As the saying goes, the only thing harder to do than winning a championship is to win it again. With so many narratives busted in the 2021 season, Michigan approaches 2022 with something new to prove, that they are here to stay.

Michigan's biggest challenge in 2021 was a culture reset. Despite the obstacles of 2020, the results on the field during the forgettable campaign were not acceptable. More so was how they got to those results. Harbaugh decided to make drastic changes to his coaching staff, completely re-tooling with younger, energetic, and more analytical and scheme-focused coaches. He also knew that getting Michigan back to being Michigan meant bringing in coaches who knew what that meant, hiring former players Mike Hart and Ron Bellamy in 2020, Mike Elston in 2021, and promoting Grant Newsome to the on-field staff as well.

Michigan needed to change its culture before it could think about achieving its goals and no player was more essential to that change than Aidan Hutchinson. Hutchinson decided to return to the Wolverines despite 2nd round potential in the NFL Draft.

Everything started with him and the players followed his lead.

"Aidan Hutchinson is a perfect example of a guy, you would not fault him a bit if he had a big ego, if he was cocky or if he had a big head," Harbaugh said in a recent podcast with Jed Hughes. "He's got every right to. He checks every box, he does everything right. The fact that he doesn't, it's just awesome. The fact that he has humility, he checks his ego at the door. No big ego, no big head. Always feels there's room for improvement. Our guys can see—that's awesome."

The coaching staff changes, the return of Aidan Hutchinson, and Jim Harbaugh's own personal improvements had the vibe around the 2021 program feeling different. This wasn't the first time we had heard the talk, but admittedly it felt different this time.

The base for the culture change in 2021 was set and the results were immediate and substantial. Of course now after that success, the question is, has that change taken hold where those results are sustainable?

"Our team has seen what the results are when everybody buys in and everybody is pulling in the same direction," Harbaugh said. "Everybody is bleeding blue, just how good it can be. That's been, to describe a word, the 'vibe' that's on our team. Guys are looking for opportunities anywhere they can find it and trying to get better than they were yesterday, trying to be better tomorrow than they were today."

Opportunities aren't too hard to find on the field and in the locker room. Michigan lost a lot of talent and leadership this offseason, something Harbaugh is not hiding from.

"There are some really great players, great leaders, that have moved on to the NFL. Aidan Hutchinson, Hassan Haskins, some amazing players like Brad Hawkins and Andrew Stueber, Josh Ross and Andrew Vastardis, real leaders and captains of our team." Harbaugh is confident though that a baton has been passed, and the next guys learned from that 2021 group that did so much to change the culture in Ann Arbor.

"I just see the younger class, the guys who were juniors last year becoming seniors. Freshmen becoming sophomores and sophomores becoming juniors, they're poised and ready and not insecure about filling in those roles."

So with the culture set and the blueprint laid out for how to do all the things Michigan wants to do, beat Ohio State, win the Big Ten Championship, and get to the playoff. The Wolverines are ready to do it again and take the next step.

"We feel like we have a really good template from last season's team, just a gritty bunch of guys who were the backbone of our team."

Nearly the entire offense returns, and where there are opportunities there are super talented players ready to take on their new expanded roles. On the defensive side of the ball, it is no secret there are more holes to fill. But as Harbaugh said, players like Mike Morris, Taylor Upshaw, Jaylen Harrell, Rod Moore, and many more were all part of the success in 2021. They have seen what the grit and leadership of the 2021 leaders led to and are embracing the opportunity to do the same.

Harbaugh knows it won't be any easier in 2022 now that the target is on their back.

"You have to re-win all of those games again, right? They're not going to win themselves, we have to re-win them and get prepared to do that. You've got to figure that teams like Ohio State, Iowa is on the schedule again. They're going to be very motivated to return the favor."

Much like 2021, Michigan and its head coach are saying all the right things. For anywhere concerned about a Big Ten Championship hangover or that 2021 was a fluke, the Wolverines seem focused on proving that is not the case. As much as 2021 was about a reset and finally ending narratives that have clouded this program, it was about creating a sustainable template. It was about creating a vibe that would last far beyond the celebrations of last season.

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