Paul Finebaum recommends Jim Harbaugh lightens up at Michigan

Paul Finebaum wants Jim Harbaugh to lighten up a bit at Michigan, for some reason or another. The Wolverines are 4-0 this season following a 31-7 win over Rutgers in Harbaugh’s return to the sidelines.

Why does Finebaum want Harbaugh to lighten up? That’s anyone’s guess. Maybe he takes himself too seriously in the ESPN commentator’s eyes?

We’ll let the one they call “Pawl” explain this one.

“I was watching SportsCenter earlier and he came on and my wife said ‘why is that guy so mad,’” Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show. “For a guy that’s making $9 million a year and has one of the best jobs in college football, I don’t understand the angry face all the time. I mean, it’s just Jim. I mean, he’s not being held hostage or something. You don’t have to do this job if you don’t like it. 

“So I recommend to Jim to lighten up. That program made it a couple of weeks without him. Not much different with him and talk about when are they ever going to play a good team? I’m waiting for that one too. There’s a few on the schedule, but it doesn’t seem like we’ve seen Michigan tested at all.”

Michigan defeated East Carolina, UNLV, Bowling Green and opened up Big Ten play with Rutgers. Spoiler alert, Michigan won all four games.

Does Finebaum want Harbaugh to lighten up because the Wolverines played a “cupcake schedule?” Maybe. But we don’t exactly know.

However, Harbaugh and Michigan went into the game against Rutgers with a lot of respect for Greg Schiano and crew.

Harbaugh credited his defense for stepping up in the win after trailing early.

“Well they stepped up big time and made the plays, the fourth downs you referred to, some big third down stops as well,” Harbaugh said

“Got the ball back for the offense made a huge play by Mike Sainristill. The difference maker right here. When you need somebody to make the magic happen, this guy right here does it right here.”

Sainristill added more context to what he saw on his game-changing play, a pick-six to go up 24-7.

“We were in man coverage,” Sainristill said. “The guy I was covering showed me like he was going to pick Will Johnson. Soon as I saw it developing, I just turned my eyes to the quarterback. I knew No. 1 was coming back in. I saw the ball thrown, I knew it was go time.”