Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh: 'We get to entertain America Dec. 31'
Michigan will face Georgia in the New Year’s Eve 2021 Orange Bowl with an NCAA title game appearance on the line. The Wolverines arrived in Miami Christmas day to beautiful weather and high expectations.
Among themselves, anyway. Many believe the Bulldogs will roll, and the point spread (Georgia -8.5 as of Dec. 25) indicates it.
RELATED
Video: Jim Harbaugh and team arrive in Miami for the Orange Bowl
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, though, came in with high hopes and a smile on his face.
“It’s a great honor to be here. It’s a great privilege,” Harbaugh said. “We get to entertain America on the 31st (of December).
“… Blue skies — very nice. I think they’ll really enjoy the weather here. We’re going to look forward to practice and getting on some grass and getting acclimated to the climate.”
Michigan players are ready for the next step
Preparing for such a big game is exactly what he envisioned when he came to Michigan, quarterback Cade McNamara added. Though not given a lot of credit for the Wolverines’ 12-1 record, the redshirt freshman has won all but one game he’s started and finished.
The focus since a Big Ten title game win over Iowa has been outstanding, the Michigan signal caller said.
“I think we’ve honestly done a really good job of picking right up where we left off at the Big Ten Championship over the last couple of weeks in practice,” he said. “As we come back here, as the environment shifts just a little bit, I think myself and the other leaders on this team are just going to do the best we can to make sure that that momentum carries into practice. However we practice, it will reflect to how we play in the game.”
And while the season has already been a success, this team has the potential to do something special. It’s “100 percent” why Michigan veteran end and captain Aidan Hutchinson returned, he said, adding “nothing is going to stop me.”
“This was the last part of [the goal],” he said. “These last two games we have, this is part of my legacy. This is part of everybody’s dream here on this team — to get this thing finished up and beat Georgia, and then go on to the National Championship.
“This is the best Christmas gift I could ask for right here. Just being here and having this opportunity with all of my teammates — I can’t wait to play with them. I can’t wait to strap it up with them and give it everything we’ve got.”
