Jim Harbaugh ‘just striving to coach the football team’

The announcement was made by the Big Ten Conference on Thursday.

Asked how he’d refer to the Buckeyes during his interviews at Big Ten Media Days on Friday, Harbaugh said Ohio State. The in-depth, documentary style show will follow the reigning national champions over a portion of preseason practice.

Players said it was relatively uncommon for a football player to have a job before Harbaugh arrived, but that the new coach has recommended (but not required) it as a way to earn spending money. New head coach Mike Riley benefits from a relatively soft schedule whereby Nebraska’s two toughest games (vs. Wisconsin, Michigan State) will occur at Memorial Stadium. Likely, there will be none given Delany’s stature in the league.

As the college football world becomes more and more dependent on strength of schedule, teams around the country are looking for ways to prove themselves to the national audience.

Ohio State looks like the best team with the best offensive player and the best defensive player in the Big Ten – if not the nation – but what about the rest of the conference? It will be interesting to see how quickly other conference start following suit. Maybe it’s the return home to Ann Arbor or the veteran team he’s coaching but expect the vibrant coach to be bouncing along the sidelines this fall. Consider the shadow dissolved. “They kind of talk softer, slower, not quite as aggressive”. The Buckeyes’ impending dilemma was eased somewhat when Braxton Miller told Sports Illustrated last week that he’s moving to H-back, wide receiver and punt returner.

On what he will call rival Ohio State, whether it’s just Ohio or the team down south: “Just Ohio State”.

Jones, who graduated from Clemson, will have one year of eligibility remaining and could compete for a starting spot at inside linebacker, where the Badgers’ top options are redshirt freshman T.J. Edwards and junior Leon Jacobs. It’s an embarrassment of riches but also a delicate situation for team chemistry.

Commissioner Jim Delany is expected to speak Friday morning and there will be a Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon Friday from 11:30 a.m to 2 p.m. It’s a fascinating debate filled with great potential and risk. Harbaugh said, as if hearing the question for the first time. It was Jake Rudock, the former Iowa quarterback who transferred to Michigan from Iowa as a graduate student. Last year it was an absolute mess, so it almost has nowhere to go but up this season. “You’ve eliminated the pool of potential teams to play to help those teams get to their six wins and their bowl eligibility”. An independent investigation by a Chicago law firm hasn’t been completed, but that won’t stop the questions. Now the average price for Ohio State vs. Michigan tickets is $402.84 with a get-in price of $143. Don’t sleep on Sparty.

“If we could do it the way Bo did it that would be something to aspire to”, Harbaugh said. Riley had been the head coach at Oregon State since 2003 and says he planned on staying with the Beavers until he retired.

The East will go a collective 27-29 while the West will go 29-27. Is Riley the answer to resurrect the Nebraska brand and improve recruiting? Efficiency and toughness do, and the Gophers might have enough to win the West. Penn State’s James Franklin knows how to turn on the charisma as well, and Minnesota’s Jerry Kill and Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald are always worth a listen. That’s a lot of new blood at schools with strong traditions and rabid fan bases. Then he excitedly asked the crowd if anyone had ever done that back in the day.