The OFFICIAL MICHIGAN TEAM 136 THREAD: THE CONQUERING HEROES
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HNIC973
R.I.P Bandana P
These stupid MSU alum fans on my facebook. "Oh you didn't go to michigan so it's not the same. You shouldn't root for them" tht should tell you tht your team sucks. cause michigan has alumni AND die hard fans. These Muh fukkers need to get out back in place Saturday. They getting to bold.
HNIC973
R.I.P Bandana P
Michigan's Strong Push to Building New Jersey Recruiting Pipeline
By Tyler Donohue , National Recruiting Analyst Oct 15, 2015
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Credit: 247Sports
New Jersey natives Ron Johnson (far left), Kareem Walker (second from left) and Brad Hawkins (far right) watched Michigan win its fifth straight game.
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Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh gained significant momentum on the recruiting trail well before his first victory in Ann Arbor.
Strides were made months ago with prospects across the country, and several this staff's most meaningful endeavors can be tracked to New Jersey. The Garden State, home to the nation's No. 1 overall player, top-ranked running back and eight total athletes who warrant 4-star rating or better in composite rankings, has been fertile territory for Michigan.
The Wolverines carried a trio of 4-star prospects from New Jersey into the season, claiming commitments from Camden High School teammates Ron Johnson and Brad Hawkins and Cedar Creek High School standout Ahmir Mitchell.
"They call us the Jersey Boys," Johnson told Bleacher Report.
The dominant defensive end believes this group is destined to be more than a trio.
"We're trying to make a few more guys a part of it. One person is not going to win a championship, so I want as many dogs on our side as we can get," he said.
A pair of possible additions joined Johnson, Hawkins and Mitchell on campus last weekend, watching Michigan claim a fifth win and third straight shutout. Kareem Walker, who sits atop 2016 running back rankings, and DePaul Catholic High School teammate Quayshon Alexander also attended.
Alexander, a Nebraska pledge who could play linebacker or defensive end in college, received an offer from the Wolverines in late January. His presence was noted, but it was Walker who stole the spotlight.
"I think Kareem really liked the entire day," Johnson said. "The fans knew who he was. The players knew who he was. Everyone was showing him love. I've been hearing things about him since sophomore year. He's a rare player. I need him with us at Michigan."
The 6'1", 210-pound rusher created quite a stir with his trip to Ann Arbor. He committed to Ohio State last winter, but the Buckeyes now appear to have company in this recruitment less than four months shy of national signing day.
"I had a good trip to Michigan. It's the second time I've been there but the first time with this staff," Walker said in a statement, via Tom VanHaaren of ESPN.com. "The game atmosphere was tremendous, fans really love the team. I enjoyed speaking with the coaches and meeting everyone."
While the Wolverines are gaining ground with Walker, Michigan is already in a position of strength with superstar defensive tackle Rashan Gary. America's top-ranked recruit already took an official visit in September, the latest in a series of trips to campus.
It was his first time in Ann Arbor since June, when he was hosted by Michigan recruiting coordinator Chris Partridge, who previously coached Gary at Paramus Catholic High School.
“They treat us like family. Coach Partridge knows how my mom is and knows how I am, so our visit was smooth," Gary said afterward. "He showed us everything we needed to see.”
He and his mother, Jennifer Coney, affirmed things further last month during the official visit.
"Because we're close with Coach Partridge...I just think he presented what was available: the positive things that Michigan could offer," Coney told Tim Sullivan of The Detroit Free Press. "I think that it did help us feel more comfortable with Michigan."
Credit: 247Sports
Michigan may be the team to beat for top-ranked 2016 recruit Rashan Gary.
Partridge also coached Wolverines redshirt freshmen Jabrill Peppers and Juwann Bushell-Beatty at Paramus Catholic. His status as a New Jersey insider has undoubtedly helped Michigan pluck premier talent from the state this cycle.
"It's really big to have Coach Partridge showing Jersey love," Johnson said. "It's nice to know we won't be uncomfortable away from home because there are other guys from the same environment who understand you."
Of course, plenty of credit goes to the head coach himself.
