The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1438965
JANUARY 2022 THE WOLVERINE 19 week one," Hutchinson said. "We saw what we were about against Western Michigan. I knew we had something spe- cial off the jump. Really, the whole time, I knew we had something special. "Just the way we built the team, the foundation, the high energy throughout the whole offseason. I mean, that doesn't amount to wins, but it amounts to the culture and the investment of the guys on the team." Head coach Jim Harbaugh — lead ar- chitect of the turnaround, with a dramatic remaking of his coaching staff last winter — justifiably basked in the moment as well. "How much more can we pile into one game, the importance of one game?" Harbaugh pondered. "It's a lot, yeah — the championship, a chance to go to the playoff. To walk past the sign we all walk by, 'Those who stay will be champions.' To make that valid and that true. "For guys to live on, really, in Schem- bechler Hall, forever. I mean, this picture is going to be up there on the All-Amer- ican wall. Every guy on the team in the team picture is going to be up there as part of a Big Ten champion. We've got a banner in Glick Fieldhouse that's going to say, 'Big Ten champion.' "Nobody's owed anything. Nobody's entitled to anything. But, as I said, when you're around a group of guys that at- tack everything the way they attack their schoolwork, their practice, and they want In a turnaround season, head coach Jim Harbaugh led the Wolverines to a 12-1 mark, a Big Ten championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Star junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson on winning the Big Ten title "Man, we defied all expectations. Nobody thought we could do this. Nobody thought we could ever do this, especially not this season. And, man, we did it. And we did it in a very dominant fashion."