Michigan football coach explains response to outside noise

There are now two active NCAA investigations into the Wolverines: the “Burgergate” fiasco and the sign-stealing allegations. Still, Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh — who is in his ninth season in Ann Arbor — watched his team play a complete ball game against the Michigan State Spartans last night, leading to a massive 49-0 victory in Week 8. After the game, Harbaugh explained his team’s response to the outside noise and how the Maize and Blue have remained focused throughout it all.

Michigan football coach explains response to outside noise and NCAA investigation

Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh is in the national spotlight right now, and not in a good way. On top of the NCAA investigation into recruiting violations committed by the Wolverines back in 2020, there is a second investigation that emerged this past week, with allegations of illegal sign-stealing methods headlining the college football news cycle as of late.

Still, all of this outside noise clearly did not impact Michigan football last night against the Michigan State Spartans, with the Wolverines walking into East Lansing and laying down one of the worst beat-downs that the rivalry has ever seen.

“Our guys really had a single mindset of getting prepared, and beating (Michigan) State,” Jim Harbaugh said after the MSU game. “Pretty much if anybody around the building wanted to talk about anything else — they didn’t want to. They wanted to just talk about the game, preparation, practice, and getting ready to play and execute. And I thought they played their best. (We) got a little saying around here that says: ‘What you do speaks so loudly we can’t even hear what you’re saying.’ So I thought our guys did a tremendous job of taking it one play at a time, and they were a real buzzsaw. Just played really, really great football.”

Jim Harbaugh adds more on negative buzz surrounding Michigan

Jim Harbaugh is used to a lot of negative buzz surrounding his Michigan football program — the Wolverines have to deal with it at all times, even outside of the NCAA investigation and more.

“There’s stuff, I mean — I think you know, there’s been attempts to diminish the team in a lot of ways — starting with easy schedule, too easy schedule, these guys aren’t very good, that kind of thing,” Harbaugh explained. “But they just play, and they’ll do that again today. We’ll get onto the next one and move on with humble hearts. It’s a heck of a group, and I just congratulate them. Their focus was laser-like. Staying strong, focused, on a mission.”

This week, after recording eight straight wins, Michigan football gets a well-earned bye before facing a crucial four-game stretch to close out the year. Among the Wolverines’ final games are road trips to Penn State and Maryland, as well as a Week 13 matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Ann Arbor.

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