Everything Jim Harbaugh said on Inside Michigan Football pre-Ohio State

On the Illinois win

It was a great win. Great team win. A lot of heroes, learned that. A lot of heroes on our team. Took everybody. I thought the defense won us the game, I thought the special teams won us the game. I thought the offense won us the game. So many clutch plays. Guys didn't flinch, didn't get flustered. Didn't execute, especially when the game was on the line.

On Jake Moody's 46-yard field goal

We had determined it to be the 27-yard line, that would be the kick line. It came up that the ball was on the 28, a yard passed what we thought was the kick line. Jake, his previous kickoff had gone into the endzone, he had a really good ball. I just asked him, I said, hey, we're at the 28 not the 27, what do you think? He gave me a thumbs up and sent him out there to kick it.

On whether Moody was going to give him a thumbs up no matter what he was asked

I don't know about that. Yeah, maybe. It's the way they say it. They'll hesitate a little bit and I think I can. No hesitation. Thumbs up. He's Money Moody. He's a legend now.

On losing his voice

I feel good. Everything is good except the voice. There's a real bounce in the step, as you can imagine, around here at Schembechler Hall. Just a bunch of happy warriors getting ready for this football game. Excited about it. Ready to have at it.

On kicking the field goal to be down by one

What went through my mind is that it was fourth and 11, factor in the odds of picking up the fourth and 11. Could've got it, we missed two plays, a drop and an overthrow the two previous plays. That didn't factor in as much as I just felt good that Moody would make it. Then it would come down to he would kick it with the wind, he'll kick it out of the endzone, we're going to have to get a three-and-out. We had the three timeouts and what I envisioned was a punt into the wind that would give us good field position. It all played out that way. Great job by our defense. Taylor Upshaw making a great tackle after the penalty. Getting the stop again. We had some three-and-outs in the game. I was just betting on that. Felt good that it was at least 60/40 that we could get that three-and-out and get the ball back somewhere around midfield. Ended up getting the ball at our own 48. Clutch plays from there. None better really than the fourth and four, Isaiah Gash, who had not—I thought he had one rep on that play that we had designed for Blake Corum but he had not had a rep. He felt good about it on the sideline and he was in those meetings, too. Executed it to perfection. The throw to Ronnie Bell, he was getting held, he was getting grabbed. Just kept playing through the play and almost made a one-handed catch but his left arm was getting held. That penalty came out and that moved us into good field position.

On players stepping up in big situations

The fourth down wasn't the only play Isaiah Gash made, he made a great play on the screen pass in the third quarter that set up that field goal. Bunch of guys. Colston Loveland, yeah. Hard for me to hold in my enthusiasm for the kind of job that he's doing. Mason Graham, a ton of guys. You would have to list, really, 30-40 guys right now that stepped up and we won this game because of them because of Ronnie Bell, the punt return, 40-yard punt return in the fourth quarter. I saw Zach Peterson block two guys. Joe Taylor really didn't do his assignment but thank god he didn't. He blocked two guys. Matt Hibner did a tremendous job replacing and going to get a block for Ronnie. DJ Turner was the farthest guy away from the return and ended up getting a block that got us 7, 8 more yards. He was just flying. So many guys doing great. Kris Jenkins, Mazi Smith, they're playing as well as I've ever seen big guys play in the middle. Could keep going if you want me to.

On Kenneth Grant

He got a game ball for being part of that field goal unit, as well. He's been a great addition to the field goal unit. He stops them cold. When he makes a tackle, there's no yards being bled out after. He gets those arms around a guy, he stops them cold and knocks them back to their goal line. He gaves us some significant reps in the game. Super happy with Taylor Upshaw, too. Not a young guy but stepped in. Playing where Mike Morris plays and he had significant plays and reps, constant pursuit. I thought he had a heckuva game. Game ball type of performance. We gave him one.

