Michigan buys into Jim Harbaugh's no-nonsense approach to bowl prep
— -- FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Michigan players saw the videos of their opponents cruising through the ocean on Jet Skis Tuesday, around the time they were schlepping between a late afternoon practice and another set of team meetings.
The Wolverines realize their all-work approach to bowl week is a little bit different, but they think the extra time will be worth it.
No. 6 Michigan will face No. 11 Florida State in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Friday, Dec. 30. The two teams arrived in South Florida over the weekend. While the Seminoles have taken part in some of the non-football activities planned for the programs this week, Michigan and coach Jim Harbaugh have opted out to keep themselves focused on game preparation.
"I mean, Jet Skis would be cool," senior nose tackle Ryan Glasgow said Wednesday morning. "You always want to have fun, but it's kind of an instant gratification versus delayed gratification type of deal. Do you buckle down during the week and try your hardest to win? Or do you have fun during the week and leave it up to chance a little bit more?"
Since he arrived in Ann Arbor two years ago this week, Harbaugh has frequently talked to his team about the "battle rhythm" of preparing for games. That has often meant spending as much time as the NCAA will allow on the practice field and in meetings. His approach to the trip didn't come as much of a shock to anyone on the roster.
The Wolverines took a similar work ethic to their appearance in last year's Citrus Bowl and beat Florida 41-7 after a week of full-intensity practices. Senior cornerback Jourdan Lewis said a month of prep work for the Gators left their defense feeling as prepared as they ever have been for an opponent.
"It's worth it," he said. "We understand it's worth it. We really understand what [Florida] wanted to do against us personnel-wise and schematically. And we went out there and executed. Hopefully we see the same results on the 30th."
The Michigan players will attend a team dinner at a Brazilian steakhouse in South Beach on Wednesday night, and they hung out with local kids at a Dave & Buster's earlier this week, but the moments to relax have been fewer and farther between than most college players have during their weeks at various bowl locations.
Offensive lineman Kyle Kalis said the extra workload came as a bit of a shock last year, but the expectations have remained consistent during Harbaugh's first two seasons at Michigan. The veteran-laden roster now views the intense preparation as the work of a coaching staff that is trying to teach its players how to prepare like professionals.
"They always say they're trying to prepare us for the next level, and it really feels like that," Kalis said. "We're still in college, but it feels next level already. It feels almost like a job. That's how it should be. It's like a job, so we go about it like that."
Kalis said he and his classmates will get their chance to have some fun in Miami on New Year's Eve after the business at hand is finished.
The downside, of course, is that opting for that delayed gratification doesn't guarantee anything for the Wolverines' chances of knocking off a Florida State team that won four straight games in November. Michigan players said after winning 10 games in each of the last two years, they have faith that the wait will pay off.
