'No need to hate': Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh approaches Ohio State game 'grateful'
Heading into Ohio State week, Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh knows what is coming Saturday. And it's something his appreciative of.
"There's no need to hate or anxiety or anger, anything. It's about being grateful," Harbaugh said in his press conference Monday. "It is Thanksgiving week: grateful for this opportunity, these circumstances, grateful to be tested against this opponent at this time."
The Wolverines have everything on the line against the Buckeyes: a meeting of the top two teams in the Big Ten East, both of which are undefeated for the first time since 2006.
For Harbaugh, Michigan's meeting with Ohio State is the toughest opponent the Wolverines have seen this year and a chance to test the team physically, mentally and emotionally.
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To him, this challenge is an honor.
"There's no need to hate," Harbaugh said. "Be grateful for the opponent. It's like superheroes. It's through a strong opponent that you get to find out who you are."
Jim Harbaugh dismisses "good-hearted rivalry talk"
After Michigan's win against Ohio State in Ann Arbor in 2021, Harbaugh called for his team to "move on with humble hearts," but admitted that there were things people said that "spurred us on even more," before saying a comment that has spurred Ohio State on for the past year.
"Sometimes people are standing on third base, think they hit a triple, but they didn't," Harbaugh said, a comment that seemed to target Ohio State coach Ryan Day about taking over the program from Urban Meyer.
In August 2020, it was reported that Day told his team he wanted to "hang 100" on Michigan after getting into a disagreement with Harbaugh on a teleconference with other Big Ten coaches, something Day declined to comment on when asked about it later.
When Harbaugh was asked to elaborate on that postgame quote at Big Ten media days, the Michigan coach would not.
"I have no comment about that at this time," Harbaugh said.
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When asked about it again prior to Ohio State vs. Michigan Monday, Harbaugh was asked about if those comments were all "good-hearted rivalry talk."
"I guess," Harbaugh said. "Kind of irrelevant is what I think. I think that's irrelevant."
On the "Stoney and Jansen" radio show on Detroit radio station WXYT-FM 97.1 The Ticket Tuesday morning, Harbaugh called it a "counter punch" to Day's comments on wanting to "hang 100" against the Wolverines.
"It was definitely a counter punch by me to the comment of 'They're going to hang 100 on us,' et cetera," Harbaugh said. "Kind of like a Sugar Ray Robinson.
"The fact is, I think Ryan Day is a great coach," Harbaugh continues. "I think he is a tremendous football coach. Truth be known, that's how I feel. You can see it week after week with his team. He's as good a coach as there is in football."
Ohio State vs. Michigan: 'two superheroes going at each other'
Harbaugh said he sees an Ohio State team that is much improved after losing to Michigan a season ago.
"I think they are a really good team, improved team," Harbaugh said. "It's a tremendous team. We're very grateful to be in this position, to be playing in this game. Winner takes the East. Winner takes all. Strong opponent. It's the kind of situation that gives you the opportunity to display how strong our team is."
Harbaugh then said both Ohio State and Michigan have "great players," "great coaches," "players with Heisman habits in running back Blake Corum and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr."
"I think you got two teams that are like two superheroes going at each other," Harbaugh said. "And that's why we're so excited about being tested Find out about what we're made of."
Ohio State football's 2022 schedule
Sept. 3: Ohio State 21, Notre Dame 10
Sept. 10: Ohio State 45, Arkansas State 12
Sept. 17: Ohio State 77, Toledo 21
Sept. 24: Ohio State 52, Wisconsin 21
Oct. 1: Ohio State 49, Rutgers 10
Oct. 8: Ohio State 49, Michigan State 20
Oct. 22: Ohio State 54, Iowa 10
Oct. 29: Ohio State 44, Penn State 31
Nov. 5: Ohio State 21, Northwestern 7
Nov. 12: Ohio State 56, Indiana 14
Nov. 19: Ohio State 43, Maryland 30
Michigan football's 2022 schedule
Sept. 3: Michigan 51, Colorado State 7
Sept. 10: Michigan 56, Hawaii 10
Sept. 17: Michigan 59, UConn 0
Sept. 24: Michigan 34, Maryland 27
Oct. 1: Michigan 27, Iowa 14
Oct. 8: Michigan 31, Indiana 10
Oct. 15: Michigan 41, Penn State 17
Oct. 29: Michigan 29, Michigan State 7
Nov. 5: Michigan 52, Rutgers 17
Nov. 12: Michigan 34, Nebraska 3
Nov. 19: Michigan 19, Illinois 17
Nov. 26: Michigan vs. Ohio State, Columbus, Ohio, noon
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jim Harbaugh approaches Michigan vs. Ohio State game 'grateful'
