Michigan Wolverines football is set to take on the Wisconsin Badgers tonight at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
Here's a look around the country at what they're saying heading into the primetime matchup:
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John Borton, The Wolverine: Wolverine Watch: Quarantined From Criticism
It’s Harbaugh’s job, of course, to keep too many alarms from going off inside Schembechler Hall, while putting out the fire. Asked if he’s tuned in to what outsiders are saying these days, he remained stoic and stiff-arm ready.
“It depends on someone’s willingness or interest to listen to what they say,” Harbaugh said. “I have a very low interest in willingness to do that, and I communicate that to our team as well.”
Redshirt junior offensive lineman Andrew Stueber backed that approach, especially when it comes to social media.
“Social media is not really a huge part of my life,” he assured. “It’s something that we’ve talked about. Our strength staff has emphasized that a lot, and our coaching staff has.
“The thing they mostly focus on is, it’s the people in the building, the people that come in here, day-in and day-out. They know the best. They have first-hand experience of what it’s like, what we need to improve.
“While it might make you angry for a little bit, might get you frustrated, when you come back in here, it kind of all goes away. It’s about us in this building, and being the best for us.”
Michigan radio sideline reporter Doug Karsch has seen the good times come and go for the Wolverines. He insists he’s witnessed no evidence of losing becoming acceptable to Harbaugh’s crew.
“I do know, in some of the bleaker years in my time, after certain losses, there would be fire and brimstone speeches in the locker room after the game — sometimes from players, sometimes from coaches,” Karsch noted. “Then after some losses, you kind of felt an acceptance, like it was here we go again.”
The Wolverines need to avoid the latter right now, at all costs. Otherwise, the quarantine will only deepen.
Having been at Ohio State during the John Cooper Era – Cooper when 2-10-1 against Michigan – [Kirk] Herbstreit knows what it’s like being a player hearing the noise from the fan base and the local and national media. It can wear on them.
“I played at Ohio State when every step was not, ‘Well, that’s OK, they’ll figure it out,’ it was ‘Fire Cooper,’” Herbstreit said. “Anything that happened to go wrong, it was, ‘Fire Cooper.’ Everything. Didn’t convert on a third down, ‘They’ve got to fire Cooper.’ The defense gave up a touchdown, ‘They’ve got to fire Cooper.’ Everything. And as a player, you hear that. You constantly hear the negativity that’s around your program. I don’t know if it affects today’s players. As players back then (we were) more annoyed by it than anything else.
“I have no way of describing what’s happening. I’m hopeful that they show up inspired and ready to play against Wisconsin and that they can play better. But it’s been tough to watch these last couple games.”
Looking back at Michigan football history, Herbstreit mentioned the rosters of Bo Schembechler, Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr being thick with players from Ohio. There were 25 scholarship and non-scholarship players from Ohio listed on the roster for the MSU game.
“They’ve got to continue to go out and get elite players,” Herbstreit said. “One thing I’ve noticed is, when I think of Michigan back in the heyday of Bo, and Gary and Lloyd, I think of recruiting. And I think of Ohio State and Michigan -- OK, 60 percent of them are going to Columbus and the other 40 percent are going to go to Ann Arbor. I’m asking our guys this week to go back and look at the Michigan roster and their two-deep when Bo was rolling and when Gary and Lloyd were rolling and look at the Ohio players. I’m looking at their roster now, and I’m seeing Connecticut and New Hampshire and Rhode Island. I’m not saying they don’t play good football up there, it’s just a very different roster."
Harbaugh has another year on his contract. Because of the pandemic, he has said that there are “bigger fish to fry” when asked if he and athletic director Warde Manuel have worked on an extension. Does Herbstreit still think Harbaugh is the answer for Michigan?
“I’d like to think they can turn it around and definitely him proving to be the guy we all thought when he first came in,” Herbstreit said. “Anybody who thinks he can’t coach is crazy.
“I’d like to think (Harbaugh’s) the guy. I’d like to think they can turn it around. I continue to remain hopeful.”
Benjamin Worgull, Badger Blitz: Five Burning Questions: No.13 Wisconsin at Michigan
1. How Will the Long Layoff Effect Wisconsin?
Wisconsin senior wide receiver Kendric Pryor called it “weird” and “sad” that the Badgers spent the last two weekends off the football field and, for a good chunk of time, away from the practice field, facilities and the weight room. UW doesn’t know when and where the outbreak occurred but chalk it up to another chapter of adversity.
“Adversity happens every year of football,” Pryor said. “Everything doesn’t always go perfect and this year it just happened to be something for everybody, COVID … It may have hit us harder than it hit other people, but it’s how you bounce back from it.”
The health of Wisconsin’s roster is unknown. While the Badgers reported only five active cases in the program as of Monday, how many players are in the Big Ten’s 21-day COVID protocol, and how that affects the depth chart is unknown.
UW was limited to daily check-ins, a handful of zoom meetings and notes of things the players could do on their own without having access to the weight room, so this past week was more getting back into the swing of things.
