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Thoughts on Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh’s comments from Atlanta, where the Wolverines are preparing for the Peach Bowl.

NEWS: One recent report claims the New York Jets are interested in Harbaugh for their soon-to-be-vacant head coaching position.

HARBAUGH (To ESPN.com): “This is a choreographed message that comes up at this time every year before signing day. It's people spreading messages to further their own personal agenda. But I'm on record right here, right now: I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying at Michigan. We have big plans here, and there's a lot we want to accomplish."

VIEWS: That still hasn’t stopped the rumors, but we’ll say it again — Harbaugh’s not going anywhere. If you don’t believe us, consider this: Miami Dolphins owner and Michigan alum/donor Stephen Ross told the Miami Herald recently he wouldn’t be pursuing Harbaugh, either.

Why’s that important? Because several years ago, before Harbaugh took the San Francisco 49ers job (when he was at Stanford), he was also interested in the Michigan job. We reached out to Ross after a report surfaced that the Dolphins would offer Harbaugh $8 million a year, and he emphatically denied that report.

Ross was interested, though, because, as he told us: “Jim has made it clear he wants to coach in the NFL.”

That was then. This is now, and you can be sure that if Harbaugh were flirting with the NFL, Ross would be involved, and Harbaugh would very likely be interested. Ross loves U-M, but if a Harbaugh jump to the pros were inevitable, he’d be in the mix.

Just more evidence that Harbaugh will be Michigan's coach for the foreseeable future.

NEWS: Several Michigan players will sit out the Peach Bowl, including captains Karan Higdon, a senior RB, and Devin Bush Jr., a junior LB. Junior end Rashan Gary and fifth-year senior offensive tackle Juwann Bushell-Beatty will also sit.

HARBAUGH: “It was their decision, and we respect it. I have respect for them, and that's the decision for them to make."

VIEWS: That doesn’t mean he agrees with it. In fact, it’s hard to believe he would.

Yes, times have changed, but Harbaugh grew up playing for Bo Schembechler, whose ‘The Team, The Team, The Team’ speech still resonates in Ann Arbor and is plastered many places in Schembechler Hall.

We’ve looked around a bit, and we haven’t found another program that has four guys sitting out their bowl game. We have seen a number of players talk about how they’d never miss the opportunity to “play with their brothers” one more time, including several Ohio State Buckeyes playing in the Rose Bowl.

And for the "Rose Bowl means more” crowd … maybe for you, but not in this day and age, folks. Both the Rose and the Peach are New Year’s Six games and won’t have an impact on the national championship.

Fair or not, there’s the perception that their program means more to the players in Ohio than it does to some of the Wolverines … and we’ve heard some openly wonder if that had something to do with 62-39.

NEWS: Michigan traveled to Atlanta before Christmas and spent the holiday together.

HARBAUGH: "We love football. This will be our first Christmas together as a team. We've done [other holidays together], but this, of course, is the big, major holiday. Christmas is as big as it gets, it's the big one. It’s a chance to spend time with our team family … that's how we look at each other — we're a family."

VIEWS: Despite the fact that some opted not to play in the bowl, this has been a tight-knit group much of the year. Harbaugh has mentioned that a number of times, and it’s been pretty clear.

That’s why there’s hope that U-M will take this game seriously. We know several still aspire to win 11 games — for just the 10th time in school history — and guys like junior quarterback Shea Patterson and fifth-year senior defensive end Chase Winovich are among them. They’ll slide in and fill the void of leadership created by Higdon and Bush’s absences and be de-facto captains.

There’s still enough talent left to handle a good, but not great, Florida squad … but they’d better come to play.

NEWS: Redshirt freshman quarterback Dylan McCaffrey has started throwing and is nearly recovered from a broken collarbone suffered late in the year.

HARBAUGH: “He's starting to do some things. He's about seven weeks now into healing. He can throw the ball now, is starting to do some other things in practice as well."

VIEWS: McCaffrey looked great in backup duty this year, but keep in mind he did so in limited action. He rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries and completed 8 of 15 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns in six appearances.

That’s for the “man, I wish we could see more of him” crowd and those expressing some disappointment that Patterson is returning for his senior year. Patterson wasn’t perfect, but he was very, very good, and he’s all in, and still learning and growing.

Having more than one good quarterback isn’t a luxury anymore. It’s a necessity, and U-M finally has it.

“The guys we have at quarterback on our team are really good," Harbaugh said. "I think all of them will be NFL players, and I love coaching them. I love the way they compete and improve.”

They’re making each other better, too. There’s no entitlement as there has been in the recent past, and that bodes well for next year.

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