Harbaugh hosted Mitchell, Gary, Hawkins, Johnson and 2017 Paramus Catholic defensive tackle Corey Bolds this spring, laying the foundation for eventual commitments.
Immediately after spending time at Ohio State, the group of Garden State stars traveled to Ann Arbor. They enjoyed an evening of March Madness basketball action while dining in Harbaugh's office.
“He’s a great recruiter," Mitchell told Bleacher Report afterward. "He’s very hands-on and doesn’t like other people doing things for him. He was with us the entire visit. It was a lot of fun checking out campus, talking and spending so much time with a coach who has such a high reputation.”
Harbaugh has assembled a 2016 class that currently rates eighth nationally in composite rankings. If Michigan accomplishes its goals on the recruiting trail, it's a group that could include a sizable percentage of New Jersey products.
For Walker and Gary, the full-court press is being applied by peers:
In the tweet, Mitchell also references Jordan Fuller. The Army All-American defensive back and wide receiver attends Old Tappan High School in New Jersey and has Michigan in the mix, adding to a list of possibilities from a state that's home to new Big Ten Conference rival Rutgers.
Johnson is confident the current Michigan commits can help convince others to jump on an increasingly crowded Wolverines bandwagon.
"Whenever we all took visits to any school, it's something we would talk about. We wondered if there would be a right school for all of us, and we found the perfect one with Michigan. That's what I'm telling these guys now" he said.
After attending their first Michigan game together, the three New Jersey pledges certainly felt appreciated.
"A lot of fans were calling us out, which was really surprising to see they know who we are," Johnson said. "They were yelling my name, and some were like, 'Hey, it's the Jersey Boys.' It was really exciting."
The Jersey Boys continue to command attention nearly 1,000 miles away from Ann Arbor. When signing day arrives, expect them to claim a spot front and center in Harbaugh's first full-cycle haul at Michigan.
bring home to AA
By Tyler Donohue , National Recruiting Analyst Oct 15, 2015
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Credit: 247Sports
New Jersey natives Ron Johnson (far left), Kareem Walker (second from left) and Brad Hawkins (far right) watched Michigan win its fifth straight game.
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Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh gained significant momentum on the recruiting trail well before his first victory in Ann Arbor.
Strides were made months ago with prospects across the country, and several this staff's most meaningful endeavors can be tracked to New Jersey. The Garden State, home to the nation's No. 1 overall player, top-ranked running back and eight total athletes who warrant 4-star rating or better in composite rankings, has been fertile territory for Michigan.
The Wolverines carried a trio of 4-star prospects from New Jersey into the season, claiming commitments from Camden High School teammates Ron Johnson and Brad Hawkins and Cedar Creek High School standout Ahmir Mitchell.
"They call us the Jersey Boys," Johnson told Bleacher Report.
The dominant defensive end believes this group is destined to be more than a trio.
"We're trying to make a few more guys a part of it. One person is not going to win a championship, so I want as many dogs on our side as we can get," he said.
A pair of possible additions joined Johnson, Hawkins and Mitchell on campus last weekend, watching Michigan claim a fifth win and third straight shutout. Kareem Walker, who sits atop 2016 running back rankings, and DePaul Catholic High School teammate Quayshon Alexander also attended.
Alexander, a Nebraska pledge who could play linebacker or defensive end in college, received an offer from the Wolverines in late January. His presence was noted, but it was Walker who stole the spotlight.
"I think Kareem really liked the entire day," Johnson said. "The fans knew who he was. The players knew who he was. Everyone was showing him love. I've been hearing things about him since sophomore year. He's a rare player. I need him with us at Michigan."
The 6'1", 210-pound rusher created quite a stir with his trip to Ann Arbor. He committed to Ohio State last winter, but the Buckeyes now appear to have company in this recruitment less than four months shy of national signing day.
"I had a good trip to Michigan. It's the second time I've been there but the first time with this staff," Walker said in a statement, via Tom VanHaaren of ESPN.com. "The game atmosphere was tremendous, fans really love the team. I enjoyed speaking with the coaches and meeting everyone."
