On a magical night at the Rose Bowl, thousands of maize-and-blue decked fans sang it like they meant it because, for once, they really meant it.
“Hail! to the conquering heroes…”
After a giant embrace from Grandaddy, dozens of maize-and-blue decked young men lived the words by storming and swarming and sobbing all over the chilly Arroyo Seco.
“Hail! Hail! To michigan…”
It’s true. It’s real. It happened. One of college football’s most legendary fight songs finally lived up to its lyrics Monday night in a game that placed Michigan just one heave from lifting a burden for the ages.
Trailing late against legendary Alabama in a College Football Playoff semifinal game, Michigan stormed back to tie the score in the final two minutes and win it 27-20 in overtime.
After a season racked by scandal, and dragged down by not having won a solo national championship in 76 years, the Wolverines now advance to next week’s CFP championship game with a chance to make the victors moniker stick.
Not to mention, they just won their first Rose Bowl game in 25 years.
“Who’s got it better than we do?” shouted Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh afterward to the many Wolverine fans among the 96,371 witnesses who turned the Rose Bowl into a screaming three-hour mosh pit.
“Nobody!” the fans replied.
It seemed like everybody had it better than Michigan late in the fourth quarter when the Wolverines were trailing by a touchdown and faced fourth-and-two from the Alabama 40-yard line.
But J.J. McCarthy tossed a screen pass to a wide-open Blake Corum, and the stocky running back ran 27 yards that was good for a first down despite a block-in-the-back penalty. Moments later, McCarthy hit a leaping Roman Wilson for 29 yards, then two plays later, he hit Wilson for four yards for the eventual game-tying touchdown.
The overtime? Not even close.
Michigan scored on two plays, the latter being a twisting and tackle-shrugging 17-yard run by Corum. Alabama grinded its way to the four-yard line, but quarterback Jalen Milroe was stuffed on fourth down to end the game and sent Michigan players sprinting crazily off their sidelines while Alabama players crumpled to the cold green earth.
McCarthy did what dozens of Rose Bowl victors have done before him, running in front of the TV cameras while beautifully sucking on a rose.
“I didn’t touch it all week and I was just waiting for this moment to, you know, put it in my mouth,” he told ABC.
Michigan won despite losing an early fumble that led to a touchdown, botching an extra point attempt, missing a field goal, and failing on a couple of really dumb trick plays.
Michigan won because they were more resilient than even arguably the most resilient program in college football, and this is a direct tribute to their head coach.
“Glorious,” Harbaugh said. “That was glorious.”
You know what would be even more glorious? How about Jim Harbaugh coming to Los Angeles next season to coach the Chargers?
After this controversial season, Harbaugh is surely sick of coaching college football, and he is expected to go back to the NFL as soon as the Wolverines are finished.
Harbaugh missed the first three games because of a university-issued penalty for recruiting violations. He missed the last three games for violating the Big Ten’s sportsmanship policy after his program was accused of sign stealing.
Neither issue should stain his record. In this NIL era, does anybody still believe the NCAA should have any power over recruiting? And seriously, in college football, if you’re not stealing signs, you’re not trying.
But it’s apparent that all these issues are chasing Harbaugh out the collegiate door. He’s hired agent Don Yee of Tom Brady fame to represent him, and you don’t do this if you’re not pursuing the NFL.
And Harbaugh has been great for the NFL, winning 69% of his games in four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers a decade ago, including a close loss in the Super Bowl and two losses in the NFC championship game.
He only left the team when he had trouble working with the front office, his problem with supervisors plaguing him his entire 20-year coaching career.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh leaves the field after the Wolverines’ win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl on Monday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
To which Chargers fans should say, so what?
Brandon Staley connected well with everybody, and how did that work out?
Harbaugh would be perfect for the Chargers. He finished his playing career there as a quarterback in 2000, so he knows the organization. The Chargers desperately need an offensive mind to revitalize the under-achieving Justin Herbert, and Harbaugh would be perfect in that role. Remember Colin Kapernick? He was never better than when he was with Harbaugh during their 49ers days.
Harbaugh also has ties with southern California, as he began his coaching career by winning 29 of 35 games at the University of San Diego.
After Monday’s win, he was asked about his NFL future because, well, in every interview he’s asked about his NFL future.
“My future consists of a happy flight back to Ann Arbor Michigan!” he shouted. “I can’t wait.”
Neither can Chargers fans.