"built from the inside out"
"Most of the players we recruit are good enough to play for Alabama or Clemson and smart enough to play for Ivy League schools."
"athletically, academically, and culturally"
(It's) "hard to beat the cheaters.”
"Harbaugh makes two things perfectly clear from the start of his recruiting: No shortcuts will be taken and at the end of the day, Michigan isn’t for everyone."
My favorite word from the above is "culture." I did not like the culture, and many other people do not thrive in it either.
For starters, there are current residents, students, and players like Donovan Peoples-Jones, Lavert Hill, Josh Ross, and Mike Onwenu who thrive there. Expand geographically a little and the list includes Ben Bredeson, further still there are people like Shea Patterson and Nico Collins. Another path is legacies like Jon Runyon, Jr.
Under Harbaugh the diversity--and necessarily the brand--has broadened and improved. The football roster now includes top players from California, Oklahoma, Georgia, Colorado, Nevada, and Florida. It is really impressive what Harbaugh has done in terms of the composition of the team.
Many of them are upperclassmen and leaders---Kemp, Bredeson, and Hudson. It is pretty clear one does not reach such a position unless they are all in. They are following players like Chase Winowich.
Harbaugh, for all the transition and attrition, has groomed that. In several cases, students and players have graduated and then transferred---Nolan Ulizio, Brandon Peters, and Ben St. Juste. Harbaugh and Michigan did the right thing there too.
Others have transferred and some hold a grudge. The culture was not for them. Among these, the culture may have included the depth chart (e.g., Oliver Martin, who has not complained).
Overall, Harbaugh has built a deep team. Perhaps more importantly, it is team of players who want to be there. The combination is certain to provide an exciting and very good team in 2019. Maybe it will also result in a Big Ten Championship.
That game, the 2015 Citrus Bowl played in 2016, was the last positive ending to a Harbaugh season. Coach pulled a coup and brought in an experienced QB as a grad transfer. By the end of the year he was on target to excellent receivers in Darboh, Chesson, and Butt.
Still the team played ram-ball with DeVeon Smith, fullbacks, and tight ends.
Of course it was Brady Hoke's team. The defense, particularly the line, was stout. The secondary began to develop with Jourdan Lewis and others.
6.5-2.25. That is the average Big Ten record over the 4 years. 6-2 would be the same record as 2015.
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