While the Wolverines are gaining ground with Walker, Michigan is already in a position of strength with superstar defensive tackle Rashan Gary. America's top-ranked recruit already took an official visit in September, the latest in a series of trips to campus.
It was his first time in Ann Arbor since June, when he was hosted by Michigan recruiting coordinator Chris Partridge, who previously coached Gary at Paramus Catholic High School.
“They treat us like family. Coach Partridge knows how my mom is and knows how I am, so our visit was smooth," Gary said afterward. "He showed us everything we needed to see.”
He and his mother, Jennifer Coney, affirmed things further last month during the official visit.
"Because we're close with Coach Partridge...I just think he presented what was available: the positive things that Michigan could offer," Coney told Tim Sullivan of The Detroit Free Press. "I think that it did help us feel more comfortable with Michigan."
Michigan may be the team to beat for top-ranked 2016 recruit Rashan Gary.
Partridge also coached Wolverines redshirt freshmen Jabrill Peppers and Juwann Bushell-Beatty at Paramus Catholic. His status as a New Jersey insider has undoubtedly helped Michigan pluck premier talent from the state this cycle.
"It's really big to have Coach Partridge showing Jersey love," Johnson said. "It's nice to know we won't be uncomfortable away from home because there are other guys from the same environment who understand you."
Of course, plenty of credit goes to the head coach himself.
Harbaugh hosted Mitchell, Gary, Hawkins, Johnson and 2017 Paramus Catholic defensive tackle Corey Bolds this spring, laying the foundation for eventual commitments.
Immediately after spending time at Ohio State, the group of Garden State stars traveled to Ann Arbor. They enjoyed an evening of March Madness basketball action while dining in Harbaugh's office.
“He’s a great recruiter," Mitchell told Bleacher Report afterward. "He’s very hands-on and doesn’t like other people doing things for him. He was with us the entire visit. It was a lot of fun checking out campus, talking and spending so much time with a coach who has such a high reputation.”
Harbaugh has assembled a 2016 class that currently rates eighth nationally in composite rankings. If Michigan accomplishes its goals on the recruiting trail, it's a group that could include a sizable percentage of New Jersey products.
For Walker and Gary, the full-court press is being applied by peers:
In the tweet, Mitchell also references Jordan Fuller. The Army All-American defensive back and wide receiver attends Old Tappan High School in New Jersey and has Michigan in the mix, adding to a list of possibilities from a state that's home to new Big Ten Conference rival Rutgers.
Johnson is confident the current Michigan commits can help convince others to jump on an increasingly crowded Wolverines bandwagon.
"Whenever we all took visits to any school, it's something we would talk about. We wondered if there would be a right school for all of us, and we found the perfect one with Michigan. That's what I'm telling these guys now" he said.
After attending their first Michigan game together, the three New Jersey pledges certainly felt appreciated.
"A lot of fans were calling us out, which was really surprising to see they know who we are," Johnson said. "They were yelling my name, and some were like, 'Hey, it's the Jersey Boys.' It was really exciting."
The Jersey Boys continue to command attention nearly 1,000 miles away from Ann Arbor. When signing day arrives, expect them to claim a spot front and center in Harbaugh's first full-cycle haul at Michigan.
bring home to AA
Last edited:
HNIC973
R.I.P Bandana P
here's what those clowns don't understand when your a national brand that extends past 100 miles of a campus.MSU is a regional school similar to Purdue ect...nobody outside of EL gives a fukk about them
.It's a reason why people from outside Big ten country think of the conference as OSU and Michigan always has been always will be.OSU and Michigan are national brands is why their fanbases are all over the country MSU not so much
HNIC973
R.I.P Bandana P
Might be the dumbest shyt a I've ever read a unnamed coach had this to say about our start
As rousing and surprising as the starts have been for Florida and Michigan, rejuvenating suffering fan bases in the process, at least one Power 5 coach told me it’s not always the best thing to set the bar this high this early.
“Look what happened to Brady [Hoke at Michigan],” the coach said, referring to Hoke taking the Wolverines to a Sugar Bowl win in his first season in 2011. “He was great right away, and then you saw what it turned into. It can make it tough to keep expectation in check. A slow build is the way to go, in my mind anyway.”
