Jim Harbaugh and several Michigan football players spoke Monday ahead of the team’s rivalry game against Ohio State in Columbus.
No. 4 Michigan rides a 10-game winning streak into the Horseshoe. Ohio State is also 10-1 and figures to be in the top 10 of the College Football Playoff rankings as well when they come out Tuesday evening.
Here are the full comments from Harbaugh and his players.
Harbaugh began the press conference by addressing questions from the Indiana game, which Michigan came from behind to win 31-20.
He praised kicker Jake Moody, who filled in for a sick Quinn Nordin and scored 19 points, including a school record six field goals in six attempts.
He also said injured players Berkley Edwards and Chase Winovich got « the best possible outcome » of their initial evaluations. Edwards was knocked out while blocking for a kick return and Winovich was hurt on defense.
« Continuing to evaluate every day, » Harbaugh said.
When asked about the team’s defense, which is allowing the fewest yards per game in the country, Harbaugh said there’s a lot to like. He said the front, the linebackers and the secondary play really well together.
« They adjust well, » Harbaugh said. « They tackle really well. I could go on and on. »
Harbaugh also had praise for his starting quarterback.
« How Shea Patterson handles things is terrific, » Harbaugh said. « He does what’s needed, does what’s expected and if you need him to make a play, he makes it, whether it’s throwing or running or not turning a bad play into a worse play. He’s got a great feel, talent, energy for the game. I love his focus, love his intensity. »
Harbaugh even addressed the « Revenge Tour, » which was coined by Winovich as Michigan avenged losses from the 2017 season.
At the end, Harbaugh talked about the challenges presented by Ohio State and what the rivalry means to him.
Senior safety Tyree Kinnel, a team captain, talked about what the Ohio State game means for him as an Ohio native.
« Personally, it means a lot for me, » Kinnel said. « In the locker room, as well, trying to win the East and get to Indiana and the championship game, and beating Ohio State, it means even more. We’re going to be excited this week and hopefully come out with a win. »
Kinnel said he doesn’t see Ohio State as a vulnerable team, even though the Buckeyes came a two-point conversion away from losing to 5-6 Maryland and struggled against Nebraska earlier in the month.
« No, not one bit, » Kinnel said. « We’re going to get the best Ohio State team on Saturday. It happens every year. We’re going to bring our best. They’re going to have their best ready, and we’re going to see what happens Saturday. »
Junior offensive guard and team captain Ben Bredeson said the Michigan-Ohio State game is the most special rivalry in sports.
« It’s a game you look forward to all year, » Bredeson said. « Both teams have respect for each other, but there’s definitely no love lost. »
Bredeson, who went to high school in Wisconsin, said he knew how intense the rivalry would be during warmups in 2016 when Ohio State fans were booing him.
« I absolutely despise that school, so it’s going to be a good one going into Saturday, » Bredeson said.
He said the Ohio State defensive line is one of the fastest and best in the Big Ten and will present a challenge for him and the entire offensive line.
Bredeson said he learned a lot from Mason Cole last season about how to lead the offensive line.
Junior defensive lineman Carlo Kemp said it didn’t take him long to understand the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry after coming to Ann Arbor from Boulder, Colorado.
« This game, it’s history, » Kemp said. « It’s historic. This is the game everybody plays for and you want to go out there and win for your team and your brothers. »
Kemp said he loves the moments right before Michigan takes the field and defensive coordinator Don Brown fires them up for the game.
« This game decides a lot for us, » Kemp said. « It’s our whole season. It’s what we wanted, though, for it to be us versus Ohio State for the game to go to the Big Ten championship and to keep our playoff hopes alive. »
Kemp said it’s hard to describe how players feel about the rivalry.
« It’s just something that happens when you wear that ‘M,' » Kemp said. « You walk in, you take the ‘M’ on, you’ve got to despite Ohio State, and if you don’t, I don’t know why you’re at Michigan. You’ve got to despite Ohio State. This game’s got to be it all. This game’s an historic game. »
Kemp said OSU quarterback Dwayne Haskins is a great player and will be a challenge for the defensive line to contain.
He said Michigan players were focused on Indiana during the end of the Ohio State-Maryland game, but that it’s better to have both teams at 10-1 and playing for a spot in the conference title game.
Kemp said the season will be defined Saturday because everybody remembers what happens against Ohio State.
« It will be a statement as a defense, as a team and as a Michigan community of what we mean this year, » Kemp said.
Junior linebacker and team captain Devin Bush was wearing a « Revenge Tour » hat at the podium.
« This is one of those games that you’ve just got to win no matter what your record is or what’s been going on this season, » Bush said. « This rivalry means everything to us and I’m pretty sure it means everything to them, and it’s going to be a great game come Saturday. »
Bush said he’s played in plenty of big games at Michigan, so he’s prepared for the biggest game of the season. He said the reason Michigan hasn’t knocked off Ohio State is because it has struggled to finish.
« You feel the hate, » Bush said. « You feel the rivalry. Once you’re in that stadium, you know why the game has that magnitude that it does. You can feel it from their fans, from their sideline. »
Bush said he likes that type of atmosphere and feeds off of it in his play.
Senior running back and team captain Karan Higdon and redshirt junior tight end Zach Gentry shared the podium due to time concerns.
Gentry said Ohio State has a « classic Big Ten defense » that’s big, physical and fast. He said growing up in New Mexico, Michigan-Ohio State was one of the big rivalries that he watched.
« It’s a must-win, » Higdon said. « We’ve got some lofty goals that we set for ourselves early on, and they’re a team that’s going to stand in our way to achieve them, so we’ve got to knock them down.
