“Our goals would be to beat Ohio State and Michigan State in the same year, win the Big Ten championship and win the national championship.”
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh arrived at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday with a new outlook, having led the Wolverines to the conference championship and first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Harbaugh spoke about several topics during his 15 minutes at the podium, including his goals for this season, the quarterback battle between Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy, changes on his coaching staff and much more.
A bullet-point recap can be found below:
- Harbaugh said the Wolverines had a “tremendous” offseason. “Our guys, from literally days after our final game last year, have been at work, attacking everything we do. There's been zero entitlement." Noted the team went back to work within days of the bowl game.
- Asked about quarterbacks Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy, Harbaugh said the best player will play this fall. “Cade McNamara issuing to be really tough to beat out for the starting quarterback job. J.J. McCarthy is going to be really tough to beat out for the starting quarterback job.”
- Harbaugh noted that more than 50 percent of drives ended in points when McNamara led the offense, while McCarthy wasn’t far behind. “Both had phenomenal seasons, both played outstanding. Winning football every time we went out there.”
- Asked about continuing the success from last season, Harbaugh said Michigan will “continue to attack. That’s what I really love about this team. They continue to attack whatever is put in front of them.”
- Harbaugh said new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter came highly recommended by his brother John Harbaugh. Minter spent four season under the elder Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens before becoming Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator in 2021.
- “I feel great about the offensive staff. I feel great about the defensive staff” despite losing former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to the Ravens this offseason.
- Harbaugh said his goal for this season is to beat Ohio State and Michigan State in the same year, reach the playoff and win the national championship. They beat the Buckeyes last season but lost to the Spartans.
- Asked if the Wolverines are planning to schedule more Power Five teams, as this year’s schedule features Colorado State (Mountain West), Hawai’i (Mountain West) and UConn (American), Harbaugh said, “I don’t know.” Michigan does have home-and-home series scheduled with Texas and Oklahoma beginning in 2024.
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