Blake Corum: Jim Harbaugh suspension will make Michigan football 'want to win even more'

INDIANAPOLIS — Jim Harbaugh must have repeated himself at least a dozen times.

"I can't comment on anything that's related to that," he said Thursday on Day 2 of Big Ten media days at Lucas Oil Stadium. "I know you're gonna get tired of hearing this, but I can't comment on any aspect."

The Michigan football coach was referring to the negotiated resolution U-M has reportedly filed with the NCAA, which bring an end to an investigation on himself and his program over one Level I and a series of Level II violations.

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The program received a draft of a notice of allegations from the NCAA back in January, when it was alleged Wolverines analysts served in on-field capacities, coaches met with recruits during a Covid-19 dead period and oversaw workouts via zoom, all seen as middling offenses.

Harbaugh denies that he purposely misled investigators, the most serious of his reported crimes and the reported reason the situation escalated as far as it did.

“As you probably know I’m not allowed to talk about any aspect of that ongoing situation,” Harbaugh said. “I’m with you. I’d love to lay it all out there — nothing to be ashamed of — but now is not that time.”

While it won't become official until the NCAA rubber stamps it, the Free Press has been told Harbaugh will be out for the first four games of the season, while offensive line coach Sherrone Moore and tight end coach Grant Newsome are expected to be suspended in Week 1 for their reported roles in the violations as well.

Blake Corum, who joined Mike Sainristil and Kris Jenkins as U-M's three player representatives in Indianapolis said he doesn't know any specifics, but that the team is prepared to move on without Harbaugh for a few games if it must.

"Those four games, we can rally together," said Corum. "If anything, it's gonna light a fire under us and make us want to win even more. We love coach Harbaugh, we're all behind him. He's a great coach, a great human being, he's done so many great things for the community and for us.

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"So I don' t know what's going on, but if that is the case, we're going to keep playing ball and play for him."

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Sainristil, who was a captain a season ago, said there hasn't been any direct discussion around the event but added it's up to him and fellow leaders, to keep the train on the tracks.

"Honestly, it’s nothing we’ve brought up since the news came out," said defensive back Mike Sainristil. "We just focus on preparing in the weight room, getting ready for camp next week. We know Coach Harbaugh is going to be there at camp coaching. Whether he’s there those first four games or not, I know what he’d want us to do is go out there and play a great brand of football and lead on for the Block M and play Michigan football.

"Whether he’s with us the four games or not, we’re going to play as if he was right there coaching us."

Multiple battles expected to leak into season

Michigan didn't have a true starting quarterback headed into the 2022 season.

The incumbent, Cade McNamara, started game one while his challenger, J.J. McCarthy, was given the nod in game two. It was all part of Harbaugh's strategy to throw each into the fire and see who responded best to the situation.

Turns out, that might not be a one-time thing.

"It was just too close to call in the practice environment and there's no question practice predicts game performance, but nothing predicts game performance like game performance," Harbaugh said. "There's other positions where it may be very similar, having two starting players and watching it unfold.

"We're gonna play the best players. How do know who the best players are? They play the best."

Among those positions to watch, the second cornerback spot, center and both tackle positions.

In the defensive backfield, it's a three-way battle between Amorion Walker, UMass transfer Josh Wallace and Ja'Den McBurrows for who will start opposite projected pre-season All-American Will Johnson. Walker has the length while Wallace brings experience and savvy.

"Really good player," Harbaugh said of Wallace. "I predict that (he will be in the starting mix)."

On the other side, U-M is looking to replace Ryan Hayes at left tackle and has a number of options to do so.

The front-runner, Arizona State transfer Ladarius Henderson, though he didn't come in until this summer, so he is still getting up to speed. The same goes for Stanford transfer Myles Hinton. Karsen Barnhart (nine games) and Trente Jones (six games) both started more than half a dozen times last season, however the majority of their reps came on the right side.

"Barnhart, Trente, Myles Hinton, Ladarius...there's four starting tackless," Harbaugh said. "You know a starting tackle when you see one, but that's also going to have to play out."

Then, in the middle of the line, U-M has to replace reigning Outland and Rimington Award winner Olu Oluwatimi. Drake Nugent transferred from Stanford in hopes of taking over that spot, but he's being pushed by junior Greg Crippen.

"Both are, we think, starting caliber," Harbaugh said. "We think they're both All Big Ten caliber, possibly All-American caliber."

'To be the man you've got to beat the man'

Michigan went a decade without beating Ohio State. It's why in 2021, they re-branded their 9 on 7 drill as a "Beat Ohio State drill."

Now, the Wolverines have knocked off their chief rival in consecutive seasons and have added a new drill, called, 'Beat Georgia.'

"The emphasis is stopping the run and being able to run the ball when the other team knows you're going to run the ball," Harbaugh said. "That's what I really respect about that team, their ability to run the ball when the other team knows their running the ball and their ability to stop the run."

Corum wasn't around in the spring, so he didn't get to experience it first hand, but said it's one of the things he's looking forward to when camp starts next week. U-M will still do its 'beat OSU' period, the portion dedicated to Georgia is in addition.

But why add the period? Simple.

"Like our good friend Ric Flair (said)," Harbaugh began, "if you want to be the man you've got to beat the man."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why Jim Harbaugh suspension will push Michigan football even more