Highlights from Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh on B1G Today: Team goals, area that's exceeding expectations, barber choice, more

Michigan Wolverines football head coach Jim Harbaugh joined host Dave Revsine and analyst Dave Wannstedt — Harbaugh’s former head coach with the Chicago Bears in 1993 — on Big Ten Network’s B1G Today Tuesday afternoon. Michigan is set for its Big Ten opener against Rutgers this Saturday, at which Harbaugh will make his return to the sideline after serving a three-game school-imposed suspension.

Here are highlights from the entertaining conversation:

On what the Michigan coach learned from watching the first three games on television

Harbaugh: “Just seeing things through a different lens, multiple things, really. But one I shared is just watching the shows like yours, watching the commentators doing the games, the different shows before and after the games, I never really see those. Just how good you guys are, how much you know. You report what you see and you know a lot of football. I just had a very good perspective of that. 

“And there are a lot of positives, just real truth that I enjoyed listening to and watching. I’m used to kinda, you play the game, it’s like being in a dentist chair getting root canal done on you for three hours. Have the postgame press conference, and you’re just kind of hit with all the, ‘what about this and this thing and this thing and this thing?’ And then the same thing on Monday, a list of the negatives. But I have a whole new perspective on that. You guys are really tremendous. Learned a lot just listening to some of the experts, and the fans are right on, too.”

On how strange it was to be sidelined

Harbaugh: “Like the strangest. You talk about being in uncharted waters … never have I ever watched my team play on TV live before. That was a first as a player or a coach.”

Where his Michigan team is at compared to where he thought it’d be at this point in the season

Harbaugh: “Really good. [Interim head coaches] Jesse Minter, Jay Harbaugh, Mike Hart and Sherrone Moore did a fabulous job. I couldn’t have done better. Just how hard our team plays every single game, every single quarter. Special teams, offense, defense … the intensity, the focus they have and how hard they play just popped off the screen and the tape.”

On Harbaugh’s barber choice

Wannstedt: You’re looking good. And I’ll tell ya, this seems like a lifetime ago for both of us, but do you remember for your first game when you were gonna open up at Utah, versus Utah, your first game as Michigan head coach. I flew up to Ann Arbor for FOX — I was doing all the games then — and we sat down. You educated me on Michigan, the history. I knew a little bit about it, obviously, Coach [Bo] Schembechler and your connection and the history.

“But you look sharp, and the thought that came to my mind as I’m looking at you, you told me you were going to — I don’t know if you still are — go to the same barber shop that Coach Schembechler went to when he was coaching there. Is that still happening? It was just amazing the history and tradition that you were talking about.”

Harbaugh: “Yeah, I went for a long time. Bill the barber right there at State Street Barber Shop. But now I go to Great Clips. It’s a little bit closer to the office here. They have pretty much a number; they just do the exact same haircut every single time. They treat me good over there.”

Wannstedt: “You’re looking good.”

Harbaugh: “Well, you don’t have to keep that to yourself, Coach. Feel free to spread the word.”

Harbaugh’s expectations for his Michigan team

Harbaugh: “People ask for a word or a mantra … We like to create those as we go, au natural as the season is going on. The goals here are to win the championship, win the Big Ten championship, win the national championship, beat Ohio State, beat Michigan State, beat Penn State. Those are our stated goals.”

One area of the team that’s exceeding expectations and one that’s a work in progress

Harbaugh: “The first one that pops in my mind that’s really playing well … was it a surprise? No. You thought it would be good, but the front seven on defense. The way our interior defensive line is saying — [sophomore] Mason Graham, [sophomore] Kenneth Grant, [graduate] Cam Goode, [senior] Kris Jenkins, those guys and our EDGE player, [senior] Jaylen Harrell, is off to an unbelievable start to the season. [Senior Braiden] McGregor, [sophomore Derrick] Moore, [junior Josaiah] Stewart on the edge. [Junior linebacker Junior] Colson and Mike B — [graduate[ Mike Barrett — is having a heck of a year again. [Sophomore] Ernest Hausmann has been a huge help there. That front seven has a chance to really be one of the best.

“Work in progress — really figured it was going to be the secondary. We have some guys that are working through some things injury-wise and are getting back to playing. Three really great players have not played in the secondary much [sophomore cornerback Will Johnson, junior safety Rod Moore and senior safety Makari Paige]. But other guys have stepped up. [Sophomore] Keon Sabb, [graduate] Quinten Johnson had a monster game against Bowling Green. [Graduate] Josh Wallace, the transfer, is playing extremely well. [Graduate] Mike Sainristil has been great. Yeah, work in progress in that a lot of key players aren’t starting, but the next guys up have raised the level and kept the level high.”

On Rutgers’ 3-0 start and the challenge ahead

Harbaugh: “We’ve been playing them a long time. [Head] Coach [Greg] Schiano, we have tremendous respect for. His team is always gritty, is always tough. They can always run the ball. They play exceptional defense. They play their systems. But then they know how to throw all the trickery and magic. They’re so creative in everything that they do, especially on special teams, especially on offense.

“On our toes, on high alert. This is one that we want to win by any means necessary. Win by one point. Every time we go against Rutgers, we know that it’s one of those that, for lack of a better analogy, you’ve gotta bring your lunch pail.”

Wannstedt’s Harbaugh story

Wannstedt: “People don’t realize, the first year that Jim and I are together. He’s the quarterback, obviously, of the Bears, it’s my first year being a head coach, I’m trying to figure out how to get to Soldier Field. We were 7-7 that year, and Jim … we had a free agent tight end from Stanford, we had a free agent running back Bobby Christian from Northwestern, a free agent receiver, Terry Obee, from Oregon. Tommy Waddle was the only veteran guy that was starting on our skill, and he was taped together like a mummy to put him out there.

“We’re playing somebody, and we’re fighting to get this eighth win to get in the playoffs. It’s unbelievable. Something happened, and Jim came off the sideline, and he said, ‘Nobody’s open! The guys aren’t getting open!’ I looked at him, I remember, and I said, ‘Jim, I don’t know what to tell you. This is the best we got, my friend.’ Jim was smart and tough — he could’ve played middle linebacker for me. I truly … it was a pleasure. But yeah, I’m looking at him, and he says, ‘Coach, no one can get open,’ and I said, ‘Jim, I don’t know what to tell ya. Go, go, go! This is what we got. Good luck.’”