Michigan vs. Everybody: Amidst Football Scandal, Michiganders Have A Message For The Rest Of The Country

The University of Michigan’s college football team is on fire.

The Wolverines are undefeated this season and are in the driver's seat on the path to the playoffs and a National Championship. This follows years of recent success. In 2021, the team dominated their arch-rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes, 47-27, and went on to win the Big-10 conference – their first outright conference title since 2003.

In 2022, the team beat both of their rivals, Ohio State and Michigan State. Michigan finished with a perfect 12-0 regular season, going on to bring home a 2nd conference championship and a playoff berth. The Wolverines dropped a heartbreakingly close semifinal to TCU, 45-51.

Much of this success has come from the leadership of the Wolverine's coach, Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh, a former quarterback for Michigan, took the reigns in 2015, returning to coaching college ball after a successful run with the 49rs.

His system has begun to pay off, with the last two seasons being some of the most successful in Wolverine history.

Allegations And Suspension

Harbaugh has found himself and his team in the midst of a scandal. The coach has been accused of running a sign-stealing operation. There is an ongoing investigation by the NCAA, but the Big 10 commission suspended Harbaugh for the remaining three games of the regular season.

In a statement, the Big 10 commissioner said the decision was for "conducting an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years, resulting in an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition."

Harbaugh and Michigan have maintained this as an unfair and aggressive move that did not allow for due process. Michigan released a statement saying, "Like all members of the Big Ten Conference, we are entitled to a fair, deliberate, and thoughtful process to determine the full set of facts before a judgment is rendered."

Michigan Vs Everbody

The ever-loyal Michigan fans are not happy. Fans allege the controversy over sign stealing was unfairly pinned on Jim Harbaugh and Michigan – indeed, there have been reports of this being a much more widespread and systemic issue across the Big 10 –  according to many Michiganders.

This has led to a new rallying cry "Michigan vs. Everybody". A slogan that fits the heart and ethos of Michigan and Detroit perfectly. 

The slogan can now be seen on official gear being sold at the M Denn in Ann Arbor and online. The gear comes from a partnership with the apparel company Detroit vs. Everybody and Valiant Management Group, a Michigan NIL collective run by former Wolverine Jared Wangler.  A portion of the proceeds from the sales will go directly to the student-athletes on the team. 

The rallying cry has caught on, with Detroiters and Michiganders across the state showing their support on social media. Michigan men’s basketball coach Juwan Howard, for instance, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Michigan vs. Everybody! #isupportCoachHarbaugh.”

You can check out the gear here.

Photo by Alex Mertz on Unsplash.