“It just feels like you can’t build any momentum,” defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said. “That’s the biggest thing. You’re trying to push your guys through it. As coaches, you’re feeling the same frustration. You’re prepping for multiple games and all of a sudden, they are not happening.
“I think the biggest thing I’m trying to push to those guys, you had that frustration. You had that emotional highs and lows. Now you have to push past it.”
Wisconsin is 4-0 the last three seasons playing a Big Ten off a bye week, including last season’s 35-14 victory over Michigan in the Big Ten opener. Those teams, however, got to practice and conditioning at the UW facilities and not their residences.
“I feel very confident in our preparation,” Pryor said. “They’ll probably basing us off our first game, which was two weeks ago. We’re definitely not the same team as two weeks ago.”
Michigan can’t realistically scrap every man call from its defense. [Don] Brown and Michael Zordich have to figure out a way to settle the corners down or look deeper into the roster. The problem there? Michigan doesn’t have any proven veteran talent in the secondary. Any answer will be an unproven one. Man coverage can be really intimidating and if you’re a young player who is unsure of himself it’s not going to go well. Ambry Thomas, Jourdan Lewis, Lavert Hill — these are examples of youngsters who had the ability to play without fear almost immediately after arriving at Michigan. They also happened to be three of the higher-rated players in their respective recruiting classes. Michigan hasn’t won nearly as many recruiting battles like this post-2017.
It’s not about one thing, it’s about a bunch of things all happening at the same time.
Were there positives? Sure. But that all depends on how you want to look at it.
I counted at least three dropped interceptions in this game. Frustrating? Yes. But Michigan was closer to the football in the second half of this game and did show incremental progress with some of those zone looks. So, you’ll take it. Elsewhere, Kwity Paye’s tour of destruction continues — albeit without the help you’re looking for.
Who knows what to expect from either of these teams right now? Michigan finds itself on a two-game losing streak backed up against the wall. A win against Wisconsin could help salvage the season, while a loss will only send things spiraling even further. On the other side, what do we know about how Wisconsin will look after having to cancel its last two games due to a COVID outbreak on the roster? Paul Chryst has said Graham Mertz is back and eligible, but isn't a guarantee to start the game. Plus, Mertz is far from the only Badger who has had to miss time the last few weeks.
I'm betting that Mertz will play, and he'll have a field day against a Michigan defense that's been torn to shreds the last two weeks. The Wolverines have little to no pass rush to speak of, and it's caused their secondary to be picked apart. Mertz might feast on the Wolverines defense the same way he did Illinois in Wisconsin's lone game. Still, I'm a lot more comfortable going with the over than the spread because there's no telling how sharp Wisconsin will be defensively after so much time off, and with Michigan in desperation mode. Wisconsin 31, Michigan 24 | Pick: Over 54
The Wolverines were whipped by the Hoosiers last Saturday. The Spartans are expected to be whipped by the Hoosiers this Saturday. Both teams are 1-2, underdogs at home and playing with the poise and focus of hamsters on a spinning wheel, albeit well-muscled hamsters.
I’m disheartened to report our college teams have followed the lead of our NFL squad and removed themselves from contention by the first week of November. I’m not saying it’s time to move on to the next COVID-wracked sport. I’m just saying college basketball is scheduled to begin in two weeks, and based on the recruiting hauls by Michigan and Michigan State, we might consider transitioning to a basketball state. Tobacco Road can have football while we get ourselves sorted out.
It’s sobering, but after last weekend, it’s inescapable. Michigan lost by 17 to Indiana. Michigan State lost by 42 to Iowa. The Lions lost by 14 to Minnesota. The teams’ combined record: 5-9. The teams’ combined number of effective, bruising offensive and defensive linemen: 1.5. The teams’ combined total of penalties caused by brain-flatulence or vicious quarterback hand-clapping: 59.
Before we can fix the problem, we must admit it. Have we turned soft as a state? Are we content just being famous for Traverse City cherries, Mackinac Island Fudge and hot dogs slathered with chili and onions? Would we rather miss a tackle than wrinkle our crisp, fancy football outfits?!
There’s a cherished history of toughness here. Many people remember when the Lions ruled professional football with ruthless impunity, and the fans who witnessed it will tell you all about it after they put their teeth back in. Now? Now, the Lions are trying desperately to recapture the Wayne Fontes era.
Michigan used to drag Indiana across the field like a little red wagon, winning every meeting since 1987. The Wolverines are trying to revive the glory years of Bo, but are threatening to revive the boring years of Hoke. At least Jim Harbaugh has effectively restored expectations that can’t be met, while also renewing the dual traditions of blowing bowl games and charitably lifting the Buckeyes’ low self-esteem.
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• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Sign up for our daily newsletter and breaking news alerts
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @Balas_Wolverine, @EJHolland_TW, @AustinFox42, @JB_ Wolverine, Clayton Sayfie and @DrewCHallett
• Like us on Facebook
