Michigan football gave coach Jim Harbaugh the most unnecessary tribute as he serves a self-imposed three-game suspension for allegedly violating NCAA recruiting rules on COVID-19 and other “impermissible coaching activities.”
After a planned agreement fell apart between Harbaugh and the NCAA for a four-game suspension for reported violations of recruiting during a COVID-19 dead period and other charges, Michigan self-imposed on Harbaugh a three-game sidelining as a show of admitted guilt.
Ahead of Saturday’s home bout against East Carolina, quarterback J.J. McCarthy showed up wearing and warmed up in a homemade “Free Harbaugh” shirt, aided by a marker and piece of tape above the coach’s name.
J.J. McCarthy is wearing a "FREE HARBAUGH" shirt while warming up for Michigan 〽️👀 pic.twitter.com/tKbCQEsMj6
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 2, 2023
And then during the game, Michigan’s offense decided to give its self-suspended coach a really corny tribute by getting in a line and reportedly holding up four fingers, seemingly a nod to Harbaugh’s number when he was a Michigan quarterback.
Michigan players put up 4 fingers before their play as a tribute to coach Jim Harbaugh, who is suspended and not at the game.
🎥: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/hZO7UGSVTM
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) September 2, 2023
This is clearly the most ridiculous possible way for Michigan’s players to support Harbaugh, whose program thought it would be proper to suspend its own coach without the NCAA’s help.
As you could imagine, college football fans were not having this seriously silly show of solidarity.