The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2021 THE WOLVERINE 21 Jones or classmate Karsen Barnhart could move into Stueber's right tackle spot. Redshirt sophomore Ryan Hayes appears still entrenched at left tackle. Running back features what Har- baugh described as "one and one," in Haskins and freshman Blake Corum, with true frosh Donovan Edwards likely to see the field early. Harbaugh noted he's also hopeful a trio of now-seasoned big men can help the middle of a Michigan de- fense that has been undersized. "[Redshirt freshman defensive tackle] Mazi Smith has really as- serted himself through spring ball and this summer," Harbaugh said. "Mazi looks good! These guys walk in and you say, 'Man, they're big!' "[Sophomore defensive tackle] Chris Hinton, [redshirt junior defen- sive tackle] Jess Speight, there are some good guys." Harbaugh believes there are some good times ahead, as well. He's ready to welcome back 115,000 on any given Saturday to witness — and participate in — the climb. "It's something you were used to, and you miss it," Harbaugh said of a packed Michigan Stadium. "As a player, when you get hurt and you can't play, it just makes you want to play that much more. You can't wait to get back out there. There's some- thing taken away that you really ap- preciated and enjoyed. "It's very similar. There's some- thing about running out of the tun- nel, in any stadium. But in The Big House, maybe I'm just partial in that way. You come out of there, and you touch that banner … you can feel the roar. It's physical. It must be the sound waves. It's hitting you and re- verberating and it's there. The adren- aline is going. "You've got to look. You've got to look at the crowd to see it, because you're hearing it. You know that's not pumped-in music. It's au naturel. That's happening because there are 110,000, 115,000 people. "Then the visual that comes with it … there's no laser show. It's au na- turel. It's something. It's a big stage. It's a spectacle. It's something you appreciate each and every time that you go through it. "It's awesome to just have it back." Those fans insist it will be awesome to have their Wolverines back at the apex — whenever it happens. ❏ What They're Saying About Harbaugh Here were some of the comments emerging out of Indianapolis regarding Jim Harbaugh's interactions with the assembled Big Ten media. • Associated Press — "As their paths crossed at Big Ten Media Days, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Nebraska coach Scott Frost appeared to have one thing in common: They are at a crossroads in their careers. "Both have been humbled in recent years. Both need to win now, quite possibly, to save their jobs. "Since returning to his alma mater in 2015, Harbaugh has gone just 49-22 and failed to provide the Wolverines with their first conference title since 2004. His teams have gone 0-5 against rival Ohio State and 1-4 in bowl games. "That's not why Harbaugh was brought back to Ann Arbor as one of the nation's highest-paid coaches. It is, however, why he received a four-year extension this offseason for roughly half the previous deal, loaded with incentives and including a more financially friendly buyout. "Standing on a stage and staring into the bright lights of Lucas Oil Stadium, where his name is memorialized in the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor, the former quarterback known as 'Captain Comeback' vowed to bring his program back from mediocrity." • Bill Bender, Sporting News — "In 2021, Harbaugh is banking on a new defense under first-year coordinator Mike Macdonald and a revamped staff that includes four new defensive assistants to silence the critics. "The defense was the glaring weakness in a 2020 season in which the Wolverines finished 2-4 and allowed 34.5 points per game. Michigan parted ways with coordi- nator Don Brown, whose blitz-heavy scheme never truly recovered after Michigan's 62-39 loss to Ohio State on Nov. 24, 2018. "The numbers back that up. The Wolverines averaged 15.6 points allowed in 37 games under Brown before that loss to the Buckeyes. They have allowed 27.6 points per game since. The knock on Brown was simple: Michigan allowed 16.3 points per game to teams outside the top 10 and 33.8 per game against top-10 teams. "The Wolverines are 2-10 in the games against top-10 competition. That mark, and the 0-5 record against the Buckeyes, are the evergreen criticisms of Harbaugh." Harbaugh said redshirt junior guard Chuck Filiaga has had the best summer of all offensive linemen thus far, even though he's still in a battle to hold onto his starting job from last year. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL