The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 21 2023-24 YEAR IN REVIEW 15-0. It wasn't just guys talking about it — it was good, old-fashioned hard work and teamwork." That they accomplished it despite tremendous distraction and adversity made it that much more impressive. They won six of those games without Harbaugh on the sideline. He was sus- pended first for alleged recruiting viola- tions and then again when his team was accused of a sign-stealing operation led by former staffer Connor Stalions. The Big Ten imposed the second sus- pension only a day before the Wolver- ines traveled to Penn State to face the Nittany Lions in the first big game of the year. They didn't know they'd be with- out their head coach until an hour be- fore kickoff, when an Ann Arbor court delayed a decision to rule on Harbaugh's suspension. The responsibility to keep the per- fect season intact fell on offensive co- ordinator Sherrone Moore's shoulders, and he delivered. The Michigan defense was dominant, and the offense became a bulldozer in the second half, wearing the PSU defense down in a 24-15 vic- tory. An emotional Moore shed tears in his postgame press conference in giving Harbaugh a shoutout. U-M had rallied for its coach, and to prove they weren't winning only because they were "cheat- ing." While the title was always the mo- tivation, having their integrity ques- tioned was also a motivator. It added "just a little fuel to the fire," Moore told Fox football analyst Joel Klatt this sum- mer. "But just a little bit. "We didn't need any, but you're glad you had a little fuel. It kept that boulder on our shoulders. They took it and ran with it." Winning the national title, though, was the main goal. "I think they were motivated by that more than anything," Moore admitted. "Getting to and winning the national championship —that's all they talked about at the beginning of the year after the TCU game [a playoff loss] last year. "We always talked about process over prize, and we knew what the prize was. … We said, 'Let's stop talking about the prize and let's go attack the process of getting better every day.' We did that." Moore led a 30-24 win over Ohio State in his last head coaching duty of the year. His performance would help earn him the permanent job after Har- baugh left for the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers. Despite all the distractions, Harbaugh insisted he wouldn't have changed a thing. Though it was tough for him to watch his team on television while suspended, he was actively involved in game planning and weekly preparation before the games he missed. He was on the sideline for the playoffs when it mattered most, two of the biggest wins in program history. "It couldn't have gone better. It went exactly how we wanted it to go — to win every game," Harbaugh said. "The off- the-field issues — we stood strong and tall because we knew we were innocent." It took a long time to get there — nine years into his tenure — but he finally brought a national championship to Ann Arbor. Michigan's Team 144 trailed for only 23 minutes and 33 seconds heading into the playoff, dominating the competition. It blasted rival Michi- gan State on the road, 49-0, came from behind to beat the Crimson Tide for its first playoff win and won the national championship over Washington in Houston in dominating fashion. The scars of past failures helped get them there, Harbaugh said, and there were plenty. "Getting to the playoffs and not win- ning … 2016 at Ohio State, we thought that measurement was short [on fourth down in overtime that would have given Michigan a win]," he said. "But some- times you've got to go through those things to get where we are. "One thing you can say about every single Michigan football team that I've coached since I've been here. The guys have always given it their best. And this team, Team 144, they are 'The Team.'" He then summed it up in one word. "Great." The greatest, in fact — not just this year, but also in program history. ❏ Runners-Up Several Michigan men's teams had very good seasons in addition to football. Here, in order, are the next four in the voting among the staff of The Wolverine. 2. Gymnastics — The Wolverines won their fourth straight Big Ten title and 21st in program history in Champaign, Ill., on April 5. Sophomore Frederick Richard led the way, posting a combined event score of 83.900 to win his second straight all-around title. The team advanced to the NCAA finals, finishing second to Oklahoma in the April 19 qualifier in Columbus, Ohio, to make the field, and then coming in second. Richard was Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and Big Ten Gymnast of the Championship, and head coach Yuan Xiao was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. His group won 12 All-America citations at the NCAAs. 3. Hockey — Brandon Naurato's team battled through injuries to peak at the right time, upset - ting Minnesota in a Big Ten Tournament semifinal in March before losing to Michigan State in over- time in the championship game. The Wolverines got their revenge on the Spartans in the NCAA Tournament, however, upsetting North Dakota in a first-round game before handling the Spartans, 5-2, to earn a third straight Frozen Four berth. They fell to Boston College, 4-0, in the semifinal, but it was yet another banner season. Forward Gavin Brindley was named the Big Ten Player of the Year after notching 25 goals and 28 assists. 4. Wrestling — The grapplers finished second at the Big Ten Championships and third at the NCAA Championships with four All-Americans and two finalists. It was the Wolverines' second trophy finish in three seasons and their fifth top-five NCAA finish in six seasons. U-M boasted four All- Americans in Dylan Ragusin (fifth, 133 pounds), Austin Gomez (second, 149), Shane Griffith (third, 174) and Lucas Davison (second, heavyweight). 5. Lacrosse — Once again, coach Kevin Conry's team made the most noise when it really mat - tered. The Wolverines ended the regular season with a thrilling, 13-12 win over Ohio State, beat the Buckeyes in a rematch to open Big Ten Tourna- ment play, and then upset No. 7 Johns Hopkins in the semifinals. They won the crown with a 16-4 blowout of Penn State in the championship game. Michigan battled but dropped a 16-11 decision to No. 5 seed Denver in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. — Chris Balas ❱ Jim Harbaugh "So often the goal is chasing perfection, and it's hard to be perfect. It rarely comes around. You hope to achieve excellence along the way."