The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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8 THE WOLVERINE ❱ NOVEMBER 2023 J im Harbaugh's crew rocketed past mid-October fueled by focus and fury, a runaway train tossing the wandering cows of the Big Ten 20 feet in the air. Michigan routed Rutgers, Nebraska, Minnesota and Indiana by a combined score of 180-31, leaving opposing coaches awed. "I think they're the best football team I've seen in 11 years of being a head coach," Minnesota's P.J. Fleck said, for one. "I've never seen a team like that … they're one of the deepest teams, one of the best teams, one of the biggest teams, fastest teams, strongest teams, and they do not make mistakes." They certainly haven't logged a signifi- cant slip so far, making history on the way. Michigan's 52-7 evisceration of Indiana on Oct. 14 marked U-M's 19th straight Big Ten victory, matching the program record established from 1990-92. The winning streak ranks fourth in Big Ten history. The Wolverines collected a 22nd straight regular-season win, fourth in U-M annals and eighth in Big Ten history. They won their 20th in a row at Michigan Stadium, third longest streak ever. The national numbers? Off the charts. The Wolverines ranked No. 1 nation- ally in scoring defense (6.7 points allowed per game), red zone defense (33.3), few- est penalty yards (123), tied for first in most defensive touchdowns (3) and few- est overall penalties (16), and second in overall defense (233.1 yards surrendered per game). They ranked in the top 10 na- tionally in a host of other categories, with junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy carry- ing the nation's second-best completion percentage (78.2) and passing efficiency mark (195.92). McCarthy led a scoring of- fense (39.4) poised at No. 10 in the na- tion, despite it not involving the go-go scramble of other big points, little defense programs. Like the old PGA Tour slogan noted, These Guys Are Good. And they're just getting started. "There's definitely a November men- tality," Harbaugh said. "You're in a chase for the championship. You're in a run for the championship. They're decided in November — IF you've put yourself in position to be in position. When all the leaves are brown and the sky is gray, that's when they get decided." With all due respect to The Mamas & the Papas, another championship gets decided when Michigan finds itself blan- keted in white. The critics still linger, waiting to pounce. They point out Michigan's conga line of sacrificial lambs trotted in for the nonconference season. They rightly rec- ognize the Big Ten teams dismantled so far won't sniff the Big Ten title game, to say nothing of the College Football Play- off. That's all fair. But when there are teams to dominate, dominate them. When there's improve- ment to be made, make it. When the tougher teams roll around — hello Penn State and Ohio State — serve them an- other heaping helping of disappointment. These Wolverines, with a former Bo Schembechler protégé in charge, sum- mon up the Michigan football dominance of the 1970s, '80s, and early '90s. Can they climb a '97-style mountain? That's what they have to prove. The mountain looms higher than ever, given the College Football Playoff. Yet this bunch isn't afraid of a good challenge. It came into spring football talking na- tional championship. It has done nothing in the interim to dissuade from the notion that it's possible. McCarthy's play even dissuaded Har- baugh from a go-to characterization. "I feel like I stand corrected on what I've been saying for the last several months, which is I think J.J. is a once- in-a-generation quarterback," Harbaugh commented, days prior to the Michigan State game. "J.J. has shown to be on the path to be the best quarterback in Michi- gan history. "The statistics, I'm sure, speak to that, and the statistic that speaks to it the most is the amount of [successful] drives. He's had 213 drives. We've scored on 130 of those drives, and 96 have been touch- downs, 34 field goals, 61 percent. So, it's really remarkable. There's no stat that demonstrates the quality of quarterback play more than that statistic, in my mind. "I think, going forward, J.J. will be the quarterback that all future quarterbacks are compared to." Going forward, Michigan 2023 wants to be the team to which future squads in The Big House are compared. "It's been a happy mission," Harbaugh noted, regarding Michigan's marvelous three-year run. "The thing I've noticed the most — the guys play for each other, and so do the coaches. Any sports team, any sports organization, any business, would kill for the kind of culture and vibe that we enjoy on a daily basis." Harbaugh's possible contract exten- sion looms over all the historic success. A deal to make him the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten gets plenty of behind-the- scenes whispers these days. Keeping the good times rolling remains a Michigan imperative, one many hope means more to Harbaugh than another shot at a Super Bowl championship. In the meantime, enjoy. For Michigan fans of all ages, these are the good old days. ❑ WOLVERINE WATCH ❱ JOHN BORTON U-M On Historic Roll Toward November Jim Harbaugh raves about the team culture and vibe of how his guys play for each other. Starting cornerback Will Johnson (2) cele- brates with backup safety Keon Sabb after the latter's interception against Indiana. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Editor John Borton has been with The Wolverine since 1991. Contact him at jborton@thewolverine.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @JB_Wolverine.