It’s no secret that Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh values his family.
Therefore, it shouldn’t have surprised anyone when his parents joined the Michigan football team on stage to celebrate when Harbaugh and the Wolverines accepted the national championship trophy.
Following some questions from ESPN’s Rece Davis, Jim Harbaugh handed the mic to his father, Jack, who led the Michigan supporters in an incredible cheer that has evolved from a small family tradition to the program’s signature move.
“If I may ask you a question, I have one!” Harbaugh, who is 84 years old, screamed into the microphone. “Who is enjoying it more than us?”
“Nobody!” exclaimed the Michigan fans crammed into the stadium.
The applause was audible outside of Houston’s NRG Stadium as well. Michigan supporters’ response to Harbaugh’s query sent shockwaves across the nation.
Naturally, Jack Harbaugh has a lengthy history coaching football, having served as Michigan’s defensive backs coach from 1973 to 1979.
We’ve heard about Jack Harbaugh’s celebrations with the Wolverines before, and given his son’s prospects at Michigan, this might not be the last time.
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Michigan Wolverines Top Washington Huskies to Capture National Championship
The Wolverines defeated the Huskies 34–13 to win their first national championship since the playoff era.
The University of Michigan Wolverines won their first national championship in the College Football Playoff era, defeating the Washington Huskies 34 to 13.
It’s not only Michigan’s first national championship since 1997, but also their first in the CFP era. Over the past few seasons, the legendary program has experienced consistent success in the Big 10, winning three conference titles to secure a berth in the CFP semifinals.
However, the Wolverines were defeated by the University of Georgia Bulldogs in 2021, and they were also defeated by the TCU Horned Frogs in 2022, which was one of the biggest upsets in college football history. The Wolverines, who are ranked #1 in the nation, advanced to the finals this year after narrowly defeating the University of Alabama, which is ranked #4, in overtime.
The title was a huge accomplishment for Michigan in and of itself, but it also served as the cherry on top of a scandal-plagued season. Jim Harbaugh, the head coach, was suspended twice during the season: once for recruiting violations and again for a sign-stealing scheme involving a former staff member. He missed the first three games of the season due to his suspension. Michigan had an incredible season, going undefeated, and winning the championship in spite of the mayhem.
With their victory, Michigan also represents a unique geographic shift in college football dominance. All of the winners since the CFP’s inception in 2014 have been from southern or mid-Atlantic universities. The matchup also highlighted some of the peculiar realignments of conferences that college football has experienced recently. When the 2024 season begins later this year, the Big 10 will have 18 teams. Back in August, Washington and the University of Oregon announced that they would be leaving the Pac-12 to join Michigan and many other well-known college football programs.
The four-team CFP structure came to an end with the Washington-Michigan championship game. Next season, there will be twelve teams in the CFP. After the chaos that erupted in the selection committee at the end of the previous season, which resulted in two one-losing teams (Texas, which won the Big 12 and Alabama, which won the SEC title) making the cut and undefeated ACC champions Florida State University missing out, this change will be greatly appreciated.
