Mike Farrell Sports

College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

The Insufferable Myth of the ‘Michigan Man’

Michigan’s current crisis directly results from the arrogance of a school that has long been full of itself.

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Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh looks on from the sidelines during the Wolverines' game against Indiana on Oct. 14
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh looks on from the sidelines during the Wolverines' game against Indiana on Oct. 14

By Rock Westfall

Michigan’s current crisis directly results from the arrogance of a school that has long been full of itself.

A False Presumption of Perfection

The University of Michigan and its football program have suffered from the self-inflicted wounds of its perpetual haughtiness for decades. A late example was Michigan’s period of failure from 2008 through 2014, brought on by its belief that singing “Hail to the Victors,” slapping on the winged helmets, and running out to crowds of over 100,000 at Michigan Stadium (AKA “The Big House”) while leaping to touch the school banner would always be enough.  Until they ruefully discovered it wasn’t.

In 2015, Michigan hired favorite son and former QB Jim Harbaugh as head coach. He was universally acclaimed as the ultimate Michigan Man. But our Kyle Golik has made an unimpeachable case that Harbaugh is NOT a Michigan Man.

The Michigan myth was always flawed. So, too, is the Wolverines bragging about being college football’s winningest program. Most of their national success was before World War II. Michigan played numerous games against minor teams that nobody would recognize today. Still, they have the most wins by the book, but just one split national championship since 1948.

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Upset of the Century Rebirths a Myth  

Like every other major brand in America, Michigan is a carefully crafted image. It is one of the biggest and most powerful brands in higher education, college athletics, and football. But much of the brand is an illusion.

The power of the Michigan football brand goes back decades. It was reborn on November 22, 1969, when Bo Schembechler beat the powerful and #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 24-12 in his first season as coach. It was called the “Upset of the Century.” At that moment, a sleeping giant awakened to regain its glory and branding, which has remained.

Decades before cable, streaming, the internet, social media, and a 24/7 news cycle, the Michigan brand penetrated homes in every corner of America. Two or three times a year, Michigan would play on national TV. Like Nebraska in those days, it was enough to make them a powerful national brand.

Millions of new converts became Michigan fans. There was much to like, starting with those winged helmets, the iconic “Hail to the Victors” fight song, and coach Bo Schembechler. Michigan players such as quarterback Rick Leach came off as perfect All-American boys.

Schembechler was tough, demanding, and legendary for his sideline tirades and berating the refs. He would grab, shove, and kick his players. In those days, such antics were called character-building instead of abuse. Millions of Americans ate it up and could not get enough of Bo.

In his career, Bo Schembechler was never reprimanded by the NCAA, his players graduated, and his teams regularly won the Big Ten and made the Rose Bowl. He never won a national championship, yet he remains the most iconic coach in school history.

When Schembechler retired after the 1989 season, his place in history was secure. The football offices were named Schembechler Hall, with Bo’s statue outside to greet everyone who visits.

The Leaders and the Best at Imagery 

Forever, Michigan boasted that it did things the right way. It was strongly implied they were perfect and better than everyone else. Those with doubts can ask the fight song, where the words “the leaders and the best” say so. Michigan became intoxicated with its image and branding, not to mention the hundreds of millions of dollars that football generated for the school and the Ann Arbor economy.

Through the decades, Schembechler remained an idol until a few years ago when the Michigan Myth collapsed by the weight of its conceit and audacity. 

Enabling a Monster and a Myth 

Dr. Robert Anderson handled physical exams for the Michigan program and other athletic teams. He used those exams to molest athletes sexually. Decades after the fact, Michigan was forced to pay nearly half a billion dollars to the victims. Bo Schembechler and athletic director Don Canham (celebrated as the best AD of his era) blew off multiple complaints through decades of abuse.  Schembechler’s son Matt was allegedly among the victims.  Matt claims to have been physically abused by Bo when he told him.

While millions saw Michigan as leaders and the best of the best, those leaders were enabling a monster to damage countless lives. But Dr. Robert Anderson was hardly all that was destroying the Michigan myth.

Looking The Other Way Again 

Among the worst Michigan periods was in 2013-14, when Michigan tried to put the lid on allegations of a sexual assault scandal reportedly involving two players. One of those players, Taylor Lewan, also faced separate charges for assault and battery. Lewan went on to the NFL Tennessee Titans. At Tennessee, the Michigan Man was busted for a PED violation.  

For some reason, Ann Arbor cops just couldn’t “solve” the sexual assault case. And it remains amazing that the journalism school of which Michigan is so proud could not bust a grape on a story that was right in its lap. But there is nothing new about “journalists” spiking negative stories about Michigan. Until now, with Spygate, having the media in its hip pocket has also been a Michigan tradition.

In his book Endzone, The Rise, Fall, and Return of Michigan Football, famed Michigan historian and journalism teacher John U. Bacon wrote of Canham’s Friday night pregame parties. National leaders, celebrities, broadcast crews, and journalists attended these get-togethers. Bacon wrote that Canham’s parties turned journalists into trusted allies.

Calling In Sick 

The current dilemma began in the 2020 season, in which Michigan football nearly imploded as it further illustrated its pompousness. Michigan was led by President Mark Schlissel, a respected epidemiologist, in that year of the pandemic.

Schlissel and the Big Ten Conference were eager to prove themselves as the leaders and the best by shutting down football for the entire season. In their unbridled and blind contemptuousness, they failed to understand college football’s power. The nation revolted, including millions of Michigan fans. Score one for the unwashed masses and auto industry good guys.

The 2020 season became a disaster for Michigan and Harbaugh. The Wolverines were rendered helpless, going 2-4. With a final game against powerhouse Ohio State on the docket, Michigan phoned in sick (COVID), and the game was canceled. Most agree it would have been a massacre.  Ohio State coach Ryan Day vowed to “Hang 100” on Michigan.  There is heated debate on whether Michigan could have played that game.  Mercifully, they did not.  

As the season ended, the Maize and Blue Faithful turned on Harbaugh. Even the usually compliant fan website operators and podcasters were fatigued.   Harbaugh called around for an NFL lifeline. But the losing campaign destroyed his credibility. So Harbaugh swallowed hard and took a pay cut. Afterward, Harbaugh said he was betting on himself. Subsequently, he won, producing Big Ten championships for the next two seasons.

Riding Stalions Over the Cliff 

But Harbaugh, with typical Michigan hubris, has been caught in at least two recent scandals. He was outed for having a cheeseburger with a recruit, breaking the sacred COVID protocols important to the snot-nosed and haughty Michigan leadership. Harbaugh served a three-game suspension imposed by the school. Consider Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards was fired last year, partly because of a similar incident.

And then came Connor Stalions and Spygate.

Now, there is a raging debate about whether Michigan wants to extend Harbaugh or not. Fans demand that he stay to finish the chance at a national championship. And they won’t forgive anyone who ruins the ride. So much for the pristine image of perfection and doing the right thing.  

Harbaugh struck out on attempts to get back into the NFL the past three years. And a media that served as a publicity department for Michigan has finally turned.

This current predicament could have been avoided with just a bit of humility. But humility is not in the Michigan dictionary.

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