One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
That’s the logic Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh kept in mind when he decided to tweak the way the No. 1-ranked Wolverines prepare for their Rose Bowl matchup with No. 4 Alabama, according to his players.
Michigan is 1-6 overall in bowl games under Harbaugh, which includes an 0-2 record in College Football Playoff games the past two seasons.
Those last two CFP semifinal losses, 34-11 to Georgia in 2021 and 51-45 to TCU in 2022, left enough scar tissue — literally and figuratively — that the Wolverines are making a concerted effort to preserve their bodies.
“We weren’t in full pads as much, so it was a bit of a toll on our bodies.” “It’s a big deal,” linebacker JJ McCarthy said Monday. “The first few weeks, we kind of took things light, took things easy. And you know it was kind of fresh every day.
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“I think that will be the biggest difference, keeping it balanced.”
The Wolverines had taken a week off at a time after the previous two Big Ten championships, but unlike this year when they decided to start slowly with the work, the team has been jumping back in at full speed. What they discovered the hard way: Three full weeks of pre-game training allowed players to peak too early.
“Coach Harbaugh knew that just because we hadn’t won the last few years, something had to change,” McCarthy said. “He talked to other coaches around the country and things like that, and tried to figure out the best possible thing for us.”
Michigan knows it will be busy with the Crimson Tide. Players on Monday praised the discipline of Nick Saban’s defense, the athleticism of quarterback Jalen Milroe and the overall talent across the board, particularly two projected first-round cornerbacks in Kool-Aid McKinstry and Tyrion Arnold.
Instead, they changed their approach to try to find that balance between making the most of the hours they have and getting enough rest so they can reach peak fitness within two weeks.
“You know Coach Herb (strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert) likes to say, ‘We’ve got a lot of time, but there’s nothing to waste,'” senior Jaylen Harrell said. “You’ve got to stay locked into contact, and you can’t let this Days fly by, because that’s when you allow opponents to jump on you.”
Linebacker Junior Colson played 794 snaps last season, but just 561 this year with Ernst Hausmann added to the room to take some snaps off his body. And on Monday, he spoke to the media with his hands in his pockets: both still in casts, which was expected for the Rose Bowl as well.
“It was a lot of mental work,” Coulson said. “Taking some pages out of other people’s books. A lot less physical, so once we get into practice, you expect everyone to be 100%. So I think it’s been great for us.”
Colson — who also talked about how honorable it is to win the Lott IMPACT Cup and hear directly from Ronnie Lott, the trophy’s namesake, about how important it is to him — also made it clear that this game won’t be won solely on talent.
“It’s about hard work,” Coulson said. “Once you get to that level, everyone is talented. Everyone has tangibles and all that stuff. It’s more about working hard and how hard you want it.”
One Michigan player the other side identified as particularly talented after a few weeks of film study was Colston Loveland. Saban singled him out in recent media availability as the top mismatch the Tide will have to face, going so far as to compare him to Georgia star Brock Powers.
Loveland said it’s “cool” for a coach of his caliber to hear about him that way, but at the same time he always holds that opinion of himself, so it’s not as if that’s what validates his hard work. Not looking for external validation is just one of the many steps to Loveland’s growth, but not what he describes as his biggest.
“I have more playing experience, more game reps,” Loveland said. “I just feel more comfortable.”
This applies to everyone on the roster, except for freshmen who have never been on stage before. Michigan is the only team in the field for a third straight CFP and is now trying to prove that it has learned from its past lessons.
That’s why Alex Orji runs the scout team in Milroe’s name, but the Wolverines aren’t going to run around with their bodies ripped apart trying to bring him down.
It’s why McCarthy reads his books on attention-deficit disorder, why Loveland is engrossed in “How I Met Your Mother” and why Harrell plays hours of Fortnite when away from the facility. There is a time to unleash the beast and a time to control it.
Michigan hopes it has found that balance, and that the third time is indeed the charm
“Experience is one of the biggest advantages you can have as a competitor,” McCarthy said. “We got that.”
Contact Tony Garcia: apgarcia@freepress.com. Follow him on @realtonygarcia.
Next: the rose bowl
the match: No. 1 Michigan (13-0) vs. No. 4 Alabama (12-1), CFP semifinal.
Starting: 5:10 PM on January 1; Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California.
TV/Radio: espn; WXYT-FM (97.1), WTKA-AM (1050).
Line: Wolverine by 1½.
On the verge of danger: The winner faces the winner of the Sugar Bowl between No. 2 Washington and No. 4 Texas in the CFP title game on Jan. 8 in Houston.
In recent years, the Michigan football program has been making waves in college football as they embrace change and modify their practices for the college football playoff. With a commitment to stay ahead of the game, the team has been implementing innovative strategies to improve their performance and chances of success in the playoffs. These modifications are not only benefiting the team but also setting a new standard for other college football programs to follow. As Michigan continues to make bold moves, it is clear that they are on a mission to revolutionize the way college football is played and perceived.