Michigan's Jim Harbaugh on NCAA
sanctions: No time for 'Rumorville'
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[January 04, 2024]
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh maintains the looming
possibility of the NCAA vacating the No. 1-ranked Wolverines'
victories during the 2023 season is nowhere near the team's radar
before the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday
night in Houston.
"We're thinking about we've got one phase line to go here, that's
Monday night, it's Washington," Harbaugh said Wednesday as the
Wolverines make final preparations for the No. 2 Huskies before
traveling to Texas. "We're going to do anything and everything in
our power to get ready for that football game."
Michigan used a carousel of assistant coaches in Harbaugh's
head-coaching role this season. The Wolverines have a program-record
14 wins entering the national title game but Harbaugh was on the
sideline for only half of them. He was suspended twice -- four games
to begin the regular season and three games by the Big Ten following
an investigation into sign-stealing allegations.
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Harbaugh said his message this week will be two-fold: Washington is
a great team, and Michigan responds to pressure situations. He
pointed to instances of responding to adverse conditions or poor
decisions in the Rose Bowl, such as quarterback J.J. McCarthy
throwing an interception -- overturned by replay because the
defender was ruled out of bounds -- on the first offensive play from
scrimmage.
"J.J., the first play of the game, clearly throwing the ball away.
And I can tell you having made a bad play in a football game, it's
like a train going through your head of you just almost see red,"
Harbaugh said. .".. There are a lot of guys that will hang their
heads and go into the tank, or get that deer-in-the-headlights look.
But every guy that had that happen in the game came back and made a
phenomenal play."
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![](../images/010424PIX/sports32.jpg)
Jan 1, 2024; Pasadena, CA, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim
Harbaugh speaks in a press conference after defeating the Alabama
Crimson Tide in the 2024 Rose Bowl college football playoff
semifinal game at Rose Bowl./Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
![](../images/ads/current/graue_lda_4_2021.png)
Michigan last won the national championship in
1997, albeit a split title with Nebraska, capped by a win over
Washington State in the Rose Bowl. The Wolverines have never played
in the national championship in the BCS or CFP era.
Harbaugh didn't want to discuss sign-stealing or the possibility the
NCAA could punish Michigan with sanctions -- including erasing wins.
"Getting ready for this game. One-track mind. I guess you want to
live in the world of Rumorville or speculation, but we just don't
really have any room to be doing that at this point. Our time is
spent elsewhere," Harbaugh said.
Harbaugh is also not planning to discuss his future as speculation
around NFL interest continues to swirl.
"Just taking care of business today, very one-track mind, dominate
the day," Harbaugh said. "Wake up tomorrow and see if we can't
dominate that day."
--Field Level Media
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