways. An enthusiasm that makes it second nature for Michigan Men to spread the gospel of their university to the world’s distant outposts. And a conviction that nowhere, is there a better university, in any way, than this Michigan of ours.”
Yost is smiling from the heavens at these players, they embody the “Spirit of Michigan” and the loyalty and determination they exhibited during the last three weeks defeating Penn State on the road, being tested by Maryland, and then defeating Ohio State displayed this team is as talented as any to wear the Michigan winged helmet.
Most feel this is the most talented team since the 1997 Wolverines that last won a share of the national championship.
This might be sacrilegious but I feel this team is better than the 1997 Wolverines, and to me they have vindicated themselves from the espionage acts the coaching staff perpetuated.
While the players have vindicated themselves, the coaching staff still has a long way to go to vindicate themselves.
Offensive coordinator Sheronne Moore, who was acting head coach for Harbaugh during this recent three-game suspension, guided Michigan through the most difficult challenges. We do not know what Moore gleaned from Connor Stalions, and that will always be the dark cloud that hovers over him. What vindicates Moore is he had to head coach and coordinate the offense in four games this season and the Wolverines offense did not miss a beat.
While the espionage questions are fair, the actions over time by Moore clear him and may open doors to head coaching opportunities in the college game.
The elephant in the room is head coach Jim Harbaugh.
I am on the record that Harbaugh should be fired, I even reinforced it saying if Bo was in charge he would be gone, no questions asked.
For me to rail on why Harbaugh should be fired is a moot point, Michigan won’t fire him and Harbaugh would walk before Michigan served him termination papers.
Let’s spin it, what would it take for Harbaugh to be vindicated?
That is a loaded question, for me it would start with an acknowledgement that Harbaugh failed to monitor his staff, be more inquisitive on how Stalions was so accurate with his “signal reading,” and failing all Michigan Men out there by not maintaining the highest integrity standards that Michigan expects all of its programs should operate at.
That would be the start, then Harbaugh continuously operates with the highest of integrity and ensures his program and all staffers realize their actions are an extension of him, and if anyone thinks they can operate outside of NCAA rules won’t be working inside the Michigan program.
The NCAA at some point will rule on this, Michigan may lose all their wins, may vacate championships, they may not, but whatever happens, the players have vindicated themselves, the coaches, in particular Harbaugh are all working to clear their names.
A national championship will be more about the talent and resolve the players demonstrated. Harbaugh was right when he said to the team, they are “that team,” maybe the coaches need to learn from them how to conduct themselves because they are the shining examples.
