Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed redshirt freshman quarterback Brandon Peters was cleared and would be the No. 1 guy starting Outback Bowl practices this week.
“Brandon practiced last week,” Harbaugh said. “The message to the team was building and attacking at the same time. We came out with pretty good practices last week, had good meetings. Guys who needed time away to heal bumps and bruises, get in the weight room, had good sessions.
“We had good improvement last week as a team, and we’ll go into this week with the same objectives to grow and improve.”
Fifth-year senior John O’Korn will be Michigan’s No. 2 quarterback this week. Redshirt junior Wilton Speight announced his transfer after the Ohio State game, and Harbaugh was supportive.
“I support (Wilton). I support what I think is best for them,” he said “That's the approach, the angle and approach I come with.
“I’ve always had a good relationship with Wilton. I’m most pleased or proud, happy, whatever word ... happy he came in to talk to me. He gave honest discussion, and I always strive for that with all our players … to know what's on his mind, nothing secretive or coming from the dark shadows. It doesn't have to be that way. It can be good, up front, honest dialogue. We appreciate those kinds of relationships the most.”
All but the starters practiced three times last week, and the rest of the team will resume practicing tomorrow.
NOTES
• Harbaugh on South Carolina: “The little I've seen of South Carolina so far, we thought this could be a possibility … I’ve watched their defense ... tough, fast, those things jumping out. Good schemes, well coached. Coach [Will] Muschamp does a good job. I look forward to meeting him. I’ve followed his career. I've been a fan. It will be my first time meeting him in person.
“His teams always play so gosh darn hard ... I usually root for the teams that are playing the hardest. I find myself rooting for teams he coaches because of that.”
• Harbaugh hasn’t had conversations with any of his players about potentially skipping the bowl game to prepare for the next level.
“We will, I'm sure. I'll ask if there is a player on our team that has that perspective … it doesn't have to be secretive, the dark shadows,” he said. “We'll talk about it, I'll be supportive in the conversation and the discussions about it. None of those have taken place yet, though. ”
• Freshman Tarik Black will likely be able to play, but won’t because he’ll still be eligible for a redshirt.
“He could probably play, a good possibility, but he's already played in four games this year and right now the rule is if he’s only played in four, he could get this year back as a medical redshirt,” Harbaugh said. “As I sit here now, I would probably say Tarik wouldn't play and will get the year back ... that leads to another good dialogue being discussed at the NCAA level. I think the proposal is if you play in only four games maximum, no matter when they occur, the redshirt year would not be affected.
“That’s really good discussion and dialogue to be having right now. Freshmen who have redshirted can play in the bowl game and still have their five-year clock, four to play five. Right now if you play anybody in a bowl game, they would lose the redshirt year.
“In the discussion, I think the bowl game should be treated as a new year, next year … a good thing for the players, all concerned. Say senior players decide not it’s in their best interest to play in the bowl game, what a wonderful thing it would be to play freshmen and not have that burn their redshirt.”
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