Paul Finebaum and his colleagues have been trying to crush Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh for quite some time, though perhaps never more than right now amid the sign-stealing scandal and more. Today, the famed SEC Network host appeared on ESPN to throw more shade at the Wolverines, even dubbing Harbaugh the “Darth Vader of college football” — which we think is pretty cool, actually.
Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh and his team are embracing the “villain role”
After Michigan football went on the road, without Jim Harbaugh, and beat Penn State last weekend, star linebacker Mike Barrett had a simple message for opposing fans and the media: “Be careful who you make the villain.” Ever since the New York Post deemed the Wolverines to be the “villain” of college football, it is a role that the Maize and Blue have been embracing.
Now boasting a 10-0 record, Michigan hopes to get Jim Harbaugh back this weekend to face Maryland; yet, even if Harbaugh remains suspended, Sherrone Moore has proven himself to be worthy of the interim head coach tag and could still lead Michigan to wins over the Terps and Ohio State Buckeyes.
Paul Finebaum labels Harbaugh “Darth Vader” of college football while on ESPN
With every win that Michigan football accumulates and every step that the Wolverines take closer to the ESPN-owned College Football Playoff, analysts and talking heads like Paul Finebaum will continue to get louder about Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines. Today, Finebaum went as far as to give Harbaugh a new comparison — he thinks Harbaugh is “Darth Vader.”
“It’s patently absurd,” ESPN taking head Paul Finebaum said with Stephen A. Smith Tuesday on First Take. “I appreciate Coach (Jim) Harbaugh for trying to put a spin on this, but it just doesn’t work. He is not a victim. He’s the villain here. In many ways, instead of being America’s team, Jim Harbaugh has become the Darth Vader of college football.”
Now, we know that Finebaum was trying to insult Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh with this dramatic comparison, but we kind of like it. Like Mike Barrett said, the nation needs to be careful about who it makes the villain, because instead of hurting the Wolverines, everyone inside of Schmbechler Hall appears to be embracing their new role as the “bad guys” of college football.
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