Harbaugh "rooting for Ohio State" in National Championship game

Submitted by Shaun on

Eisen asks Harbaugh if he should root for B1G/Ohio State on Monday: "I'm going to be rooting for Ohio State," Harbaugh says

 

Harbaugh says for Big Ten football, midwest football, "I think it's just fabulous a team in our conference is playing in that game."

 

 

https://twitter.com/nickbaumgardner/status/553245636301037568

MayOhioEatTurds

January 8th, 2015 at 1:11 PM ^

Guess I'm the odd man out, but I'm with Harbaugh on this one.

As a life-long Michigan fan, I want Ohio State to be the best ever--so that when Harbaugh's Michigan beats them, the schadenfreude is all the sweeter. 

I confess it'd be fun to beat up on old rivals in any case.  But I'd prefer to do it when old rivals have excellent teams, and hope to play for a national championship--and then we crush their hopes Biakabutuka style.  (And unlike '95, we then go to the CFP in plalce of OSU and win it all.)

I want our rivals to suck in comparison to us, for sure.  But I'd prefer them to be dominant otherwise--because that only increases the joy I'll take in beating them.

03 Blue 07

January 8th, 2015 at 1:20 PM ^

My ideal world, given the new structure of the B1G, is for MSU to be 10-2, OSU to be 11-1 and Michigan to be 12-0 at the end of the regular season, with MSU's two losses coming to Michigan and OSU, and OSU's lone loss coming at the hands of Michigan. I want to be the baddest dude on the baddest block in the country, so to speak. 

Former_DC_Buck

January 8th, 2015 at 4:23 PM ^

Some of us share your savior's, er coach's, view that it is good for the conference to have a Conference team in the championsip game.  If you are a quality recuriter you can try and spin that to your favor.  We need YOU, consensus 5 star, to get us there. 

Yes, there are a fair number of Ohio State fans that would root for ISIS over Michigan.  Even if Michigan losing hurts us (think Dantonio rooting against Michigan even though OSU losing would help the Spartan's.)  That is some high quality hate, but it is stupid.  However, that is a bit of apples and oranges on my part.

I can see an argument, because of recruiting, etc. why a rival winning a NAMMNC (not as mythical MNC) would be bad and I can understand rooting against OSU.  I think it is a little easier for me because of the success OSU has had over the last 15 years.  Maybe I am just more mature in my 40s that my 20s but I have my doubts I would feel the same right after the Cooper years. And those were actually pretty good excpet for one or two games a year, I can only imagine after going through 6 of the last 7 seasons you had. 

 

andrewgr

January 8th, 2015 at 7:32 PM ^

I'm a Buckeye, and I do root for Michigan when they're not playing Ohio State. Honestly.

A rivalry is a precious thing.  Lots of teams and lots of fans will never have one.  Entering a game with an 80% chance of winning isn't a rivalry game, it's just kicking a puppy.  I want Michigan to be a strong program, to not have any off the field issues, and yes, to win their fair share of games against Ohio State.  In any individual game, of course I'll be heartbroken when OSU loses, but over a decade-long view, we can't win the champtionship every year (or even most years), and losing a great game to a hated rival is what makes the years you do win so special.

I don't think people that want their traditional rivals to lose every game actually appreciate what a blessing it is to have a rival in the first place.  If OSU and MSU were wiped out by dual meteor strikes tomorrow, you might win a lot of conference championships, but I'm pretty sure your overall experience as a fan would be lessened.

MGoCarolinaBlue

January 8th, 2015 at 2:18 PM ^

I would like: Michigan 12-0, OSU 11-1, MSU 6-6



I want OSU to be undefeated defending national champions ranked 1st in the polls riding a 20 something game winning streak when they lose to us in Ann Arbor next year.



I would like Michigan to hand MSU the first loss in a dong-punching losing streak.