On where he needs to see improvement from the offense

I saw some pro games that were 10-3. The Jets and the Patriots. They got it off a punt return. I just love the clutch play. Like I said, our offense really won the game for us. So did our defense and so did our special teams. We're putting together a really good plan, I think, that we'll practice this week and take down to Columbus and hopefully we put up more points than they do.

On going down to Columbus to play in The Game

It's an honor to be in this position and playing in this big game. Playing for a championship. I'm most thrilled that our guys are excited about the test. We're going to get tested, it's going to be our toughest test of the year. Find out what our limits are physically, mentally, spiritually. I think you're going to find that we're made of the right stuff and I think you're going to see that.

On any confidence that can be gained from last year

I think so.

On what concerns him about OSU

They've got a tremendous quarterback, tremendous receivers. Really good offensive line. Oustanding running back. They're very good, very explosive. You know as well as I do what they're capable of. Playing at a super high level. Gotta stop them, cover them, gotta build that run wall and get pressure on the quarterback.

On OSU's defense

Opportunistic defense. 17 turnovers on the year, 10 by interception. Caused like 16 fumbles and recovered 6 of those, I believe, and scored 3 touchdowns as a defense. It's really good. New defensive coordinator. It's somewhat different. It's man-to-man, a lot of man but little different than what we saw with Illinois. They play their system, they play it really well.

On how he prepares his team for the Ohio Stadium environment

To go enjoy it, go have it. They've been on some very big stages. As I said, it's not a team that the mission isn't grim. It isn't one of anxiety or fear. They just want to get prepared. I tell them to prepare harder this week or more but this is the way they've approached every single week so going about the business of getting prepared and get ready to play this game.

On Blake Corum's availability change in what they'll do with preparation

He could and it could not. Both of those options would be available.

On J.J. McCarthy

Just what I just said about the other players, just go have at it. The team, myself, the players, the coaches, everybody has tremendous confidence in J.J.

On Ryan Day

I think he's a great coach. The evidence is everywhere, it's all over the tape. He does a tremendous job. They have great coaches. We have great coaches, they have great players. We have great players. They have Heisman guys, we've got Heisman guys. It's like two super hero teams meeting on Saturday. It's coming Saturday. Today we're going to work on getting ready and to prepare for that big ball game.

On what he's thankful for this year

I'm grateful. So grateful for this team, they way they've worked, the way they've earned it. They paid the price. So thankful for them. Just each day has been enjoyable day-to-day. Thankful for my family and thankful for my parents and all the things they've instilled in me. I'm thankful for the parents of all our players. The things that they have poured into each of their sons, everything has been in preparation for this game. Wouldn't be here without my parents, without the example that my dad and my mom—every time she would take me to a practice or come watch a game. Just the discipline and the coaching, parenting, that they gave me. I see that in every single one of our players. All the things they've poured into it. They're born for this. I can't wait for them to have the opportunity to play in this game.

On the plan for the team for Thursday

There will be nobody without a place to go. Our parents are so incredible, there are parents that are coming in and cooking and are renting an AirBnB or something. A bunch of players are going there, a bunch of players are going over somewhere else. We're going to have a real nice get together here where all the parents can come to practice on Thursday and have meals after that. It's a tightknit group. It's a family.

On Jesse Minter named a semifinalist for the Broyles Award

It's been tremendous. I actually nominated Ben Herbert as the Broyles finalist but they came back and said that it had to be a position coach. They picked Jesse Minter. Very deserving. As I was looking at it, Ben Herbert has had a huge impact on our team. Sherrone Moore, another great year that he's had. I thought him and Matt called a great game against Illinois. Steve Clinkscale, very deserving of that Broyles Award as well. Mike Hart, Jay Harbaugh, again, has the number one special teams unit of the top 30 teams that are ranked. Jesse has done an amazing job, no question about it. I think we've got great coaches on our staff. Jesse is representing us and we couldn't be prouder.