Michigan football Coach Fires Back At ‘Vacated Wins’ Speculation

The Maize and Blue are about to play in their first-ever National Championship Game following a thrilling 27-20 win over No. 4 Alabama in Monday evening’s Rose Bowl game. As the two teams gear up to play in Houston next week, we heard from Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh about the possibility of Michigan being forced to vacate wins by the NCAA amid the sign-stealing investigation — something that Harbaugh quickly shut down.

Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh fires back at ‘vacated wins’ speculation

Jim Harbaugh was having no talk of potentially vacated wins on Wednesday ahead of the Wolverines’ national title bout against Washington next Monday. Per Harbaugh, his Michigan football program has a “one-track” mindset and better things to worry about.

“Yeah, as I said, getting ready for (the National Championship Game), one-track mind,” the Michigan football coach said. “I don’t know if you want to live in Rumorville or speculation, but we just don’t really have any room to be doing that at this point. That’s done elsewhere.”

JJ McCarthy responds as well

Michigan football quarterback JJ McCarthy was asked a similar question in regard to potentially vacated wins amid the sign-stealing investigation. McCarthy described the possibility as “unfortunate,” though seemed largely unconcerned with the idea given the task at hand and all that his Michigan football program has accomplished as of late.

“You know, obviously from an outside perspective, it would be very unfortunate just to not get recognized for all the hard work we’ve put in and everything we’ve accomplished over this last year,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it’s not going to change the amount of accomplishment and the amount of pride for being on this football team and just everything that we accomplished because we know what we put in, we know the work that we’ve put in, and we know that we did things the right way as players.

“Whatever happens with just all the outside controversy is just out of our control, and whatever the NCAA wants to do is out of our control. We’re going to appreciate the things we did control and the things we did accomplish.”

Michigan football has bigger fish to fry than sign-stealing fiasco and NCAA investigation

Despite the NCAA’s investigation, Jim Harbaugh being suspended twice, and more, Michigan football rose to the occasion and overcame all adversity this fall. For the Maize and Blue, the coming week brings an opportunity that no Michigan team has ever had before: winning a National Championship Game. With so much at stake, it’s clear that Jim Harbaugh and his team are not worrying about what the NCAA might do months — or years — from now, if anything at all.

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