That's great if your a program like Iowa not Michigan
As rousing and surprising as the starts have been for Florida and Michigan, rejuvenating suffering fan bases in the process, at least one Power 5 coach told me it’s not always the best thing to set the bar this high this early.
“Look what happened to Brady [Hoke at Michigan],” the coach said, referring to Hoke taking the Wolverines to a Sugar Bowl win in his first season in 2011. “He was great right away, and then you saw what it turned into. It can make it tough to keep expectation in check. A slow build is the way to go, in my mind anyway.”
That's great if your a program like Iowa not Michigan
HNIC973
R.I.P Bandana P
I knew it wasnt gonna take Harbaugh long to change the culture in AA.
That defense
That defense
FappleMeOff
All Star
Michigan's Strong Push to Building New Jersey Recruiting Pipeline
By Tyler Donohue , National Recruiting Analyst Oct 15, 2015
Next ARTICLE »
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Credit: 247Sports
New Jersey natives Ron Johnson (far left), Kareem Walker (second from left) and Brad Hawkins (far right) watched Michigan win its fifth straight game.
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Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh gained significant momentum on the recruiting trail well before his first victory in Ann Arbor.
Strides were made months ago with prospects across the country, and several this staff's most meaningful endeavors can be tracked to New Jersey. The Garden State, home to the nation's No. 1 overall player, top-ranked running back and eight total athletes who warrant 4-star rating or better in composite rankings, has been fertile territory for Michigan.
The Wolverines carried a trio of 4-star prospects from New Jersey into the season, claiming commitments from Camden High School teammates Ron Johnson and Brad Hawkins and Cedar Creek High School standout Ahmir Mitchell.
"They call us the Jersey Boys," Johnson told Bleacher Report.
The dominant defensive end believes this group is destined to be more than a trio.
"We're trying to make a few more guys a part of it. One person is not going to win a championship, so I want as many dogs on our side as we can get," he said.
A pair of possible additions joined Johnson, Hawkins and Mitchell on campus last weekend, watching Michigan claim a fifth win and third straight shutout. Kareem Walker, who sits atop 2016 running back rankings, and DePaul Catholic High School teammate Quayshon Alexander also attended.
Alexander, a Nebraska pledge who could play linebacker or defensive end in college, received an offer from the Wolverines in late January. His presence was noted, but it was Walker who stole the spotlight.
"I think Kareem really liked the entire day," Johnson said. "The fans knew who he was. The players knew who he was. Everyone was showing him love. I've been hearing things about him since sophomore year. He's a rare player. I need him with us at Michigan."
The 6'1", 210-pound rusher created quite a stir with his trip to Ann Arbor. He committed to Ohio State last winter, but the Buckeyes now appear to have company in this recruitment less than four months shy of national signing day.
"I had a good trip to Michigan. It's the second time I've been there but the first time with this staff," Walker said in a statement, via Tom VanHaaren of ESPN.com. "The game atmosphere was tremendous, fans really love the team. I enjoyed speaking with the coaches and meeting everyone."
While the Wolverines are gaining ground with Walker, Michigan is already in a position of strength with superstar defensive tackle Rashan Gary. America's top-ranked recruit already took an official visit in September, the latest in a series of trips to campus.
It was his first time in Ann Arbor since June, when he was hosted by Michigan recruiting coordinator Chris Partridge, who previously coached Gary at Paramus Catholic High School.
“They treat us like family. Coach Partridge knows how my mom is and knows how I am, so our visit was smooth," Gary said afterward. "He showed us everything we needed to see.”
He and his mother, Jennifer Coney, affirmed things further last month during the official visit.
"Because we're close with Coach Partridge...I just think he presented what was available: the positive things that Michigan could offer," Coney told Tim Sullivan of The Detroit Free Press. "I think that it did help us feel more comfortable with Michigan."
Credit: 247Sports
Michigan may be the team to beat for top-ranked 2016 recruit Rashan Gary.
