It's been well-documented that Michigan football's culture has improved from 2020 — when the team was riddled with injuries and plagued by players opting out, resulting in a 2-4 record.
The improved vibe has stemmed in large part from the team's leadership council, which was created during fall camp. A group of roughly 12 players serve as the bridge between the coaches and players, allowing for cohesion between the two groups.
The idea for the council was brought up by the coaches, sophomore wide receiver Mike Sainristil said Monday, then the group took it from there. The council organized a player-led meeting before Michigan's season opener against Western Michigan, which is where the Wolverines came together to set the tone for the season.
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After last season, the athletes have taken more responsibility for what goes on in the building, on the practice field and during games. So far, it has paid off, with the Maize and Blue getting off to a 6-0 start.
"We just laid out a foundation of what this team is going to be built off of, and how us as players are going to take account for everything that happens this year, understanding that everything is on us," Sainristil explained.
Following Michigan's 32-29 win over Nebraska last week, redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara said the Maize and Blue are 'different' this season and that U-M teams of the past may have dropped the game in a tough road environment.
"I don’t think anything Cade said in that interview was wrong," Sainristil said. "Like he said, it was nothing against any other team. It was just us as a team this year, the leaders on the team are doing everything we can to make sure everything goes right.
"We’re holding each other accountable, holding each other to the standard that we set, and just making sure that we’re doing everything possible to have each other’s backs in situations like on Saturday."
This season, players have often talked about how the coaching staff, which features six new assistants, is much more approachable than last year, and that they're able to give much more input. That includes the uniform choices for each game, with the Wolverines having worn blue pants two times (versus Washington and at Wisconsin) and gone back to white pants in their second road game at Nebraska last week.
"Yeah, we decide that," Sainristil said. "Coach Harbaugh asks us what uniforms we feel would be best for these games, and that type of stuff."
An energized Harbaugh has been more involved with every aspect of the team, several Wolverines have said, and the head coach said himself during the offseason that he's much more happy coaching football rather than having to deal with pandemic-related issues on top of his normal job.
"I would just say Coach is doing everything he can to make sure we are successful as a team," Sainristil said when asked if Harbaugh has been any different this season than in years past.
And that was the message from Harbaugh this week, with the Wolverines having a bye before taking on Northwestern Oct. 23 and Michigan State Oct. 30 before a tough November stretch. Michigan is undefeated and has all of its goals, including a national title and Big Ten championship, in front of it.
"Really just we’ve got to keep going, don’t fall in love with our own stuff," Sainristil said of what Harbaugh told the team this week. "We still have a lot to prove, just keeping the underdog mentality that we have as a team, and just keep going. We haven’t done what we want to do yet."
While Michigan will get some rest this week — which is needed, especially with multiple injuries (some minor) — Sainristil said the team is planning on keeping its eyes on the prize.
"The bye week — the schedule is the schedule, and there’s nothing we can do about it," he said. "We’ve just got to understand what the focus is. We can’t lose sight of our goal, and we just have to continue to prepare for what’s ahead of us."
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