Harbaugh "rooting for Ohio State" in National Championship game

Misleading.  I'm sure that he followed his "I'm going to be rooting for Ohio State" with a quick "to poop in its pants and lose by 70" under his breath.

I guess the Pope is the only infallible dude in the world.

because he believes he will beat them in every head-to-head competition they have. Theoretically it helps him more if the Big Ten has more prestige, because then he has control of his own destiny. Perception of the B1G as weak almost caused one of the B1G's two most storied football programs from competing in the title game... over arguably the 3rd and 4th most storied programs from the state of Texas. For recruiting purposes it's less hard to justify, but I guess if the B1G can start to level the playing field with the SEC eventually it will pay off. Programs like Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Tennessee really haven't done jack the past decade but they've been able to recruit party because the SEC is perceived as a glamour conference.

I really hate OSU, but whatever. Hoke's apparent dislike of "Ohio" didn't help him beat them.

My rooting interest? Umm let's just say it is different than Harbaugh's.

i can see the silver lining, but i still think its a cloud if they win. 

Never mind the fact that every single time I root for a rival they look like poop.

For those who have followed Jim Harbaugh's career, you know exactly why he made this statement. Harbaugh would love nothing more than to beat down the "defending national champion" Buckeyes. Remember Bo did that in his first year.

Also, Jim made a statement calling the USC team in 2007 the best in college football. This was before beating them on their home field.

The only thing we as Michigan fans should be concerned about is if the losing against OSU continues. I believe it won't.

:D

Meyer was equally supportive of the Big Ten in bowl season and Michigan's hiring of Harbaugh. The are two professional, highly competitive guys. It'll be fun to watch them coach against each other.

Clearly doesn't understand the rivalry.

Harbaugh's doing the absolutely smart thing here. There is no upside whatsoever in coming out against OSU, and plenty of downside with respect to his relations with the rest of the conference. If you're going to make enemies, make them for the right reasons, and this ain't it.

 

it doesn't help us tangibly for OSU to be in the title game.

 

An OSU win would be great for the Big Ten as a whole. All schools can expect a significant recruiting boost: local stars will feel less of a need to go south or west to gain exposure; the big schools like Michigan, Ohio, PSU, etc have a better national recruiting profile to pull in top talent from other regions if those kids know there is a path to the trophy through the B1G. The Indianas and Purdues also benefit since more local talent will be available to them when the big schools retain local blue chips and successfully recruit others out-of-region. In addition, the Indianas and Purdues have a better shot at attracting lower rated but talented out-of-region guys who will now be more inclined to give them a look. It's strictly business, Sonny...

I'm no longer going to buy that black adidas jacket.

I couldn't care less about the BIG's prominence if Ohio State wins, I will never cheer for them. I hope Oregon obliterates them.

...became the dominant conference in college football was that the commissioner Mike Slive made certain that no one bad-mouthed anyone else in the conference in front of the media.

Personally I hate Ohio State as much as the rest of you and their arrogance will be insufferable if they win on Monday night but it will be good for the B1G and all of the schools in the conference will benefit, it will also make things much more interesting next November in Ann Arbor.

Bin Laden would've been a scat back of the Warrick Dunn, Lamichael James variety... Always hard to find in a crowd.

"I'm going to be rooting for Ohio State," Harbaugh said. "I am a midwesterner and I was raised in Ohio. I went to Michigan and was raised there too. There's been a lot of talk about other conferences, but it's fabulous that a team from our conference will be playing in that game. I would rather it be us!"

I live in SEC country and absolutely hate interacting with their fans because their specific team could be 3-9, but they still root for the rest of the SEC teams like lifelong fans of those teams as well against everyone else, even rivals. They talk about dominating the Big 10 and all that and I simply explain to them, I'm a Michigan fan, not a Big Ten fan. I only care that Michigan has the most wins all-time, 11 NCs, winning records over every major rival and a fantastic track record against the SEC. I rooted for Bama last week even though they are my Yankee type evil empire right now. I will root for Oregon as well. I don't want tsio to get any closer to us in wins, conference championships, head to head or NCs. Just like I don't want ND and Bama to create more and more distance in NCs won. In short, Go Ducks.

fire this clown. He cleary doesn't "get it".