Partridge also coached Wolverines redshirt freshmen Jabrill Peppers and Juwann Bushell-Beatty at Paramus Catholic. His status as a New Jersey insider has undoubtedly helped Michigan pluck premier talent from the state this cycle.
"It's really big to have Coach Partridge showing Jersey love," Johnson said. "It's nice to know we won't be uncomfortable away from home because there are other guys from the same environment who understand you."
Of course, plenty of credit goes to the head coach himself.
Harbaugh hosted Mitchell, Gary, Hawkins, Johnson and 2017 Paramus Catholic defensive tackle Corey Bolds this spring, laying the foundation for eventual commitments.
Immediately after spending time at Ohio State, the group of Garden State stars traveled to Ann Arbor. They enjoyed an evening of March Madness basketball action while dining in Harbaugh's office.
“He’s a great recruiter," Mitchell told Bleacher Report afterward. "He’s very hands-on and doesn’t like other people doing things for him. He was with us the entire visit. It was a lot of fun checking out campus, talking and spending so much time with a coach who has such a high reputation.”
Harbaugh has assembled a 2016 class that currently rates eighth nationally in composite rankings. If Michigan accomplishes its goals on the recruiting trail, it's a group that could include a sizable percentage of New Jersey products.
For Walker and Gary, the full-court press is being applied by peers:
In the tweet, Mitchell also references Jordan Fuller. The Army All-American defensive back and wide receiver attends Old Tappan High School in New Jersey and has Michigan in the mix, adding to a list of possibilities from a state that's home to new Big Ten Conference rival Rutgers.
Johnson is confident the current Michigan commits can help convince others to jump on an increasingly crowded Wolverines bandwagon.
"Whenever we all took visits to any school, it's something we would talk about. We wondered if there would be a right school for all of us, and we found the perfect one with Michigan. That's what I'm telling these guys now" he said.
After attending their first Michigan game together, the three New Jersey pledges certainly felt appreciated.
"A lot of fans were calling us out, which was really surprising to see they know who we are," Johnson said. "They were yelling my name, and some were like, 'Hey, it's the Jersey Boys.' It was really exciting."
The Jersey Boys continue to command attention nearly 1,000 miles away from Ann Arbor. When signing day arrives, expect them to claim a spot front and center in Harbaugh's first full-cycle haul at Michigan.
If we win out does that mean playoff status? I'm trying to the ink who would be the top 4 and we could definitely be there. Maybe I just need to wait till after this game by I'm to pumped. I want it all!
As an Ann Arbor Townie they can kiss MY ass. I will say though. If you hadn't noticed I never call Michigan "we" or "us", since I am not alumni...I say "Michigan."
those pronouns are reserved for my EMU Eagles 
HNIC973
R.I.P Bandana P
ANN ARBOR, Michigan -- We know that Jim Harbaugh can breathe life into the dead. He took over a Stanford program that had one foot in the FCS and laid the foundation for consecutive Pac-12 championships. And the Michigan program, as exasperating as it had become for Wolverine fans who believe the Rose Bowl is their birthright, was not dead when Harbaugh returned to his alma mater in January.
But still. Anyone outside of Schembechler Hall who tells you they saw this coming is telling you a story. As Michigan prepares to host unbeaten and No. 7 Michigan State on Saturday (ESPN, 3:30 p.m. ET), the Wolverines are No. 12. They are 5-1. And they are halfway down the road to a historic season.
Turnarounds hold a special place in a Michigander's bosom. The auto industry that fell over a cliff during the Great Recession has climbed back. The Tigers lost 119 games in 2003 and went to the World Series three years later. Latch a Shinola watch around your wrist and tell me the city of Detroit isn't turning around.
Michigan football isn't supposed to turn around. When you live in the penthouse and you turn around, you're going in the wrong direction. Michigan football hasn't won the Big Ten in 11 seasons. In the seven seasons after Lloyd Carr retired in 2007, the Wolverines went 46-42. The university brought back Harbaugh, the first alum to coach the team since Bump Elliott (1959-68), to return the team to prominence.
But this fast? Who turns a program around in one season?
"I don't think about it," Harbaugh said at his press conference Monday. "See if we can't be better today than we were yesterday. See if we can't be better tomorrow than we were today."
