INSIDE THE FORT: Intel on Michigan football, NIL, hoops and recruiting
TheWolverine.com’s Chris Balas and Clayton Sayfie bring you plenty of insider Michigan Wolverines football notes ahead of the team’s game against Maryland and home stretch, and basketball news with the Wolverines coming off a loss and out in Las Vegas.
We begin with what we’re hearing about head coach Jim Harbaugh‘s crew in terms of mindset and the vibe behind the scenes, as well as an anonymous former player weighing in on what he’s seen. We then give some intel from the Maryland side of things, before moving into what we know about the Maize and Blue’s plan regarding Name, Image and Likeness (NIL).
We finish with basketball intel we picked up following the squad’s 67-65 loss to Seton Hall Tuesday. The group is looking to bounce back during its two games in Las Vegas.
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The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including football, basketball and recruiting intel … Clayton Sayfie also contributed to this report.
Starting with the 2021 football team, which is in Maryland preparing for a game with the Terps that will determine whether the Wolverines will be in the Big Ten title hunt next week. Ohio State is on tap, but it doesn’t mean anything if they don’t take care of business in College Park Saturday.
We expect them to, based on the way this team has prepared all year (and again this week). There were guys nursing bumps and bruises, as they will this time of year, but they came back Sunday and Monday with a ‘business as usual’ attitude, understanding what’s in front of them.
Insiders who have been in the building since head coach Jim Harbaugh arrived say this team, more than any of the previous six under the coach, is hell bent on ending Ohio State and championship droughts.
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“There are guys who have NFL aspirations, of course,” one said. “More than anything, though, they want to win for the program, first. That’s been lacking too often.”
We’ll be honest — there had been a faction in the building that felt ‘the future is now’ with freshman quarterback J.J. McCarthy, thinking he gave them the best chance to win this year … that perhaps his big arm would be what was needed to beat Ohio State, for example.
That might still be the case, of course. But it’s clear to everyone now that McNamara is the heart and soul of the Michigan offense (along with running back Hassan Haskins, who is more of the quiet assassin type). And warranted or not, they all feel they can win a title THIS year under McNamara.
Again, they know they margin for error is small and that Ohio State is talented. But they’ve prepared for The Game this year like no other year under Harbaugh. If they get by Maryland, as expected, many believe we’ll see the best game plan and best GAME by the Wolverines they’ve played in the series in a long time.
