Jim Harbaugh returns to Michigan after completing 3-game suspension, offers his praise to players and coaching staff
Jim Harbaugh has completed his 3-game suspension and his Michigan Wolverines (12-0, 9-0) survived his absence and will take an undefeated record into the Big Ten title game Saturday against Iowa.
The last of the 3 games that he missed came against archrival Ohio State (11-1, 8-1) , and the Wolverines emerged with a 30-24 victory over their archrivals. The win was the third in a row for Michigan over Ohio State, after the Buckeyes had dominated the series by winning 15 of the previous 16 matchups in the series.
The Wolverines will likely be the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff if they can survive the Big Ten Championship game. Harbaugh is thrilled with the way his team has performed in its last 3 games, as well as the entire season.
“My emotion, my focus has been with the team the entire time,” Jim Harbaugh said. “It has been a tremendous season, right the exact position we hoped for, that we worked so hard to be in. It’s onward now. We’ve accomplished many of our goals, but not all of them yet.”
While Harbaugh was not with his team for any of the last 3 games of the season, he was with the team in the weeks leading up to each game. He was allowed to participate in the team’s practice sessions. “I would say it’s good to be back, but I never left.”
Harbaugh praised assistant coach Sherrone Moore, who stepped in for Harbaugh in each of the 3 games. He also quoted his former head coach at Michigan when he brought back the words of the legendary Bo Schembechle
“The team, the team, the team — it just rings so loud,” Harbaugh said.