The great coaches who took over mediocre programs typically needed longer. Bear Bryant went 5-4-1 in 1958, his first season back at his alma mater, Alabama. Woody Hayes went 4-3-2 in 1951, his first year at Ohio State. Bob Stoops went 7-5 in 1999 at Oklahoma and Jim Tressel did the same two years later at Ohio State. Each won the BCS title in his second season.
Few coaches have taken over a traditional winner that had lost its way and then turned it around immediately: Gus Malzahn at Auburn, going from 3-9 in 2012 to the BCS National Championship in 2013. Brady Hoke, Harbaugh's predecessor, went 11-2 in 2011. His success had no staying power, and Malzahn's Tigers lost a string of five straight SEC games before Thursday night's win over Kentucky.
Yet Michigan feels different, permanent, an adjective that hasn't been applied to Harbaugh as he has jumped from the University of San Diego to Stanford to the San Francisco 49ers. But then Harbaugh had never returned home. He had never returned to a program where he didn't have to take the existing structure down to its foundation. The structure has been here since Schembechler built it in that feverish year of 1969. Ohio State was the defending national champion that year, too, with a team that featured so many returning starters that the Buckeyes were considered shoo-ins to win again.
That Michigan team snuck up on Ohio State and won 24-12. This Michigan team isn't sneaking up on anyone, not in this day and age, not with this coach, and not with that defense. The Wolverines have shut out three consecutive opponents for the first time in 35 years. (Before you ask, the Wolverines last shut out four straight in 1931, when they blanked their last six opponents and then posted a shutout in their opener in '32.)
"A lot of people are trying to explain," linebacker Joe Bolden said. "I would say finishing. Just being able to finish football games."
Or even halves. Last season, seven Michigan opponents scored in the last two minutes of the first half. Four scored in the last four minutes of the second half. Bolden believes this year's team began to learn to finish in the spring, when Harbaugh held four-hour practices.
A quarter-century ago, the NCAA instituted the four-hour rule: no football-related activity could last longer than four hours a day. That includes meetings, conditioning, practicing, you name it.
Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, left, says of Jim Harbaugh: "About everything we do is not the way it's done." AP Photo/Tony Ding
"His idea was, why spend any of that in the meeting room? We need to get better on the football field," defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin said.
Linebacker Desmond Morgan said he learned the first week that the key to surviving a four-hour practice is simple: Don't look at the clock. He and the rest of the Wolverines learned something else. If you can finish a four-hour practice, if you can maintain focus and be as mentally sharp at the end as at the beginning, then a three-hour game should be no problem. Not to mention a six-second play.
"Don't take your foot off people," defensive end Willie Henry said. "Finish to the whistle. Take that half-step farther to finish your opponent."
Durkin has been coaching for 15 years. His former bosses include Urban Meyer and Ty Willingham, Harbaugh (at Stanford) and Will Muschamp. Durkin had never coached a four-hour practice.
"About everything we do is not the way it's done," Durkin said, laughing. As he described the four-hour practice, he shone a light on the transformation of a team that went 5-7 last season into the team that is 5-1 today.
"Jim's strongest suit probably is his confidence and his vision," Durkin said. "He's not afraid to do things differently. He truly is going to do things the way he sees best. Everything is well-thought-out. There's a reason for why we do everything we do. And it's not ever, well, that's just the way it's done. In his mind, this is what we're trying to accomplish, I think this is the best way to get that done, and he has no fear of failure or anything else. He's going to will it to work."
Harbaugh's genius is his ability to instill his self-confidence in his players. As Northwestern secondary coach Jerry Brown said last week, before the Wildcats lost to the Wolverines 38-0, "Jim is doing what Jim does. He gets in his players' heads and makes them believe they're better than they are."
Quarterback Jake Rudock, a fifth-year transfer from Iowa, smiled as he described his 51-year-old head coach, cleats laced, running pass patterns to explain to his quarterbacks and receivers what he wants.
"I'm sure if he could start himself, he probably would," Rudock said. "I feel like he would go out there and play if he could. He still has all that confidence in the world that he's the best player on the field. I'm not going to argue with that."
