The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1513253
JANUARY 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 19 BY CHRIS BALAS B efore the 2023 season started, most pundits made Michigan the heavy favorite to capture a third straight Big Ten title. The Wolverines returned an unbeliev- able nucleus from a squad that won at Ohio State and earned a second cham- pionship in 2022. This year, thanks in large part to the Champions Circle col- lective's "One More Year" fund, Michi- gan brought back potential All-Amer- icans at most positions ready to chase the ring again. Few, though, could have predicted they'd be able to overcome what the NCAA and Big Ten threw at them this year. Head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended three games by U-M for what was really a Level 2 violation — improper contact with a recruit during the COVID year — that was moved to Level 1 (the most severe) when he denied recollection of the event. Later, when the NCAA came calling again over allegations of on-site scout- ing and sign stealing, the Wolverines lost their coach for three more games — including top-10 teams Penn State on the road and Ohio State at home — and turned to assistant Sherrone Moore after the Big Ten stepped in and sus- pended Harbaugh. The Broyles Award finalist as the nation's top assistant (won by Iowa's Phil Parker) kept the team on course and led two huge victo- ries to get the Wolverines back to India- napolis for a third straight year. It was nothing short of amazing, frankly, and the emotions poured out with the fans rushing the field after a 30-24 win over the Buckeyes, Michi- gan's third straight over its rival. Moore gave a shout out to Harbaugh in his na- tionally televised postgame interview, dedicating the win to him, but did not act surprised there or in his press con- ference immediately afterward with what the team had accomplished. "We always talk about never flinch- ing. Our guys don't flinch regardless of the situation," Moore said. "This is such a great response by our guys and what you'd expect from a trained group like ours. "… It's crazy to feel the energy in this building and in our building, in the room with the players. They're extremely ex- cited to win the game, but they expected to win it. They want to go down there next week in Indy [to play Iowa for the Big Ten title]. They're familiar with it. … We want to go win that, but we're not satisfied with just winning that. We've got bigger goals. We have all the goals. We have everything we have worked for, and we're going to continue to pursue that. These guys have earned that op- portunity to go to those places and go win." But the Wolverines still needed to beat Iowa for a second time in three years to grab another title. They'd handled the Hawkeyes, 42-3, in 2021, followed by a second-half beatdown of Purdue last year for championship No. 2. This year's Hawkeyes team was of- fensively challenged, even more so af- ter losing former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara and tight end Erick All to injuries earlier in the year. Iowa came into the title game ranked No. 130 out of 130 teams nationally in total offense but with an elite defense. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz knew what his team was up against as a 22.5-point underdog, but he wasn't conceding anything heading into the Dec. 2 game. "You have to relish the opportunity, the challenge, and understand just how significant the challenge is going to be and appreciate that and respect it," he said. "That's the great thing about sports, too. You just never know what's going to happen. That's why all the prognosticators, they get a little frus- trated because you can't predict even a regular season 100 percent … because people are people, and there's a lot that could happen." DEFENSE DOMINATES IN 26-0 WIN But what most expected to happen the night of Dec. 2 in Indianapolis, did. The Michigan defense was stifling, the Iowa offense inept. The result: a 26-0 pasting and a third straight Big Ten champion- ship for the Wolverines under Harbaugh. After holding the Hawkeyes three- and-out on the first possession, the Wol- verines went 52 yards in 13 plays before settling for a 35-yard James Turner field goal with 6:01 left in the quarter. Iowa's next drive managed only 15 yards in six plays before another punt from Tory Taylor. Michigan freshman Semaj Morgan, a new addition at punt returner, brought it back 87 yards before running out of gas and getting bumped out of bounds at the Iowa 5-yard line. Two plays later, Michigan senior running back Blake Corum found the end zone for the 23rd time this season, extending his single-season school record. The Wolverines ended the quarter up 10-0, and many believed that alone would be enough to win. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the offense didn't have their best day — the junior completed 22 of 30 passes for 147 yards but no touch- downs, and he had a sure interception (and a couple passes by his tight ends) dropped — but Harbaugh had no com- plaints. "He made throws — one throw he made and it got called back for a holding call and some other great throws," the coach said. "Uncharacteristically, we had some drops, and uncharacteristically, we THRICE AS NICE THRICE AS NICE Michigan Overcomes Adversity To Capture Its Third Straight Big Ten Title After missing six games in 2023 due to two suspensions, Jim Harbaugh returned to the sideline in Indianapolis, and his Wolverines earned a third straight Big Ten championship with a 26-0 win against Iowa. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER