00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 A coach that might not be set for the regular season
00:08 for at least the first three games.
00:10 Let's coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines.
00:14 And it looks like he'd have a self-imposed,
00:16 not an NCAA imposed, a self-imposed suspension
00:19 for Harbaugh that will last three games in 2023.
00:23 And if there's any backdrop to this,
00:25 it came from the COVID era, illegal practices here,
00:27 illegal recruiting here, guys on campus that shouldn't be.
00:30 It turns out that they tried to make a deal with the NCAA,
00:33 which would have been four games,
00:34 but the NCAA rejected that four games.
00:37 So then Michigan comes back, goes,
00:38 "Okay, you didn't want the four games.
00:40 Instead of us making it five or six,
00:42 we'll make it three here."
00:43 So a little game of cat and mouse between Michigan
00:46 and also the NCAA, but let's be honest with ourselves.
00:49 Mike, is this really a big deal that Harbaugh
00:51 is gonna miss these three 10 bell games to start the season?
00:55 - Nope, like we've said at the top of the show,
00:58 they will not leave the state of Michigan
01:00 and they'll play East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green.
01:03 They'll be heavily favored in all three of those matchups.
01:06 It's a veteran team that Harbaugh or not,
01:09 you would expect to handle their business pretty easily.
01:13 I would say though, that the self-imposed ban
01:16 does not mean that this has been put to rest, obviously.
01:19 The NCAA can step in and ban him further.
01:23 They could ban him this season.
01:25 They could ban him next season, however long they take,
01:27 which can often be a very long time
01:30 in order to get it settled.
01:31 It will take as long as they choose.
01:34 Now there's a new NCAA president in place
01:36 and Charlie Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts,
01:38 and he seemingly may want to handle things
01:43 a little bit differently, perhaps more quickly.
01:45 But the thing that's important to remember
01:49 about all these NCAA infractions violations
01:52 is the schools themselves are the ones
01:56 really making these recommendations.
01:59 Michigan about themselves in this self-imposed ban,
02:03 but it's really the other schools and committees
02:07 that formulate the punishments.
02:09 It's not the NCAA in Indianapolis acting on their own
02:13 and handing out punishments.
02:14 They're working with the schools in order to figure out
02:17 what punishments are appropriate.
02:19 And very often, the schools don't want to
02:21 partially punish someone else
02:23 because it could come back to bite them
02:24 when their own coach has stepped in something.
02:27 - And also, let's take a look at the bigger part
02:30 of the equation too.
02:31 You're going to miss three games here for Harbaugh.
02:33 And that's why I preface games here.
02:35 In the NFL, Mike, as we know, if you are suspended,
02:37 let's just say for three games,
02:39 you can't go to the facility.
02:40 You can't be in contact with your coaches.
02:42 You can't get playbooks.
02:44 That's where they come up with the burner phones
02:45 and, "Hey, let's have exchanges here
02:47 that nobody's gonna know about."
02:48 Harbaugh is going to be able to show up
02:50 on the minute the game ends to break down tape
02:53 and then also coach the entire week,
02:55 basically right up to kickoff
02:57 and just can't be on the sidelines here for Michigan.
03:00 But again, how much coaching do they actually need
03:02 leading up to some of these games?
03:03 Probably not much.
03:04 And I do figure that the assistant coaches can handle that.
03:07 And also, if we take a look from the player's perspective,
03:10 they're the same way we are, Mike.
03:11 It says, "We're gonna back anything
03:13 that goes on with Coach Harbaugh."
03:14 Like Coach Harbaugh says, "Get better, not bitter."
03:17 And that's exactly what we're going to do, end quote.
03:19 Which basically means we're on autopilot here.
03:21 Coach is gonna give us the playbook here during the week.
03:24 We're gonna execute it.
03:25 An assistant coach is gonna call the plays
03:27 and we'll see Coach after the game and celebrate a victory.
03:30 - Very similar spreads, Donnie.
03:32 We were just talking about the US,
03:34 35 and a half point favorites over New Zealand.
03:36 Michigan, 35 and a half point favorites over East Carolina
03:40 in week one, September 2nd, noon in Ann Arbor.
03:44 So like you said, the players are gonna back 'em.
03:47 I think they're gonna back 'em all the way
03:49 to a big victory against East Carolina.
03:51 And again, we'll have to wait,
03:52 and it could be a long waiting game,
03:54 as to whether or not this suspension gets extended.
03:57 (upbeat music)
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