Added corner Jourdan Lewis, "Coach brought that intensity about him. Every day is a new challenge. You have to conquer the day. You have to win. You have to win every minute, every play."
Everything is a competition. The Michigan Mile that the team runs every Monday is timed and the results are posted. The scout team scrimmages. Video captures every rep of every player, from Rudock to the skinniest walk-on. All of them are ranked every week, No. 1 to No. 105. The scout team players are competing for spots on the travel roster.
"If you're a guy that maybe thought, 'Hey, I'm just a scout team guy, no one is going to notice if I take a couple of reps off' -- there's no way to hide or slack off," Morgan said. "It will be exposed, that's for sure. ... It's not set in stone who is going on the trip every week. It's not just a guy that they expect to play next year. It's more like, who worked their butt off this week?"
Halfway through an already memorable season at the Big House, the answer seems to be everyone.
But still. Anyone outside of Schembechler Hall who tells you they saw this coming is telling you a story. As Michigan prepares to host unbeaten and No. 7 Michigan State on Saturday (ESPN, 3:30 p.m. ET), the Wolverines are No. 12. They are 5-1. And they are halfway down the road to a historic season.
Turnarounds hold a special place in a Michigander's bosom. The auto industry that fell over a cliff during the Great Recession has climbed back. The Tigers lost 119 games in 2003 and went to the World Series three years later. Latch a Shinola watch around your wrist and tell me the city of Detroit isn't turning around.
Michigan football isn't supposed to turn around. When you live in the penthouse and you turn around, you're going in the wrong direction. Michigan football hasn't won the Big Ten in 11 seasons. In the seven seasons after Lloyd Carr retired in 2007, the Wolverines went 46-42. The university brought back Harbaugh, the first alum to coach the team since Bump Elliott (1959-68), to return the team to prominence.
But this fast? Who turns a program around in one season?
"I don't think about it," Harbaugh said at his press conference Monday. "See if we can't be better today than we were yesterday. See if we can't be better tomorrow than we were today."
The great coaches who took over mediocre programs typically needed longer. Bear Bryant went 5-4-1 in 1958, his first season back at his alma mater, Alabama. Woody Hayes went 4-3-2 in 1951, his first year at Ohio State. Bob Stoops went 7-5 in 1999 at Oklahoma and Jim Tressel did the same two years later at Ohio State. Each won the BCS title in his second season.
Few coaches have taken over a traditional winner that had lost its way and then turned it around immediately: Gus Malzahn at Auburn, going from 3-9 in 2012 to the BCS National Championship in 2013. Brady Hoke, Harbaugh's predecessor, went 11-2 in 2011. His success had no staying power, and Malzahn's Tigers lost a string of five straight SEC games before Thursday night's win over Kentucky.
Yet Michigan feels different, permanent, an adjective that hasn't been applied to Harbaugh as he has jumped from the University of San Diego to Stanford to the San Francisco 49ers. But then Harbaugh had never returned home. He had never returned to a program where he didn't have to take the existing structure down to its foundation. The structure has been here since Schembechler built it in that feverish year of 1969. Ohio State was the defending national champion that year, too, with a team that featured so many returning starters that the Buckeyes were considered shoo-ins to win again.
That Michigan team snuck up on Ohio State and won 24-12. This Michigan team isn't sneaking up on anyone, not in this day and age, not with this coach, and not with that defense. The Wolverines have shut out three consecutive opponents for the first time in 35 years. (Before you ask, the Wolverines last shut out four straight in 1931, when they blanked their last six opponents and then posted a shutout in their opener in '32.)
"A lot of people are trying to explain," linebacker Joe Bolden said. "I would say finishing. Just being able to finish football games."
Or even halves. Last season, seven Michigan opponents scored in the last two minutes of the first half. Four scored in the last four minutes of the second half. Bolden believes this year's team began to learn to finish in the spring, when Harbaugh held four-hour practices.
A quarter-century ago, the NCAA instituted the four-hour rule: no football-related activity could last longer than four hours a day. That includes meetings, conditioning, practicing, you name it.
Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, left, says of Jim Harbaugh: "About everything we do is not the way it's done." AP Photo/Tony Ding
"His idea was, why spend any of that in the meeting room? We need to get better on the football field," defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin said.
Linebacker Desmond Morgan said he learned the first week that the key to surviving a four-hour practice is simple: Don't look at the clock. He and the rest of the Wolverines learned something else. If you can finish a four-hour practice, if you can maintain focus and be as mentally sharp at the end as at the beginning, then a three-hour game should be no problem. Not to mention a six-second play.
"Don't take your foot off people," defensive end Willie Henry said. "Finish to the whistle. Take that half-step farther to finish your opponent."
Durkin has been coaching for 15 years. His former bosses include Urban Meyer and Ty Willingham, Harbaugh (at Stanford) and Will Muschamp. Durkin had never coached a four-hour practice.
"About everything we do is not the way it's done," Durkin said, laughing. As he described the four-hour practice, he shone a light on the transformation of a team that went 5-7 last season into the team that is 5-1 today.
"Jim's strongest suit probably is his confidence and his vision," Durkin said. "He's not afraid to do things differently. He truly is going to do things the way he sees best. Everything is well-thought-out. There's a reason for why we do everything we do. And it's not ever, well, that's just the way it's done. In his mind, this is what we're trying to accomplish, I think this is the best way to get that done, and he has no fear of failure or anything else. He's going to will it to work."
Harbaugh's genius is his ability to instill his self-confidence in his players. As Northwestern secondary coach Jerry Brown said last week, before the Wildcats lost to the Wolverines 38-0, "Jim is doing what Jim does. He gets in his players' heads and makes them believe they're better than they are."
Quarterback Jake Rudock, a fifth-year transfer from Iowa, smiled as he described his 51-year-old head coach, cleats laced, running pass patterns to explain to his quarterbacks and receivers what he wants.
"I'm sure if he could start himself, he probably would," Rudock said. "I feel like he would go out there and play if he could. He still has all that confidence in the world that he's the best player on the field. I'm not going to argue with that."
Added corner Jourdan Lewis, "Coach brought that intensity about him. Every day is a new challenge. You have to conquer the day. You have to win. You have to win every minute, every play."
Everything is a competition. The Michigan Mile that the team runs every Monday is timed and the results are posted. The scout team scrimmages. Video captures every rep of every player, from Rudock to the skinniest walk-on. All of them are ranked every week, No. 1 to No. 105. The scout team players are competing for spots on the travel roster.
"If you're a guy that maybe thought, 'Hey, I'm just a scout team guy, no one is going to notice if I take a couple of reps off' -- there's no way to hide or slack off," Morgan said. "It will be exposed, that's for sure. ... It's not set in stone who is going on the trip every week. It's not just a guy that they expect to play next year. It's more like, who worked their butt off this week?"
Halfway through an already memorable season at the Big House, the answer seems to be everyone.
HNIC973
R.I.P Bandana P
Chris Clark transferred to Syracuse
left UCLA for the Orange
that kid really is a headcase
left UCLA for the Orangethat kid really is a headcaseright, I obviously grew up watching them with my dad. Michigan was tradition. I didn't even know we had "another"school in michigan for acouple more years.As an Ann Arbor Townie they can kiss MY ass. I will say though. If you hadn't noticed I never call Michigan "we" or "us", since I am not alumni...I say "Michigan."
And leforge rd for lyfe.
And just for you ed cause I'm sure you know that bridge right there on leforge and the paper mill spot. One of my best friends jumped off that bridge high on 3 hits of acid. Barely any water. Broke his back and ankle . Told his Ass to stick to weed 
right, I obviously grew up watching them with my dad. Michigan was tradition. I didn't even know we had "another"school in michigan for acouple more years.
And leforge rd for lyfe.
Shouts to north maple, south maple, stonybrook, arrowwood, braeburn...shouts to grimey ass apartments that just change their name yes I mean YOU INTERNATIONAL and GLENCOE HILLS... shouts to brothas from willow run fukkin up parties at Eastern