The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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20 THE WOLVERINE ❱ DECEMBER 2023 ing the Maryland contest. The bizarre trio of picked-off tosses against Bowling Green this season served as a good re- minder before the Big Ten campaign got going, McCarthy acknowledged. "One of the biggest things I live by is staying humble and staying hungry," he said. "Going into that game, I was telling myself, I'm going to have more touch- downs than incompletions. "I just had to get reminded by God to stay humble. Respect every opponent, no matter who it is. That just changed a lot going into my mindset." He says he's gone from a 4.7 40-yard- dash clocking as a "scrawny little fresh- man" to 4.48 this year. When he does take off and run, McCarthy's been more care- ful to take that sidestep out of bounds to avoid endangering Michigan's season and his own. Given Michigan's routs of most oppo- nents, he also sat out a lot of fourth-quar- ter action, leaving him rested and ready for a big finish. "Tremendously," McCarthy noted. "Just from an injury-prevention stand- point, it's been great. The way I play foot- ball, it's a little bit reckless at times. Not being in those situations where some- thing could go wrong is huge. Let's keep planning on sitting out those fourth quar- ters for the remainder of the year." Regarding his competitiveness, Mc- Carthy calls into comparison not only the late basketball icon Kobe Bryant, but also Maximus Decimus Meridius, an apt link in a gladiator sport. "That comes from studying the greats," McCarthy noted. "One of the greats that I studied was Kobe. When he would step onto the court, he said it was like Gladia- tor picking up the dirt and smelling it. "I try to switch my mindset into one similar to his. When I step between those white lines, it's war. The warrior is com- ing out. It's just trying to do all the things during the week to maintain that, and when it's Saturday, I'm a whole different person." THE BIG COMPARISON Jon Jansen, the analyst on Michigan football radio broadcasts and a two-time captain and All-American for the Wolver- ines, wasn't shocked by Harbaugh's best- ever declaration. Jansen won a national championship ring in front of another no- table QB, Brian Griese, and with the gen- erally acknowledged greatest quarterback in the history of mankind (Tom Brady) on the sidelines. "The quarterback position is more in- fluential today than it was 30 or 40 years ago," said Jansen. "It's a passing game. The style of play lends itself to bigger numbers. "Will J.J. ultimately have the best num- bers? I don't know. But if you pair the numbers with success, it's all out there for J.J. to accomplish, and he has all the tools. Now it's just a matter of, can you go out there and execute?" Jansen also makes clear the talk centers on achievement as a Michigan quarter- back while in college. "I think we're working under the prem- ise that J.J. could be the best quarterback in his time at Michigan," Jansen pointed out. "I'm not going to sit here and tell you that he's going to surpass what Tom Brady did in the NFL, or even what Brian Griese did in the NFL. Who knows what happens at the next level? There are so many differ- ent variables. "But I don't think there's any question that he's got more physical ability than Brian did as a quarterback. You've got to pair that with going out there and getting it done, in terms of team success." Measuring McCarthy by his coach, in Harbaugh's playing days, provides an in- teresting exercise. Both were mobile, with strong, accurate arms and infinitely com- petitive. That might be part of the reason Harbaugh feels the connection he does to No. 9 "I think they've got a lot of the same mindset," Jansen offered. "Jim was a little ahead of his time. He was a more mobile quarterback, not as mobile necessarily as J.J. is. Jim was a little more of a pure passer than J.J. I don't want to classify either one of them as a gunslinger, but more of a playmaker/risk taker. So far, for J.J., it's paid off, and it did for Jim as well." Participating in three straight victories over Ohio State puts any Michigan player into an elite status. For a quarterback, it's a rare gem. McCarthy has that chance. "Within the Big Ten, within the Michi- gan family, if you're the quarterback and you've been in three straight Ohio State games, you start one of them and the next year, you start again and beat them again at home?" Jansen mused. "That's one of the questions that's al- ways asked when guys of different gen- erations get together. It's 'How many Big Ten championships? How many wins over Ohio State? How many of those did you start?' "For a quarterback to say, 'I was a part of three straight wins over Ohio State. I started two of them, and we got three Big ❱ Jim Harbaugh "Just enjoy the ability of J.J. McCarthy and the talent that he is as a passer, as a runner, as a leader. It doesn't come along every day, every year, every decade. Ever. I think he's truly the best college Michigan quarterback that we've ever seen. It's special to watch." PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL