Jim Harbaugh addresses national concern about Michigan football schedule

Since the start of the 2023 Michigan football season — perhaps even before then — national analysts have been grilling Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines for their weak strength of schedule. Michigan played a soft non-conference slate, including ECU, UNLV, and Bowling Green, and while Penn State and Ohio State are both top-6 teams right now, the Big Ten is still in the midst of an overall down year. This means that, aside from the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions, the Maize and Blue will not face a ranked team (although Maryland could get ranked sometime this year) throughout the other ten regular season games.

Jim Harbaugh addresses national concern about Michigan football schedule

Today, Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh — who is in the middle of year nine in Ann Arbor — was asked to address these national concerns about his team’s schedule. Here is what he had to say.

“I really don’t have one (an opinion on what is being said about Michigan’s schedule),” Jim Harbaugh said on Monday. “Just whatever is being said, or all that kind of thing. We’re just trying to get good at football. We don’t really pay too much attention to what’s being said good or said bad. It’s just really about us.

“We want to talk about any subject; sounds like complacency was one earlier. You know, that’s just the only antidote for any of those kinds of things, good or bad, leadership and character. That unyielding commitment to the basics and the fundamentals of Michigan football. And a faith in each other that we’re gonna continue to keep attacking, and when it’s the preparation, the meetings, the training, the practice, the games, and just do the best we can. That’s all we can ask of ourselves and our teammates.”

Michigan is halfway through the 2023 season — set to take on Indiana this weekend

This weekend, Michigan football is slated to face the Indiana Hoosiers at the Big House, which will be the Wolverines’ final home game for quite some time. The following weekend, in Week 8, Michigan is slated to face unranked Michigan State on the road before starting November with a late bye week.

The Wolverines are currently halfway done with their 2023 slate — Indiana, Michigan State, Purdue, Penn State, Maryland, and Ohio State are all that remains during the regular season for Michigan football right now. If the Wolverines can win out, the team will head to the Big Ten title game and College Football Playoff for the third consecutive season; this time, gunning for a national title.

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