Rece Davis assesses Michigan's chances against Ohio State if Jim Harbaugh is still suspended

Week 12 is the penultimate Saturday of college football this year, but it’s hard not to look ahead to the biggest matchup of Week 13. That’s when Michigan will take on Ohio State — and there even more storylines this year considering the Wolverines’ current situation.

Last week, Jim Harbaugh received a three-game suspension from the Big Ten as a result of the ongoing sign-stealing investigation. Under the punishment, Harbaugh can participate in practice and game preparation, but cannot be on the sidelines for games. That ban is pending a legal battle and a hearing Friday in Washtenaw County.

If it holds, it means Harbaugh would not be able to coach against Ohio State. Michigan looked good last week without him as Sherrone Moore assumed the head coaching duties, and ESPN’s Rece Davis thinks the Wolverines have enough talent to overcome the challenge of playing their fiercest rival without Harbaugh.

“I think any time you don’t have your leader out there, it can have a negative impact,” Davis said ahead of Tuesday’s College Football Playoff rankings reveal. “But I still think Michigan is one of the two best teams in the country, two best teams that I’ve seen this year. I think they can still win The Game. It was a really good performance [against Penn State] with Sherrone Moore, who’s a rising star in coaching, guiding them. Not optimal, but I still think they can win that game.”

Jim Harbaugh calls out ‘tremendous support from administration

Moore is set to be the acting head coach once again this week when Michigan takes on Maryland if Jim Harbaugh’s suspension holds. He helped lead the Wolverines to their biggest victory yet this year when they took down Penn State on the road in last week’s top-10 showdown.

The rest of the university and fan base have also rallied around Harbaugh since news broke of the suspension. He pointed that out during his press conference on Monday, specifically mentioning athletic director Warde Manuel and president Santa Ono.

“Oh, tremendous support,” Harbaugh said. “Warde has been 10 toes down. He’s standing right here with us. His support, President Ono’s support, the board of regents. And I said our fan bas is already galvanized. I mean, they’re already connected. They’re together but well, I’m feeling a galvanized Michigan University alumni network and all the alums, largest living alumni body in the world, for any school and the fan base, which goes coast to coast and worldwide, really being galvanized. 

“That’s tremendous. That’s a monumental thing when you think about it. Everybody is fighting like the team we’re supposed to be and that’s gonna be tough to beat.”