The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1488967
24 THE WOLVERINE JANUARY 2023 all but the relative handful in maize and blue. As if to underscore the message, Ed- wards did it again, four minutes later — this time scoring from 85 yards out. "When he gets free, don't even think about it," Harbaugh said. "It's going to be a touchdown. Great to see those 75- and 85-yards runs. Those were huge." Those were the final nail in the cof- fin, the tolling of a bell that's rung two straight Novembers for the Buckeyes. The crowd quietly filed out, no more invective to hurl, no more birds to flip. Some stayed, and they got to watch Sainristil plant a large Michigan flag on the "O" at midfield. On this day, the Wolverines owned the place. "I was thinking about that since January," Sainristil admitted. "Coming down here and having the opportunity to win this game at this stadium — first time since 2000. "Even last year, the only thing I was thinking about was fans rushing the field. This year I was think- ing about planting the flag. Being able to do that, feels great." PUTTING IT INTO PERSPECTIVE Saying Michigan played the long-suf- fering role in the series in the early part of this century is like saying Buckeyes are nuts. There's no denying it. But this win, following the 2021 breakthrough in Ann Arbor, deepened the sense that there's been a seismic shift in Years 7 and 8 of the Harbaugh era. Getting it done in Columbus — without Corum and with Ohio State intensely motivated — will leave the Michigan flag figuratively planted on the "O" for another year, barring a Col- lege Football Playoff Act II. For now, the Wolverines will prep for the playoff feeling the glow from The Game once again. "I've gotten so many texts from peo- ple everywhere," Harbaugh said. "I've been trying to return them. Just the amount of effort and focus and deter- mination that our coaches and our play- ers put into this game. It's incredible gratitude and appreciation of the job that they did." The Wolverines followed it up with the Big Ten championship victory over Purdue in Indianapolis. That's deeply meaningful, but the one they'll remem- ber most happened right in the heart of arch enemy territory. "It was incredible," Harbaugh re- flected. "The coordinators — Jesse Minter and Steve Clinkscale on defense, and offensively, Sherrone Moore and Matt Weiss, and Jay Harbaugh on spe- cial teams — the level of preparation and detail was Super Bowl-like. "We understand this is like having a Super Bowl every year. When you're at Michigan, you get to play in the Super Bowl every single year. It was treated as such by our coaches, especially the coordinators. "I can't say enough. The amount of preparation and detail that went into this game and ultimately the perfor- mance of this team, they were directly responsible." There's another man behind the mauling, and Harbaugh made cer- tain not to leave him out. Director of strength and conditioning Ben Herbert has been in Ann Arbor five years, and his hands are all over Michigan's physi- cal domination of foes, including the scarlet scourge. "To me, Ben Herbert, [is the] X-factor in our entire football program," Har- baugh said. "The level of conditioning, the level of strength, the level of mental toughness. That's been the center of it." Harbaugh hilariously recalled his first encounter with Herbert. Sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy completed 12 of 24 passes for 263 yards and 3 touch- downs, while also rushing 6 times for 27 yards and another score in Michigan's first victory in Ohio Stadium since 2000. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Michigan strength and conditioning coor- dinator Ben Herbert was saluted by Jim Harbaugh as "the X-factor in our entire foot- ball program" following U-M's 45-23 dis- mantling of Ohio State. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL