Paul Finebaum: 'Jim Harbaugh has become the Darth Vader of college football'

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh made the case for the Wolverines to be “America’s team” during his press conference on Monday after Harbaugh was suspended for the final three games of the regular season by the Big Ten. ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum declared that notion to be “absurd” and feels that Harbaugh is more of a villain than a victim.

“It’s patently absurd,” Finebaum said Tuesday on First Take. “I appreciate coach Harbaugh for trying to put a spin on this, but it just doesn’t work. He is not a victim. He’s the villain here. In many ways, instead of being America’s team, Jim Harbaugh has become the Darth Vader of college football.”

There has not been any proof revealed that shows that Jim Harbaugh knew of Michigan’s apparent elaborate sign-stealing scheme, which Connor Stalions was allegedly the mastermind of.

But that doesn’t mean that Harbaugh is free of blame.

Under NCAA rules, the head coach is responsible for what happens in his program and can be punished.

“He’s the most polarizing figure in the game,” Finebaum said. “He is widely reviled, and it’s not because he’s a bad coach. He’s an excellent coach. He just is apparently, according to the Big Ten and the NCAA, trying to do things that are simply untoward.”

Finebaum also pointed out that this isn’t the first time Jim Harbaugh has been suspended, even this year.

Harbaugh was suspended for the first three games of the season for recruiting violations.

“Last Saturday was the 10^th college football game of the year. Guess what? It was the fourth time Jim Harbaugh has been out of a game because he’s been suspended. I mean this is not somebody who was pulled off the bus because some authority didn’t like the way he looked,” Finebaum said. “He was pulled off the bus because he was accused of cheating, not specifically but in his program. And he is ultimately responsible for that.”

Finally, Finebaum said that Harbaugh and the Michigan program do not represent what America is about. He believes it’s laughable that Harbaugh would call Michigan America’s team.

“I just find him to be a cartoon character now trying to play the victim card, trying to get America to feel sorry for him,” Finebaum said. “America’s team should represent the best of us, not the worst of us.”

Without Harbaugh on the sideline, Michigan beat Penn State 24-15 this past weekend. The Wolverines will return to action on Saturday at Maryland. Kickoff is set for Noon.