The Wolverine

December 2016

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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74 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2016 W ins over Michigan State used to be flip-the-ball-to-the- official moments for Michi- gan fans and the football Wolverines alike … a few high fives, maybe a glance and a nod at the Paul Bun- yan Trophy. Nobody should blame the 2016 team for celebrating its 32-23 win Oct. 29 as though it meant more. For seven of eight years, they'd shouldered the bur- den of losing to the in-state Spartans, including three straight. Worse yet, before each game they had to relive re- plays of former running back Mike Hart's comments after a 2007 win in which Hart referred to the Spartans — yes, condescendingly — as "little brother." National, regional and local sta- tions would play film of Hart's post- game press conference as though his words were the fuel head coach Mark Dantonio needed to propel his team past hated Michigan. Hart became the scapegoat for MSU's success against U-M. They glossed over the fact that the barbs began in East Lansing follow- ing U-M's stunning loss to Appala- chian State, after which Dantonio sarcastically recommended a "mo- ment of silence" for the Michigan program. Later, when told the Wolverines held their own moment of silence at midfield following a 28-24 win in East Lansing the same year, Dan- tonio publicly scowled at the little brother comments. He childishly mocked Hart's height in asking, "Who's the little brother?" at his Monday press conference, offering his "Pride comes before the fall" comment about the U-M program in predicting its demise, and found no shortage of ways to take shots at the Wolverines over the next several years. In 2012, he cut off then-Michigan recruiting coordinator Jeff Hecklinski at an event for in-state prep coaches by interrupting him mid-speech, ac- cusing him of using the forum for recruiting purposes. He'd later boast of his accomplishments and asked "Where's the threat?" when asked of his concern about Michigan. Last year after a 27-23 gift vic- tory in Ann Arbor, he skipped the postgame handshake with Michi- gan head coach Jim Harbaugh and laughed it up with MSU fans in the stadium tunnel asking, "Where are all the Wolverines at?" Even more recently, he had a poster printed with his Detroit con- tingent that read "Those Who Stayed Are Already Champions," a play on former U-M head coach Bo Schem- bechler's "Those Who Stay Will be Champions" coined in 1969. There's more. Much more. But there's only so much space. U-M players seemed equally relieved and happy following this year's win, knowing what was at stake. They posed for pictures with the Bunyan Trophy, chanted "It's Great … To Be … A Mich-i-gan Wolverine!" in the locker room loud enough for the Spartans to hear and relished it more than many of U-M's teams over the past 40 years. And Harbaugh — the in-your-grill coach whose Stanford team once went for two against USC and Pete Carroll up three scores in the fourth quarter, and once got into it with De- troit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz while the U-M head coach was at San Francisco? He flipped the ball to the official. "Good job, Mark," he said in shaking Dantonio's hand at midfield. "Good luck the rest of the way." Unlike the kids in his locker room who hadn't enjoyed a victory over the Spartans, he'd been there be- fore. He was gracious before the game, the way Schem- bechler, Gary Moeller, Lloyd Carr, Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke had been, even calling Dantonio's work at Michigan State "one of the best coaching jobs in college football," but noted U-M had bigger goals than just beating the Spartans. "Onward," he said. And despite a stunning, 14-13 loss at Iowa Nov. 12, his team controlled its destiny with only two games re- maining in the regular season. In East Lansing, meanwhile, the once-proud Spartans program has become a raging couch fire. Danto- nio's streak of good fortune came to a screeching halt with one Big Ten win in seven tries, and that was a home victory over Rutgers after MSU started 0-6. Before the big showdown with the also 0-6 Scarlet Knights, Dantonio joined the Big Ten teleconference for a 10-minute question-and-answer session with the media. The modera- tor twice asked for questions from the reporters, but there were none to be had, just awkward nothingness and a bit of static. Dantonio had finally gotten his moment of silence, one he might have used to ponder how quickly Harbaugh has been able to help the Wolverines regain the upper hand in this rivalry … and, of course, their pride. ❏ Chris Balas has been with The Wolver- ine since 1997, working part time for five years before joining the staff full time in 2002. Contact him at cbalas@ thewolverine.com and follow him on Twitter at Balas_Wolverine. INSIDE MICHIGAN   CHRIS BALAS Can We Have A Moment Of Silence? Jim Harbaugh has helped the Wolverines regain the upper hand against Mark Dantonio and the Spartans. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN

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