Goodman: About that time Nick Saban (and me) made Jim Harbaugh squirm in his pants

Published On:

Use Joe’s free newsletter, SPORTS, to stay hydrated! Happy Hour. To sign up, click this link.

This column is an opinion piece.

____________________

Those scheming dogs, Michigan would do it all over again.

The Wolverines were finally hit with some pointless sanctions by the NCAA for the Connor Stalions sign-stealing incident. Nobody is interested. As with all those show-cause penalties, the fines imposed on Michigan last week are essentially meaningless.

Was giving Nick Saban a crushing defeat in his last game worth $20 million? It’s not even a question for Michigan supporters.

In Ann Arbor, Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines will always be toasted, despite their national taint.

Harbaugh was exonerated.

In Michigan, Stalions is a cult favorite.

Oh, and ESPN and the College Football Playoffs were profitable.

Who, then, lost?

Above all, Saban’s Alabama, followed by Kalen DeBoer’s Washington Huskies.

We all know what transpired when the Crimson Tide and Michigan faced up in the 2023 playoff semifinals. The Tide’s offense struggled near the goal line in overtime, as Alabama was unable to halt Michigan’s running attack.

It was heartbreaking to watch Saban’s farewell game.

After Michigan’s crushing victory over Washington in the title game, Saban announced his retirement and DeBoer moved to Tuscaloosa from Washington.

Now as the 2025 college football season is approaching, the NCAA is feeling harsh once more.

All of those fines and recruiting penalties are being appealed by Michigan. Perhaps they remain. Perhaps they prevent Michigan from making it to the postseason in the upcoming years. But history cannot be changed.

Michigan and Harbaugh would do it all over again.

It should never have been permitted for them to participate in the 2023 College Football Playoff, but that is already history.

The NCAA’s enforcement arm will be remembered as a farce despite the flimsy organization’s attempt to show off its power on Friday. Why? because nobody wants to abide by the rules. The fans, no. The coaches, no. Not the presidents of the universities. The conferences, no. Not even the rule-makers themselves.

Michigan wouldn’t have been participating in the 2023 postseason if anyone was concerned about cheating.

Always be aware of this. We enjoy college football because it’s a lawless nirvana of money, anarchy, and American culture. Therefore, no one in Michigan will ever feel guilty about stealing all those wins and the 2023 national championship since the sport will never be fair or pure.

especially Harbaugh, who was unable to coach collegiate football until 2038 because of his wild behavior while with the Wolverines. Since he is sixty-one, it is rather safe to assume that he will never do it again.

However, why is Harbaugh concerned about the death penalty? Nothing at all. He received a reward for making fun of the NCAA. Before he even lifted the 2023 national championship trophy, Harbaugh received a job offer from the Los Angeles Chargers.

At least someone made Harbaugh squirm in his khakis back in 2023, even though he never met with the NCAA’s investigators.

I have the footage to show that it was Nick Saban and me.

Harbaugh had to feel uncomfortable. The day before the 2023 Rose Bowl, I had my chance, and I was successful.

Here’s how I made Jim Harbaugh cringe on national television.

A dual news conference including the head coaches of both teams is the last press conference prior to the College Football Playoff semifinals. The purpose of the TV cameras is to provide ESPN with new content the day before the major games.

For print reporters, it’s usually a total waste of thirty minutes. But not this time.

The microphone was handed to me for the last question before to the game, while Harbaugh and Saban sat side by side on the dais.

I asked Saban a question instead of Harbaugh, who would have shrugged off any questions about his sign-stealing issue.

Nick, are you worried about Michigan’s sign-stealing activities? If so, what has Alabama done to stop some of that?

Harbaugh’s eyes became glazed.

You got it.

“No,” responded Saban, “I don’t think we’re worried about that.” Our squad has had every chance to prepare for this game, just like the opposing team, and I believe that integrity in the game is quite crucial. Hopefully, the NFL system will eventually allow you to speak with a man wearing a helmet. That would be much better, in my opinion, but for the time being, we simply need to adjust and switch up our communication with the quarterback so as not to disadvantage our guys.

Harbaugh had the opportunity to react to being called a cheater in front of the world, but he chose to remain silent and quickly left the press conference.

But don’t forget. Harbaugh was not supposed to be there. That’s on the College Football Playoff, which permitted Michigan to play in the Rose Bowl despite the NCAA’s ongoing probe.

There is nothing that college football likes more than a sideline rascal wearing filthy khakis, thus cheaters will always win.

LISTEN

Have a query for Joe? Do you want to talk about something? Tell Joe what’s on your mind in an email. Make your voice known. You can ask him anything.

The book We Want Bama: A Season of Hope and the Making of Nick Saban’s Ultimate Team was written by Joseph Goodman, who is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group.

Leave a Comment