You want to be the best you got to play the best. I don't wish them to be the best ever so this future hypothetical win is sweeter, but I want Michigan to be the best, but you got to play top notch teams to earn it when at all possible. Why not have a championship caliber team be on the schedule year in and year out.

 

(On the flip side I wouldn't mind beating the runner-up champion either for year 1 of the Harbaugh era at least)

Maybe it's some kind of reverse psychology?

If he says he's rooting against Ohio State, that's bad.  If he says he doesn't care who wins, that's bad.  He went the big boy route.

A new OSU coach would not be able to say he's rooting for Michigan to win a national title.  He'd get crucified for "not getting it" before even coaching a game.  But the reverse can be okay, because our fanbases are different.  Plus Harbaugh is the guy who guaranteed a victory in Columbus and delivered.  He's got the capital to get away with this.

We've got a tall mountain to climb.  It won't do us any good to wish that the mountain were a bit shorter.

but it didn't agree with me.

Gee, ya think maybe Jim was just being politic? There's no way he's actually rooting for OSU. But what else was he supposed to say?

Gee, ya think maybe Jim was just being politic? There's no way he's actually rooting for OSU. But what else was he supposed to say?

You see there cannot be a sad Urbran Meyer/Cold Pizza moment without the loss... so alas I cannot cheer for OSU in the game.

My first double post. How cute.

I share Harbaugh's reasons especially considering the knocks on the Big Ten during the past decade but I kind of would like to see Oregon finally win a national championship, and I won't exactly be heartbroken if OSU doesn't. But a national championship for the Big Ten would be a good thing. Either way, the SEC is not winning this year so that's already a win.

I detest Ohio State.  Yet how much I hate a team has little to do with wanting them to lose.  I am ambivalent towards MSU, yet lately I always want them to lose.  I loved seeing Alabama put down.

I agree it may be childish to always root against Ohio and Sparty and it could be a feather in the BIG s cap for a conference team to win the NC. BUT, I just cannot bring myself to root for either. For Ohio, it goes back to the '68 game at Columbus. I was 20. Ohio scored a late TD to go up 48-14 and went for 2, won, 50-14. When Hayes was asked why, he said because I couldn't go for 3. Then he punched a Clemson kid on the sidelines in the Gator? Bowl in ' 78. Nuf said. As for Sparty, try taking your wife and young kids to East Lansing. Hopefully, the worst you will encounter are some drunken and obscene fans. But I ve had friends who have been spat on, poured beer on, and jostled. And do NOT take your car to East Lansing with any M decals or a flag. Now, I never root for ND either except when they play one of the above. Just the way I roll...

The thought of OSU winning Monday night literally makes me want to vomit.  I will be nervously watching that game PRAYING that Oregon wins.  

Take out the head to head record the last ten years and you STILL have about a thousand reasons to root against those assholes.  Can you live with yourself in rooting for America's WORST fan base to be THAT happy?  Shame on you. 

Ironically, I'll be in Columbus this weekend visiting my best friend.  I have no doubt I'll leave that place on Sunday an even bigger Duck fan than before.      

There’s nothing to take from this at all. It was a loaded question to see what Jim would say. Does he stick with hated rivalry or pull for the Big 10?

People would've accused him of sounding petty and childish if he had said he was rooting against OSU.

People would’ve criticized him for not being able to push hated rivalry thoughts to the side.

Jim knew he had to take the professional high road and say he was pulling for OSU and BIG 10 football.

That’s what any smart Big 10 coach would‘ve said.

Though we as Michigan fans don't have to be "politically correct" and go along with that.

JH probably figures it's good for the B1G to win and build overall credibility.

But if Ohio wins a national championship, that gives them an advantage in recruiting.

Bottom line, easy call: Go Ducks.

 

He's building them up so they'll fall harder when they lose next November, its like one of em jedi mind tricks.

Is this a Brady Hoke moment? I will not root for OSU.