At 7-1 and 5-0 in the conference, Michigan has entrenched itself as not only a Big Ten Championship contender, but also a legit candidate for the College Football Playoff.
How the Wolverines perform against Penn State, Rutgers, Indiana and Ohio State will determine their fate, but head coach Jim Harbaugh insisted once again tonight on the Inside Michigan Football radio show that his team is taking things one game at a time.
“Every game is important and kind of like a playoff contest,” he said. “We’ve been concentrating all year on the task at hand.”
That mindset has obviously paid off and has been one of the many factors Michigan is in the position it is currently in.
Another important factor, Harbaugh explained, has been the team chemistry.
“Our guys just play hard and smart, and as a team,” he noted. “That’s what has stood out most over the last few weeks.”
Limiting turnovers — something last year’s team did not do — has also been a recipe for success.
“Turnover margin is a team statistic,” Harbaugh explained. “Taking the ball away from the opposition and not turning it over has shown up in our time of possession. The guys play so smart and make the right decisions, which is a big factor.
“You have to pounce on the other team’s mistakes and limit your own. [Junior quarterback] Shea [Patterson] has done that while being aggressive — he doesn’t play tight, and has the ability to make very good decisions.
“The guys on the team really enjoy his company, along with each other’s. College guys like being around other college guys. The best teams I’ve ever been on are the ones who like each other — I’ve noticed that throughout this year’s group.”
Some of the positive surprises on this season’s unit have included several players stepping up and playing larger roles than expected, and perhaps no one has exemplified that better than redshirt sophomore punter Will Hart.
“He’s averaging almost 50 yards per punt and has been consistently good — what a huge improvement he’s made,” Harbaugh exclaimed. “He’s been a weapon for us with the way he flips field position. When you get around the midfield logo, you’d like to pin the opponent inside the 10-yard line, and that’s something we’ve had success with. If your punting unit can achieve that, you have a real good chance of getting the ball back around midfield.
“[Redshirt sophomore kicker] Quinn [Nordin] also has a lot of confidence in himself, and the team has confidence in him. We expect him to make his field goals.”
On the flip side, someone who has been performing at a high level in the Big Ten since 2016 is Penn State fifth-year senior quarterback Trace McSorley.
The Wolverines will have their hands full on Saturday with the dual-threat signal caller.
“He’s a winning player with that ‘it’ factor,” Harbaugh opined. “He has thrown for a lot of yards and has also run for a lot — they’re running him more this year. McSorley leads a highly productive offense that is averaging over 450 yards a game.”
Notes
• Chris Webber will be the honorary captain prior to Saturday's Penn State/Michigan game, as the University appears to finally be mending fences with the former Wolverine basketball standout.
“I’m older than they [the Fab Five] are," Harbaugh laughed when asked if he watched them play. "When I pull out the old scrapbooks, my shorts were pretty low [like theirs].
"If I would’ve been a high school player after them, I think I would’ve gone with the baggier shorts.”
• Schembechler Hall is in the process of undergoing major renovations, and Harbaugh recently provided fans with a quick glimpse of how things are looking on the inside with a tweet he sent out a few days ago.
“It was neat to go behind the curtain and see where things are at," he admitted. "There is great work being done, and half of it is already complete, including the weight room and the new practice field.
"The rehab center and the doctor offices are the next phase. [Strength and conditioning] Coach [Ben] Herbert and his staff do a phenomenal job, and the players have attacked their personal development in a big way.
"They like being in that weight room. We had a lifting session yesterday, and enjoyed perfect attendance.”
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