When Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended for the final three games of the season over allegations stemming from the sign-stealing scandal, he turned the reins over to offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Sherrone Moore. Thrust into the top spot, Moore went 3-0 leading the Wolverines, including a 30-24 win over the archrival Ohio State Buckeyes in “The Game.”
The win for all intents and purposes will keep the Buckeyes out of the College Football Playoff, while the Wolverines advance to face the Iowa Hawkeyes in next week’s Big Ten Championship game, and with a win they’ll clinch their third consecutive conference championship and CFB berth. Moore, a rising head coaching candidate kept the program going forward while its leader Harbaugh couldn’t be around the team on game days.
With Harbaugh slated to return next week, Moore resorts to handling the offense and offensive line, but if schools wanted to see how he’d handle things as the interim game day coach, he passed with flying colors.
Moore Stands On Business Against Ohio State
As he has in the Wolverines’ two previous wins, Moore didn’t deviate from who Michigan is. They’re arguably the most sound and complete team in college football. They’re physical and play with discipline, that’s a credit to Harbaugh, but Moore kept the ship upright in the toughest part of the team’s schedule. Road wins at Penn State and Maryland, and Saturday’s home win over the Buckeyes at a raucous and always sold out Big House in Ann Arbor showed what the Wolverines are all about.
In his postgame on-field interview Moore told reporters this:
“We expected to win.”
“Coach Harbaugh, we got your back. We love you. That was for you.”
In his postgame presser Moore talked about the team’s resilient and always confident approach as pertains to going for it on fourth down. The team went 3-for-3 on fourth downs Saturday and has gone 7-for-7 since Moore has been at the helm the past three games.
“We always talk about don’t flinch, and our guys never flinch regardless of the situation.”
“When you have confidence that they’re going to execute at a high level, it feels like first down.”
Wolverines Make It Three Straight Over Buckeyes
For the first time since 1995-97, the Wolverines defeated the Buckeyes three straight times. It also makes Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day 1-3 against the program’s archnemesis, and that’s never a good thing in Columbus. No matter how good his 55-7 overall record looks, three consecutive losses to the Wolverines won’t sit well with the team’s fans, for sure.
The question that remains is how do the administration and boosters view losing three in a row to Michigan?
Does it make Day’s seat hot heading into 2024?
It’s highly unlikely they move on from him, but it makes next season’s matchup that much more pressure-filled already because of these past three losses.
