The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2018 THE WOLVERINE 21 Warde Manuel also delivered his takes on Michigan's athletic teams exclusively with The Wolverine: The Wolverine: What are your thoughts on the state of the Michigan football program, heading into year four under Jim Harbaugh? Manuel: "I like where we are right now, personally. I've had the opportunity to see what we did in spring ball, to know what the students are doing and how they're working. "I had a similar experience my sophomore year. I believe we went 8-4. Now, 8-5 is not the year we expect to have at Michi- gan football. Nobody goes into it thinking 8-5 is a great year, so don't get me wrong. "But I know how hard Jim and his staff and this team have been working to put that behind them and to go into this year and make a difference. By make a difference, I mean win more than we did last year. "The goal is to win them all — one by one. As you prepare to play an opponent, the idea is to win. "I believe I have, in Jim, one of the best coaches in this coun- try at any level of football. I believe that we have a tremen- dous staff that he's put together. Things have changed. We're in a great position with a great staff, and I really, really believe in these young men that are on this team and the leadership within. "Their focus has been on winning the championship, first and foremost in the Big Ten and then having the opportunity to compete for the national championship. That's their goal. "I feel very good about where we are. I've had the opportu- nity to know, and talk, and see the effort that's being put in every day to make this season a great season." The Wolverine: The good news is, the teams in the Big Ten East get to boast that they're in one of the toughest — if not the toughest — divisions in college football. The bad news is, it's very difficult to win it. How do you view that challenge these days? Manuel: "When you put on that winged helmet, that's what you sign up for. We know that. If it was easy, anybody could do it, right? Isn't that the old saying? "Part of being in the East is, you've got to win the East. That's all right. Line 'em up. We're not complaining. We have one of the hardest schedules. You won't hear me, and you won't hear Jim, complain about it. "We'll go out and play, and move forward. It's a tough league, top to bottom, East to West, across the board. There are talented teams, and talented coaches and kids on all these teams. You've just got to go out every day and play your hard- est, play to win." The Wolverine: The last two years, the Big Ten champion hasn't made the College Football Playoff. Is that a concern? Manuel: "I'm concerned. But there was the year Ohio State made it, and they didn't win the championship. But, yeah, it does concern me. "I know everybody on that committee. I know they're trying to put the best four teams in there. I have full faith in the Col- lege Football Playoff and [Executive Director] Bill [Hancock] and the committee they've put together. "If you don't want to leave it in their hands, win every game. If we win every game in the Big Ten, including the champion- ship, we will be in the College Football Playoff. I know that. "I think I heard Urban [Meyer] say that last year. We would like to think winning the Big Ten should put you in the College Football Playoff. Urban said it: 'We controlled it, but we didn't win every game.' "That's what you've got to do. Take it out of their hands." The Wolverine: Opening with Notre Dame this year could obviously be rocket fuel for this team if it wins and presents a big comeback challenge if that doesn't happen. In the playoff era, any concerns about that sort of non-conference game? Manuel: "We talk about it all the time as athletic directors. We are trying to make it to the playoff with a very tough Big Ten schedule — is it worth playing significant competition in the non-conference? "When Jim and I came here, Notre Dame was the first game every year for both of us, home or away. It was a normal thing. I think our fans love it. We love it. It's one of the closer schools to us. "It hasn't been an annual rivalry. It never really was, but a rivalry nonetheless in college football. We're No. 1 in wins, and they're No. 3. They're two-and-a-half hours away. It makes complete sense. "Jim and [Notre Dame head coach] Brian Kelly, and [ND athletic director] Jack Swarbrick and I, believe that as well, and we were able to get it done for these next two years, and hopefully in the future to get the series back on the schedule. "This game is important. Where we can, we'd like to open up with or have in our season great non-conference competition. The plan is to win. If we do, obviously, in the media's eyes, we've jump-started the conversation into the playoff, but there are 11 other games to be played. "If we don't win, we've got work to do in order to get back in the conversation. To me, it's worth however it goes. The opportunity for Michigan and Notre Dame to play in football is worth the risk." The Wolverine: It appears, the way both teams are sched- uled out in the future, that a return to a 1978-2014 type of series can't be managed in the foreseeable future. Is that accurate? Q&A With Director Of Athletics Warde Manuel Michigan and Notre Dame haven't played since the 2014 game, a 31-0 loss in South Bend, but it was important to both Manuel and head foot- ball coach Jim Harbaugh to restart the rivalry. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL