Michigan football coach says there is a ‘target’ on Michigan’s back

Is the nation gunning for the Wolverines? Perhaps that is an overstatement, but right now, it doesn’t feel like one, especially with more NCAA investigation news breaking last week. According to Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh, who addressed the media after yesterday’s 49-0 beat down of Michigan State in East Lansing, there is a target on his team’s back right now.

Michigan football coach says there is a ‘target’ on Michigan’s back amid NCAA investigation

Michigan football is in the middle of a pair of NCAA investigations into Jim Harbaugh’s program — the first is for 2020 recruiting violations, and the second is for alleged illegal sign-stealing tactics. Right now, Harbaugh and his Wolverines seem unphhased by the outside noise, especially after last night’s violent beating of Michigan State in East Lansing, though Harbaugh does acknowledge the target on his team’s back.

“Yeah, I think success does that,” the 9th-year Michigan football coach said after his team’s 49-0 win over Michigan State last night. “There’s people that don’t like to see people be successful. And there’s a target (on Michigan’s back). Everybody’s pointed that out from the beginning of the season.”

Jim Harbaugh adds more following Michigan State win

Obviously, Harbaugh’s last sentence there references the NCAA and its push to get an unproportionate suspension for Jim Harbaugh due to “Burgergate.”

“But our guys are just very focused and just go about their business,” Harbaugh added. “Wake up, take care of our business today. And then we still got to get our guys back to Ann Arbor and then wake up tomorrow and take care of business again.”

This weekend, Michigan football has its bye week, which it can spend prepping for a Week 10 battle against the Purdue Boilermakers. Perhaps more importantly, the Wolverines can also start some early scouting of Penn State (Week 11), Maryland (Week 12), and Ohio State (Week 13) as the team looks to close out the 2023 season on a high note.

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