Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, who suspended Harbaugh for three games last month amid Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal, is handing Michigan’s coach the conference crown. Harbaugh’s Wolverines, who were labeled as cheaters and mocked for rallying around their absent coach, are celebrating alongside him for the third straight season. And after a season defined by his controversies and suspensions, Harbaugh has somehow emerged from 2023 as the Big Ten’s biggest winner. Again.
Save your skepticism about the “adversity” UM overcame to clinch another College Football Playoff berth for . Because Saturday night, all that mattered is that Michigan overcame it. The Wolverines are 13-0 in spite of — if also because of — the allegations hanging over their football team. They finished 10-0 in Big Ten play, 6-0 without their coach on the sidelines and 2-0 against top-10 opponents (again, without Harbaugh). Any way you slice those numbers (or splice the accompanying footage), they are impressive. They counter our cynicism concerning Michigan’s recent rallying cries. And unfortunately for Harbaugh’s enemies, they are a credit to the head coach.
