The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Ann Arbor in 1986, as well. Asked about predictions, guarantees, etc., he politely waved them off. He made it abundantly clear he's no longer the devil-may-care quar- terback who predicted victory over Ohio State amid the misery of a loss to Minnesota in his senior season. "I've grown," he intoned, caus- ing laugher to ripple throughout the Junge Family Champions Center on Michigan's campus. Those expecting a Jim Tressel-like throw-down challenge to the Buck- eyes, or Michigan State, for that mat- ter, came away disappointed. They didn't hear one in the press con- ference, or in Harbaugh's brief ap- pearance before a wildly welcoming crowd at Crisler Center at halftime of the Michigan-Illinois basketball game, either. Harbaugh called Ohio State and Michigan State "outstanding pro- grams," stiff-arming several oppor- tunities to talk smack about his two top East Division rivals in the Big Ten. He also made certain to let ev- eryone know he appreciates what his predecessor did in the office he'll now occupy. "I want to thank Brady and Laura Hoke — they're my very good friends — for their outstanding ser- vice at the University of Michigan," Harbaugh said. "They have honored the University of Michigan football program, and I'm pleased to have such a tremendous foundation to stand on." The foundation is deep, and time- honored, he assured. " T h a t f o u n d a t i o n w a s b u i l t by Brady, by Lloyd Carr, by Gary Moeller, by Bo Schembechler, by Jerry Hanlon, by Jon Falk, by men and women who have served the University of Michigan for more than a century," he said. "All the former players and their families … I feel like I'm standing on this foundation that is so rock solid. "I feel like I'm standing on the shoulders of tall, tall men. I can't thank you enough. "Top to bottom, Michigan is about excellence. It's about greatness. And you have my pledge that I will carry forward the tradition of excellence of Harbaugh spoke about coming to Ann Arbor as a young boy when his father was an assis- tant coach, as a student-athlete enrolled at U-M, and now as the coach. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN