Paul Finebaum reveals why Michigan will miss Jim Harbaugh on sidelines vs. Ohio State

The Game is one of the most special rivalries in all of sports. This year, with both Michigan and Ohio State competing for a College Football Playoff spot amid a sign-stealing scandal at Michigan that led to head coach Jim Harbaugh being suspended for The Game, there is more on the line than there has been in a long time.

While making an appearance on Get Up, analyst Paul Finebaum broke down why Michigan is going to miss Jim Harbaugh during The Game.

“I think it will be fascinating to watch because the one thing about Michigan so far, they won two fairly important games without Jim Harbaugh,” Finebaum said. “He doesn’t call the plays. He does play an important role, whether he quotes Ted Lasso or Shakespeare. The players still look over to him and he galvanizes them.”

Paul Finebaum then explained that the version of Jim Harbaugh presented to the public is different than what is presented to the team and that the team.

“I don’t know how, but I talked to a recruit yesterday who is going to Michigan. He said Harbaugh is not the same person on the sideline and on the practice field that he is on the TV camera. So, I think he can be effective,” Finebaum said.

“I do think the Ohio State defense may have something to say about it as well.”

Amid the scandal at Michigan, there have been rumors that Jim Harbaugh may be leaving Michigan. However, for now, he wants the focus for the Wolverines to be on the field against Ohio State during game prep.

“All the focus is on Ohio State,” Harbaugh said. “This is where we’re at. That’s the focus. That’s part of the life lesson, to focus on the task in front of you. When you got a task in front of you, it’s a big task, you got to use every day, every hour, every minute. Plan, practice, get yourself right. Get yourself in position to go out there and play to the best of your ability.”

How resolution in Jim Harbaugh suspension helps Michigan ahead of Ohio State game

With Michigan accepting the suspension for Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines accepted that he’d miss the Ohio State game. It was with that knowledge that Michigan entered the week and as Clayton Sayfie of TheWolverine.com explained, the resolution could help Michigan.

“Well, I think so. And I think, I mean, these guys have done a great job all year going back to the beginning of handling distractions and just kind of…Jim Harbaugh says you wake up, you take care of business, whatever that is on that day. Sometimes that includes an interview from the NCAA. As we heard was going on a week ago or even during Penn State week. And then you go to bed, you wake up, you take care of business again the next day. They’ve done a really good job of that. But it’s hard. It’s impossible for that to not get to you a little bit. Maybe what we saw, obviously it’s impossible to prove one way or the other but maybe what we saw a little bit with the struggles at Maryland had to do with that,” Sayfie said.

“As our Chris Balas wrote after the game in his postgame column though, if you can with the NCAA breathing down your necks a little bit. This is the week to go, ‘Hey, give us a week. Back the hell off for a second here. Stop interviewing our players mid-week on Tuesday night after practice or whatever it is. Because we need our full focus. I think that’s probably fair to ask. Now, who can ask that? Maybe Jim Harbaugh? I don’t know. He’s gotta cooperate. But if you’re the leadership at Michigan I think that is something to consider if that is allowed or whatever. I’m not an NCAA expert.”