QuentinKyle

January 8th, 2015 at 8:45 PM ^

I'll join you guys in the minority... I totally respect rooting against the Buckeyes, but I have always been one to hope for them to be undefeated coming into The Game as well... and would be OK with this NC since its been over a decade since the last one for them... or the B1G.... Adding to my comfort in rooting for them on Monday is also the fact that I absolutely detest Oregon, and will never root for them... unless possibly they were facing FL State (or Miami (YTM)...) All three of those schools could go 0-12 for the next ten years, and I'd still root against them 11 years from now... and I certainly wasn't about to hope for another Bama/ SEC win, either. So, distastefully, Ohio State was my best hope going into this stupid playoff, haha.

So... here's hoping next year the #1 Fighting Harbaughs beat #4 OSU 51-0 in round one, then... you know... TCU or somebody for the trophy!

QuentinKyle

January 8th, 2015 at 8:47 PM ^

I'll join you guys in the minority... I totally respect rooting against the Buckeyes, but I have always been one to hope for them to be undefeated coming into The Game as well... and would be OK with this NC since its been over a decade since the last one for them... or the B1G.... Adding to my comfort in rooting for them on Monday is also the fact that I absolutely detest Oregon, and will never root for them... unless possibly they were facing FL State (or Miami (YTM)...) All three of those schools could go 0-12 for the next ten years, and I'd still root against them 11 years from now... and I certainly wasn't about to hope for another Bama/ SEC win, either. So, distastefully, Ohio State was my best hope going into this stupid playoff, haha.

So... here's hoping next year the #1 Fighting Harbaughs beat #4 OSU 51-0 in round one, then... you know... TCU or somebody for the trophy!

CLord

January 8th, 2015 at 1:33 PM ^

Nothing cracks me up more than when Michigan fans say they want Ohio State to be the best ever so it will be sweeter to beat them, even as they're 10-1 against us in the last 11 years.  So ridiculous.   Me?  I'd like to see Urbz suddenly retire, and Ficket to become HC again, and for Ohio State to suddenly be about as good as Purdue.  That's what I'd like to see.

Gandalf the White

January 8th, 2015 at 1:58 PM ^

question his sincerity on this one.  Think Pete Carrol.  I think he has some alterior motives here, pricky ones, more along the lines of, "That's right, win the NC and enjoy it while it lasts, because next year after we kick your asses I'll be asking YOU what YOUR deal is at mid-field in the BIG HOUSE."  I like the sound of that...

Gandalf the White

January 8th, 2015 at 1:59 PM ^

question his sincerity on this one.  Think Pete Carrol.  I think he has some alterior motives here, pricky ones, more along the lines of, "That's right, win the NC and enjoy it while it lasts, because next year after we kick your asses I'll be asking YOU what YOUR deal is at mid-field in the BIG HOUSE."  I like the sound of that...

xtramelanin

January 8th, 2015 at 1:50 PM ^

no worries.  and i'm sorry we don't live close enough to AA to have had a beer with you the other day.  great offer, would've been fun, and i would've chipped in a hondo for the group to drink on. 

uofmdds96

January 8th, 2015 at 2:36 PM ^

But $100 more worth of beer would have been even more painful the next day.  All that I ate that day was a bowl of Pho.  Not much in the alcohol absorbing is soup.  Rough H-Day +1.

Tater

January 8th, 2015 at 1:20 PM ^

We know the fans have sports kayfabe "hate" for each other, but do the coaches?  For example, if the positions were reversed, would Urban Meyer be rooting for Michigan?  Obviously their fans would be posting diatrabes about how they want to see "scUM" lose.  It would be interesting to see if their coaches have more class than their fans.  

Maybe we'll find out in the next year or two.

Former_DC_Buck

January 8th, 2015 at 4:33 PM ^

Or at least he would say the same things Harbaugh is saying.  Word is he used the Badger and Spartan's wins in their bowl games to help drive home the message we belonged on the same field as Alabama. 

He's made other comments about how the rest of the conference needs to step up.  He was, in public, very positive about Harbaugh coming to Michigan.  Hard to say what is in his heart.  Now, Dantonio, I'd have my doubts he would root for Michigan.  I'm sure you recall him rooting against Michigan when OSU losing would be good for them.