Big Ten Media Day 1: Michigan Wolverines with lofty goals for ‘22 season

INDIANAPOLIS (WILX) - The Michigan Wolverines have lofty goals for this upcoming season.

Team 143, as quarterback Cade McNamara calls them, hopes to outdo what team 142 did last season.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh says his team has four goals this year: “To beat Ohio State and Michigan State in the same year, win the Big Ten Championship, and win the National Championship.”

The Wolverines have an uphill battle to meet all four of those goals.

Their first challenge will be beating the Michigan State Spartans.

They’re remembering that 37-33 loss on the road to the Spartans last season and have October 29th circled on their calendars for sure.

“We didn’t get it done against Michigan State, so we can’t wait for this year, at home...We’re looking forward to it,” said Senior DB D.J. Turner.

Just four short weeks later, they’ll be in Columbus, taking on the Ohio State Buckeyes.

It’s no secret that “The Game” is always one that the Wolverines want to win.

They know what that’s like and what it takes to get that done.

Still, players want nothing more than to beat them twice in a row for the first time since 2000.

“If we did nothing else, we had to beat Ohio State, we could have gone 0-11 and that last game, beat Ohio State, and I’d be happy,” said Senior TE Erick All, before laughing it off. “Obviously we don’t want that to happen, but that’s how important it was.”

Michigan has a tall task to beat both the Spartans and the Buckeyes, something they haven’t done since 2003.

Coach Harbaugh has every ounce of confidence his team can do that.

“There’s nothing I have to teach them, show them, or tell them,” he said. “I feel like I know this team really well, they don’t blink, they don’t flinch at stuff. That’s definitely our goal, to win the championship again, and we’re going to fight like hell to get that done.”

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