As hyperbolic as it sounds, the blood coursing through Jim Harbaugh’s veins is maize and blue. Currently soaking up that southern Cali sun with the Chargers, Coach Harbaugh is a revered figure in Ann Arbor. Most know him for his head coaching escapades on the Michigan sidelines, but this reverence originates from the backfield. Harbaugh was a star quarterback for the Wolverines in the 80s. Stardom, which almost became transcendent in a particular episode from 1986, etched him into the annals of this blueblood forever.

The topical discourse around the annual USC-Notre Dame rendezvous being in jeopardy fans the flames of how crucial rivalry games are in college football. None more crucial than The Game. Naturally, Jim Harbaugh imbibes the essence of the hostility and animosity between Michigan and arch-nemesis Ohio State. So much so that when his team lost its 10-0 invincibility to Minnesota in ‘86, he pushed all his proverbial chips to the center and made a resounding guarantee when Michigan was due in Columbus to face the Buckeyes next. A Wolverines’ teammate of his, now assistant coach, has laid bare what the message in the locker room was after Harbaugh’s risky gamble,

“I think we’re smart enough to know that there’s too much at stake right now,” Jim Harbaugh said at the time. “We can still win the Big Ten championship, we can go to the Rose Bowl, and we will. I guarantee you we’ll beat Ohio State and be in Pasadena.” Harbaugh had the power to mobilize his contemporaries as well as fans, so this resonated with both factions and indeed pushed Michigan past the enemy on their own turf. This additional wrinkle on an already high-stakes affair makes the 26-24 win new assistant WR coach Eric “Soup” Campbell’s favorite ever memory from the OSU rivalry. A multi-year starter in the past, Campbell’s back on campus for his 4th stint as a coach. And the newly anointed assistant WR coach has just revealed how then-HC, the late great Bo Schembechler, responded to Harbaugh’s public pledge.

Guesting on the “In the Trenches” podcast, Eric Campbell said, “That Sunday morning, we knew [we’re] gonna get cussed out. Because Jimmy [Harbaugh] talked to the media. But [Bo Schembechler] didn’t do that. He told the team to back it up. Team went crazy, and we did so.” Talk about motivation.

Campbell also revealed what his thoughts were after Jim Harbaugh took a flyer. “I wasn’t afraid of The Game.” he resounded.  I mean, we know Ohio State-Michigan, and we expect to win anyway. But, you know, you don’t talk in the meeting like that. So we heard that [and went],’ Oh, crap. Here comes Sunday’s meeting. What’s he gonna say?’ [But] Bo reacted totally different. And I think that’s why the team won that game, because when he said, ‘Come on! Go back it up!’ All the boys went hunting.”

It’s apparent why Coach Schembechler was as successful as he was. This almost throwaway comment from Harbaugh transpired into a foundational theme for his coaching stint.

Jim Harbaugh really did flip the dynamic for Michigan in juxtaposition with OSU

Their recent losing streak in The Game is the money on their back Ohio State couldn’t even shake off with the Natty. Michigan has held both bragging rights and an underlying superiority over them, with 4 straight wins. Their recent history in the fixture is perhaps more beloved around Ann Arbor than that championship from 2023. For which the credit for getting the dice rolling goes to Jim Harbaugh.

When Harbaugh became coach of his alma mater, they were 1-15 in the last 16 iterations. A horrific reality that included a record 8 losses on the spin. But instead of adhering to this cyclic occurrence, Harbaugh forced a flip. In his 3 years as HC, he won every game against Ohio State. The gravitas of what Jim Harbaugh did for his program has reciprocated everything it did for him. He had the Midas touch, and even his loosely made promises were becoming fact. Eric Campbell, Harbaugh’s successor Sherrone Moore, and the rest of the Wolverines’ coaching staff will seek to continue reaping the rewards of the seeds he sowed.