Blake Corum On Harbaugh's Return: 'Gets Me Ready To Run Through A Wall'
Meeting with the media during a virtual press conference on Monday, several Wolverines made it clear that they were excited to have their head coach back on the sideline this Saturday in Indianapolis.
Michigan, now No. 2 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, will face No. 16 Iowa on Saturday for the Big Ten Championship. Although the Wolverines have made it through the season with a perfect 12-0 record, they've had to achieve six of those wins without Jim Harbaugh coaching from the sidelines.
Harbaugh began the year serving a self-imposed three game suspension due to recruiting violations from the 2020 season, and he ended the 2023 regular season serving another three game suspension from the Big Ten Conference surrounding the infamous sign-stealing scandal.
With all of the suspensions for the 2023 season now in the rearview mirror, the Wolverines discussed just how much it means to them to have Jim Harbaugh return to the sideline on Saturday.
For Blake Corum, he's looking forward to Harbaugh's pregame speeches and his overall presence.
I'm super excited to have coach Harbaugh back. It's been a long three games, but its been a good three games as well. But I know just having his enthusiasm back, his pregame speeches, just having his presence back on the sideline will go a long way. Like I said, its been a tough three weeks, but we've still been winning, been able to take care of business. But having him back on the sideline for the Big Ten Championship game will mean a lot. So I'm super excited to have coach back. It's going to be great, its going to be like a reunion.
Something I look forward to is just hearing his pregame speech. It kind of gets the hairs sticking up on my arms, gets me ready to run through a wall. So I've definitely missed hearing that. But honestly just his presence, what he brings to the table, the way he operates.
Just him being back in general is a bonus for us. I know the players are fired up, I'm fired up, and I know he's super fired up. But definitely the pregame speech, I absolutely love it.
Photo: Christopher Breiler
For quarterback JJ McCarthy, having his head coach back means the return of his favorite pregame ritual.
"It's every game, and it's usually right before kickoff that he'll come and find me," McCarthy said. He's all about getting that first hit, and the butterflies just get disintegrated from your body. So he tries to do his best to kind of simulate that, and it's a nice little weekly tradition that I cant wait to get back.
Harbaugh and the No. 2 Wolverines will look to secure their third straight Big Ten Championship this weekend against No. 16 Iowa, along with a third straight trip to the College Football Playoff.
The game kicks off at 8:00 pm ET on FOX.
