Ohio State and Michigan is a rivalry built on mutual respect, but after the lead up to this year’s game, that may no longer be the case between the two arch rivals.
Asked Monday whether he respect Ohio State and head coach Ryan Day, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh declined to answer the question, instead talking about the team’s preparation for The Game.
“It’s all about our preparation for Ohio,” he said. “The days, the minutes, the hours, everything leading up to this game, that’s where our focus is: preparing ourselves and planning. We’re going to practice then execute. Anything else is irrelevant when it comes to this big game week.”
Day was asked the same question on Tuesday about his respect for Harbaugh and Michigan’s coaching staff – which has been under fire in recent weeks for the program’s alleged sign-stealing scandal – and also declined to give a straightforward answer.
“With everything going on and all of the things that are out there, we have stayed away from the distractions and focused on our team,” he said. “We’re just going to continue to do that.”
Day did, however, talk about the general respect he has for the rivalry, indicating that he and the program show respect by preparing for the rivalry game every day of the year.
