The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1504445
AUGUST 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 17 Being able to come out of there with a win, silence that crowd I knew was ready to explode, it felt great. They say big- time players make big-time plays in big-time games." — Graduate linebacker Michael Barrett on the 2022 Ohio State win Having [senior RB] BLAKE [CORUM] back, it's amazing because he's a fantastic leader on the team. We sit together in the film room, we're really good friends. There's a lot of love between me and him. We really com - plement each other, and I love playing with him. There's no jealousy, no egos. Let's just go win." — Junior running back Donovan Edwards Coach [Jim Harbaugh] has talked about it sev- eral times. In 2021 we were an F-150 [pickup truck] and '22 we're an F-250. Now it's '23 — can we be an F-350? We're manufacturing right now. We're working on the parts; we're building on it. We want it to all come together." — Co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach STEVE CLINKSCALE on the 'In The Trenches' podcast This is my favorite place to be. This place is my home. The family here, what we've got going here, the culture here, everything that we've been building up to this point, that's what I'm really ex- cited for. We're gonna grind, we're gonna work, we're gonna dominate. That's just what we do." — Senior defensive lineman Kris Jenkins on "Michigan Made" 7 Michigan players landed on Pro Football Fo- cus' preseason All-Big Ten first team: junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy, senior running back Blake Corum, senior offensive guard Zak Zinter, graduate center Drake Nugent, senior defensive line- man Kris Jenkins, sophomore cornerback Will John- son and junior safety Rod Moore. The Maize and Blue had five of their players check in on the second team and two others appear on the third team. 11th Is where U-M athletics checked in on the Learfield Directors' Cup standings in 2022-23, its lowest finish since plac- ing 19th in 2014-15. Stanford, which has won the award 26 of the last 29 times it's been handed out, took home the crown. At No. 3, Ohio State was the only Big Ten school to finish ahead of U-M, al- though future conference foe USC did place 10th. 13 Big Ten championships for U-M athlet- ics in 2022-23, a school and conference record. In 2021-22, the Wolverines took home 12 Big Ten (and 13 total) league titles. The following teams won Big Ten championships in 2022-23: field hockey, football, women's gymnastics (2), men's gymnastics (2), women's track and field (2), ice hockey (tournament), women's tennis (2), men's lacrosse (tournament) and rowing. 59 Percent of Michigan football players who were sent to Big Ten Media Days under head coach Jim Harbaugh (since 2015) have be- come captains, as voted on by the players (there were no media days in 2020). This year, Harbaugh will be accompanied in Indianapolis by senior run- ning back Blake Corum, senior defensive lineman Kris Jenkins and graduate defensive back Mike Sainristil, a captain in 2022. +900 Are the odds BetMGM gives Michigan to win the 2023 national championship (as of July 17). Those are the fourth-highest in the country, behind Geor- gia (+220), Alabama (+600) and Ohio State (+700). LSU (+1100), USC (+1400), Florida State (+1800), Clemson (+1800) and Texas (+2200) are also consid- ered in the mix. 2022-23 DIRECTORS' CUP FINAL STANDINGS Rk. School Points 1. Stanford 1,412.00 2. Texas 1,370.50 3. Ohio State* 1,170.75 4. Virginia 1,105.50 5. Florida 1,091.50 6. Tennessee 1,078.75 7. Georgia 1,072.50 8. North Carolina 1,068.00 9. LSU 1,062.25 10. USC 1,048.00 11. Michigan* 1,045.75 * Big Ten member schools OTHER BIG TEN FINISHERS 15. Penn State 986.00 27. Wisconsin 754.25 29. Nebraska 734.25 30. Northwestern 704.50 31. Minnesota 678.50 40. Indiana 581.50 44. Maryland 561.50 48. Iowa 487.00 53. Michigan State 447.75 54. Illinois 443.35 72. Purdue 284.00 130. Rutgers 134.50 PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN