Michigan's not exactly a stranger to the Orange Bowl during Jim Harbaugh's tenure, having played in the game in 2016 after falling just short of the College Football Playoff. That was a New Year's Six game; this time Harbaugh and the Wolverines will be appearing in the game as College Football Playoff participants.
Harbaugh met with the media earlier this evening to talk about his team's CFP berth and matchup with #3 Georgia.
Opening statement:
Thrilled at the way our team played. We knew we were gonna have to play really good and our guys did. Coaches put together great plans and players really executed them, so really thrilled about the way our team has played all season long, especially-- particularly the last half of the season, last two weeks, and last night.
It hasn’t even quite been 24 hours. Had a glorious night last night. Just awesome to watch our team compete. And we flew back to Ann Arbor today. Stopped by Schembechler Hall, got a meal, we were able to see we’re going to the Orange Bowl to play Georgia and everybody’s super excited.
His early thoughts on Georgia
I’ve watched them. I’ve watched them throughout the year. General impressions are 'rugged.' It’s a rugged, tough, tough squad. They play extremely well on all sides of the ball and special teams. Gonna be really, really excited to dig into it and study it. But yeah, that’s the word that came to my mind.
On whether he thought, like some of his players said today, that they would be ranked #1 today
I didn’t get that impression from the team that anybody really thought that. Could be--would be interesting to see how you posed that question. Did they think they--how did you pose the question?
After the game Blake Corum said '42-3, what do you think?'
Yeah, um...I mean, the facts are you’ve gotta win two games to be the national champion. My thoughts, and from what I can tell from all the players, it didn’t make any difference what seed we were. Even had a bunch of conversations with guys and that's what their thoughts were, and I echo those.
It's 'why stop now, why not us?' We’re gonna take a few days off here and coaches will immediately start preparation for the game. I’m excited to prepare. All the teams that are in the playoffs are great teams, worthy. Yeah, we’re happy to be one of them. Like I said, you’re gonna have to win two to be in the national championship and I don’t see the great difference of whether it's going two, three, or four.
On whether he has talked to brother-in-law and Georgia basketball coach Tom Crean today
We have not talked since this morning about that. But I have talked to him about what he thinks of Georgia and the football staff. He loves Georgia, he loves the staff there. Nothing but ultimate respect.
On what the last 24 hours have felt like for him
Felt really good. Felt great. As I said, just the way our team played. You’ve gotta play good. There was a lot riding on the game and it has been that way for awhile now, where you have to win to move on. That’s that playoff mindset that there is. Our team’s been in that realm for weeks now. And how they respond to that is really good. They prepare, they get into the game, they’re focused on doing their job.
The thing that really stands out is they’re really enjoying it. I look at it and I go, ‘There’s no place these guys would rather be. They’re enjoying every minute of this.’ So it makes it fun. And then when you play well and win, it makes you feel even better.
It hasn’t even been 24 hours. As you know, we played the game, kicked it off at 8:17 last night. It was pretty darn late when we got back to the hotel. Woke up first thing, got on the buses, went to the airport and flew back to Ann Arbor and guys were feeling good about it. Same feelings as I had.
On what led to Mike Macdonald joining his staff and Macdonald's impact
Yeah, it’s pretty well-documented. When I was looking to hire a defensive coordinator back in January, reached out to football people, reached out to my brother. He recommended Mike. The greatest impact he’s had on our team is just, he’s really smart, a really good teacher, brings a lot of energy, brings a lot of intelligence and great communicator. All those things. Guys love playing for him. Really stimulated by all the football situations, by all the football knowledge and I see our guys just really into it, and it’s been that way since day one.
Another thing I would say about Mike, too: thing that makes him really, really great is he is a team guy. He is all about the team. All about complementary football, all about any situation that comes up, what’s best for the team. So I would just add that.
On the changes made in the offseason
Yeah, it’s been a mindset from back in January that every day matters and only 12 are gonna count. Then it was only 13 that are gonna count, then 14 are gonna count. And getting ourselves prepared. It’s been a lot of work put in by a lot of people. I would say it’s a building in Schembechler Hall of guys just working, not worrying. They’re working and having a lot of fun doing it. Always upbeat, guys with smiles on their faces. It’s a fun team to be a part of.
On the reason this coaching staff has been so cohesive
Really what I just said. Everybody in that building is--they’re about the team. There’s no other agendas other than what’s best for the team. I could go right up and down the coaching staff, the players, the staff. Every which way you turn there’s that mindset.
On which players stand out on Georgia's roster
Georgia’s offense or Georgia’s defense? Both, really. Yeah, you can point to both. The linebacking corps, those are some of the best linebackers I’ve seen. Just watching it as you look through the keyhole, but that jumps out at you real quick. Yeah, super impressed with the playmakers.
There’s quite a few guys on the roster: offense, defense. Guys that we remember recruiting and watching in high school and now to see them as expected being great players in college. Physical, rugged team in the lines. Skilled players, smart players. You don’t know the schemes, you don’t know what they’re trying to accomplish really when you’re watching it on TV but it jumps out to you pretty quick that there’s not a lot of mental error, there’s not a lot of people going the wrong way or doing things you wouldn’t want your players doing if you’re a coach. So, all those things and other things are the first things that jump out at you. To me, anyway.
On whether he has physically been to Athens, Georgia to visit and does Tom Crean know as much about football as he claims to
Yes, I have physically been in Athens. Had the pleasure of going to a basketball game there, staying at Tom and Joani’s house. Drive around campus.
Yeah, Tom knows a lot about football. Certainly, he knows a lot more about football than I know about basketball. And I thought I knew a lot about basketball, too. Played basketball in high school. But yeah, being around his meetings and being around his staff, I’ve sat on the bench or in the stands right behind him and watched him coach. You realize I don’t know too much about basketball. Not as much as he knows about football anyway.
On how difficult it is to gameplan for Michigan's variety of offensive playmakers
That’s a really good question. I would say it’s a lot of fun, though. It’s a lot of fun strategically to get guys in the game, utilize their skill set. I think of the receivers. There’s a lot of good ones, so many good ones. And they do a tremendous job catching the ball and knowing when their time comes. They just step up. Same with the tight ends. You really saw that in the ball game last night. Erick All makes a couple great catches, Schoony makes a couple great catches. Our backs.
In the throw game, Cade’s done a great job of distributing the ball, so has J.J., to playmakers. They’re fun to game plan for, and Josh does a great job of doing that and calling the game.
And the run game, there’s so many guys getting involved. It’s great to see our receivers blocking on the perimeter, our tight ends on the edges and in the perimeter and all the different variety of things our tight ends do and different ways that complements play-action passing.
And the offensive line, they have a lot of fun with it, too. They’re super stimulated; pass protect, run block, zone block, gap scheme, insert plays, perimeter, perimeter sweeps, pin and pulls. Fun to watch Sherrone coach that and gameplan for that as well.
Yeah, from my standpoint, I would think it’s somewhat challenging as a defense, seeing different personnel groups and different schemes. I think it would be. And all those options are open. Did that answer the question?
On whether he has ever been part of a team with the willpower of this group
I think we’ve had several teams so similar to this team. The 2015 team at Michigan; very much like this team. So was the 2016 team, 2018 team. All those. There’s so many guys that were just as competitive, just as determined.
And, to your point, this team, to a man, it’s every man that’s out there. They’re fighting for each other, fighting for their team, fighting for their school. It’s a great group, great group to coach.
And like I said last night, the other really cool thing (is) this is a squad that for years, multiple years, seems like three, four, five years or so, they give no grief to their coach. That’s much appreciated. Whether it’s on the field, off the field, in the classroom, they are--they’re about taking care of business and doing things really well. I don’t have to talk them into things. I do have to pull them back at times. But they’re always looking to do. Can’t say enough good things about this team. Love coaching them. Feel like I drew the long straw to be able to coach them.
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