Jim Harbaugh, fresh off a home win over Indiana in the snow for Michigan's 10th victory of the season, met with assembled media Monday for 16 minutes at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor to talk Wolverine football and preview the upcoming tilt in Columbus with Ohio State.
It will be Jim Harbaugh's first return to the Horseshoe since 1986, when, as Michigan's quarterback, he successfully predicted beating Ohio State.
No. 4 Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State kicks off at 12 p.m. Saturday on ABC.
Full presser bullets, in the meantime:
- When asked to describe himself to Ohioans, Harbaugh, like a crazy person, said he's not crazy.
- No health update on injured Michigan QB Wilton Speight. He's still day-to-day. Harbaugh later noted "he's no doctor," but to his eye Speight has "gotten better every day."
- Analysis of Ohio State: "Great football team, tremendous talent, great coaching."
- Ohio State is "full of playmakers" and Curtis Samuel has "been outstanding."
- Favorite part of the rivalry: The "fair and tough competition."
- On being born in Toledo: "I've always been proud of being born in Toledo, Ohio" and his time in Perrysburg, Etna, Bowling Green, among other stops. "I have commonality with people [born in Toledo]. ... We've got a lot of things about it." He and Urban Meyer have talked about being born in the same hospital. "Small world as they say." This was his longest answer of the day.
- Michigan's senior leadership took over the Indiana game. "We took over that fight in a football way."
- On J.T. Barrett: "Slippery, but tough runner like a running back. But he has the vision of a quarterback and can throw like a quarterback. ... All the heady plays he makes, all the athletic plays he makes, all the fine throwing plays he makes; he plays with a lot confidence and he's an outstanding player. It's a unique combination for a quarterback to have all those things."
- On comparison of current status to the 10-Year War: "Just really thinking about our preparation this week—thinking about the actual game. ... Writers may be thinking about something different, but asking me to comment on it? I'm thinking about the ball game. Thinking about today's practice."
- On his favorite memory in The Rivalry: He has a lot of memories, but can't name a favorite.
