Michigan Football Coach Avoids Talking About Ryan Day

Yesterday, the media had a chance to speak with 9th-year Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh, who is currently suspended ahead of this weekend’s battle against Ryan Day and Ohio State. One of the first things that Harbaugh was asked was about his level of respect for the Buckeyes and their coaching staff — a question that he entirely avoided, stressing team preparation instead.

Michigan football coach suspended for crucial battle against Ohio State

This weekend is going to be massive for both Michigan football and Ohio State — two teams with 11-0 records and firmly within the College Football Playoff discussion.

This year’s bout between the Wolverines and Buckeyes is no different than just about any other year: the winner will go to the Big Ten title game, likely win, and advance to the CFP with a shot at the national title. The loser will likely not get a shot at winning it all, instead playing in a non-playoff New Year’s Six bowl game.

Does Jim Harbaugh respect Ryan Day and his staff?

Yesterday, Jim Harbaugh was asked to address his level of respect for Ohio State and its head coach, Ryan Day, ahead of this weekend’s No. 2 vs. No. 3 battle at the Big House. He didn’t praise Day, and he didn’t criticize him; instead, he entirely avoided it in classic Jim Harbaugh fashion.

“It’s all about our preparation for Ohio (State),” Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday. “You know, the days, the minutes, the hours, everything leading up to this game. You know, that’s where our focus is. Preparing ourselves, planning, going to practice and then executing. So I mean, anything else is irrelevant when you get into this kind of big game week.”

Jim Harbaugh was asked about his respect level for Ryan Day and the OSU coaching staff.

Make of this what you will… pic.twitter.com/1gLvyjmDOi

— CJ Mangum (@cjmangum_) November 20, 2023

Everything is on the line for Jim Harbaugh and Ryan Day when Michigan football and Ohio State face off this weekend

Legacies are on the line this weekend. A loss to Michigan football would likely have Ryan Day somewhere on the hot seat — it would be his third straight loss to the Wolverines, dropping his all-time record to 1-3, and Michigan doesn’t even have Jim Harbaugh right now.

On the other hand, if Michigan loses, everyone will simply pin the team’s recent success against Ohio State on Connor Stalions, a narrative that the national media is already starting to push.

This weekend’s game is for all the marbles, and everyone knows it. Still, for the time being, whether or not Jim Harbaugh has respect for Ryan Day will remain unknown, though reading between the lines, it’s pretty clear where the veteran Michigan football coach stands.

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