COLUMN: Jim Harbaugh's 'America's Team' comment embraces the villain role

If you're not a Michigan fan or have a soft spot for the football program, you're likely not going to find much sympathy for a program that has been squarely under the spotlight of the NCAA for the better part of the 2023 season.

First, it was 'hamburgergate' where Jim Harbaugh ended up serving a three-game self-imposed suspension by U-M in hopes of appeasing the NCAA. Now, it's all about Connor Stalions and sign-stealing allegations that may or may not have gone too far depending on how you interpret a vague NCAA rule.

While some are screaming from the mountaintops that the Wolverines cheated and the process that Stalions stole signs gave the program a competitive advantage.

You can guess where most of the hot air is coming from within the conference.

Now, the Wolverines are facing the potential of being without Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season because the Big Ten took extraordinary measures to punish the football program. Something we have not seen before from a conference in our lifetime.

Whether you feel it is right or not, the Wolverines struck back with scathing statements demanding due process and filing an injunction in hopes of getting Harbaugh back on the sidelines.

While the injunction didn't happen in time for the Penn State game, the result drew more ire from the national perspective, with the program showing emotion after a tumultuous week.

Somehow the emotion shows somehow made people believe that the Wolverines are the victim and not keeping the bigger picture in mind.

That bigger picture is crystal clear: The Wolverines are the villain, something most in the U-M fanbase aren't necessarily familiar with, or, perhaps, comfortable with.

You have to embrace it like the team is.

On Monday, Harbaugh made a comment that drew even more ire from the nation, making an off-hand comment about his team should be viewed in the national eye.

Harbaugh knows what he's doing here, the team knows the score. You likely aren't going to get much sympathy through this process so you may as well embrace the hate and roll through the rest of the season with this rolling off your backs.

When everyone is praying on the downfall of the program, the Wolverines keep rolling. It's like watching a movie where the hero of the film fails and the villain is triumphant.

Almost always the greater good prevails but perhaps just this once, the villain was always supposed to take the spoils.

With a decision on whether Harbaugh can coach likely to come sometime either on Friday or after, the Wolverines have two more chances to embrace the role. The opportunity that lies ahead next week could be the ultimate twist of the knife if all goes as planned.

Until then, the Wolverines are officially the villain. The wrestling heel that commands all the boos, swears and unsavory chants.

Sometimes the heel comes away wearing the belt. What happens next is up to the villain,.

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