The Wolverine

buzz has surrounded fifth-year senior transfer Jake Rudock's steadiness at quarterback, with a nod to junior Shane Morris' bulldog determination to not surrender without a fierce fight. The night of Sept. 3, in Utah, will clear up plenty of the details. That's the way Harbaugh wants it. Don't talk … do. He loves this proving ground of August. He dreams football dreams, a clear tipoff that it's about to arrive. When it does, without many words to the outside world, he finds out him- self where a team stands. The Wolverines themselves find out. "We embrace the fact that there will be great competition, and we want to get ourselves prepared for that," Har- baugh stressed. "The beautiful thing about football, as our old coach, Bo Schembechler, used to say, 'You live clean, come clean, be clean.' "The part about coming clean. That always resonated with me. Coming clean is telling the truth. You've got to tell the truth. That's what that means. Come clean. When you step out on to a football field, never is that more evi- dent. The truth is going to get told. "Who is best prepared? Who wants it the most? Who is the most talented? What team plays together the very best, and is going to stand the best chance of winning? That's what we're doing now." Individually, the truth is being told. Passing game coordinator/quarter- backs and wide receivers coach Jedd Fisch described it by saying if you're battling for a starting job, make sure the other guy steps off the treadmill first. He insisted if you want to be a great receiver, don't just talk about it. Again, be about it. "Now he's going to say, 'I'm go- ing to go on the Juggs [machine] for 200 balls. But wait, I just had a two- hour practice.' Okay, so what? Who cares? Go on the Juggs," Fisch said. "Figure it out. Figure out how to be great. Guys that want to be great say they want to be great. 'I want to lose weight.' Okay, then why are you eat- ing a cheeseburger and not working out? "It's the same thing. 'I want to be great.' Okay, then figure out a way to be great. If you really want to be great … we just want to get rid of all lip service and become guys that just ab- solutely grind it out until he becomes as awesome as he can be." Collectively, the Wolverines aim to find out how awesome they can be. There's little question this will be a team that has to play to its defense, and not torpedo it via turnovers and other offensive meltdowns. It has to spring difference-makers like Peppers on special teams, block kicks, create opportunities. It has to want to win as badly as Harbaugh himself does. They all come clean Sept. 3. That night isn't the final word, by any means, but the sub is going to sur- face. ❏ Editor John Borton has been with The Wolverine since 1991. Contact him at jborton@thewolverine.com and follow him on Twitter @JB _ Wolverine.

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