Ban over for thrilled Harbaugh, but ‘I never left’
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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh watched Saturday’s win over Ohio State from home, alongside his wife and others, sharing hugs and high-fives while witnessing “a glorious moment” for his team.
Harbaugh is set to return to the sideline Saturday night for the Big Ten championship against No. 17 Iowa after serving a Big Ten-imposed three-game suspension that stemmed from a prohibited signal-stealing operation led by former staff member Connor Stalions.
The third-ranked Wolverines won all three games during Harbaugh’s latest suspension, which was limited only to game days.
“My emotions, my focus has been with the team the entire time,” Harbaugh said Sunday. “It’s been a tremendous season, right in the exact position that we hoped for, that we worked so hard to be in. It’s onward now. We’ve accomplished many of our goals, but not all of them yet. … The next is winning the conference championship, so that’s where our focus is.
“I would say it’s good to be back, but I never left.”
Harbaugh noted the enthusiasm on Sunday inside Schembechler Hall, Michigan’s football building, after beating their archrival for the third straight time after losing 15 of the previous 16 games in the series. The ninth-year Michigan coach called safety Rod Moore‘s game-clinching interception of Kyle McCord in the final minute “one of the happiest moments of my life.”
With the victory, Michigan became the first Big Ten team ever to win 30 consecutive regular-season games.
After watching Saturday’s win, Harbaugh went to a local hospital to visit with offensive lineman Zak Zinter, who suffered a broken fibula and tibia in the game and underwent surgery Saturday night. The coach commended Zinter’s toughness in dealing with the injury, which he described as “the best worst-case scenario.”
Harbaugh also praised offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, who stepped in as acting head coach during the suspension, and a “very, very special team” that he felt best exemplifies the famous quote from his coach at Michigan, Hall of Famer Bo Schembechler.
“The team, the team, the team — it just rings so loud,” Harbaugh said. “It was not one guy. All guys, the entire team, the way they played, and it was offense complementing the defense, the defense complementing the offense, the special teams as well. Everything was really run clean and precise, highly disciplined football, and a clean game, both sides.”
Harbaugh reiterated his desire for college athletes to be paid, noting the number of commercials and other marketing leading up to and during the Ohio State game. He said he would continue to use his voice to advocate for athlete compensation, and said he would “take less money for the players to have a share,” and encouraged other coaches to also use their platforms.
Michigan made history during Harbaugh’s suspension by becoming the first program to win 1,000 games. The Wolverines’ 1,002nd win would mark another milestone, as they have never won three consecutive outright Big Ten titles.
“It’d mean a great deal,” Harbaugh said. “This team, it’s a true team, selfless, they play for each other. If you’re wondering what’s in another man’s heart on this team, it’s about each other.”
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz on Sunday said wide receivers Diante Vines and Kaleb Brown both “have a chance” to play against Michigan. The two have combined for 26 receptions, 276 yards and two touchdowns this season.
Iowa’s offense has lost a number of key players to injury, including its two transfers from Michigan, quarterback Cade McNamara and tight end Erick All. The Hawkeyes lost to Michigan in the 2021 Big Ten title game.
“Whether it’s the championship game, in 25 years, we’ve been underdogs an awful lot,” Ferentz said. “It’s not unfamiliar territory for us.”
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Ball State fired coach Mike Neu, the school announced Saturday. The Cardinals are 3-7.
Neu was 40-63 in nine seasons at Ball State. Neu led the Cardinals to the MAC title in 2020, which was his only winning season at Ball State.
Sources told ESPN that the staff was informed of Neu’s dismissal early Saturday.
Offensive line coach Colin Johnson will serve as the interim head coach for the last two games, athletic director Jeff Mitchell said in a statement. Ball State hosts Bowling Green on Nov. 23 then plays at Ohio on Nov. 29.
Neu, 53, is a beloved alum with a strong campus reputation, but the lack of results ultimately led to his dismissal. Ball State lost 51-48 in overtime at Buffalo this week and fell to 2-4 in MAC play.
That clinched a fourth consecutive losing season for Ball State.
“Coach Neu has poured his heart into the Ball State football program,” Mitchell said in the statement. “I commend him for his professionalism and the positive team culture he has constructed. His efforts have greatly impacted the lives of hundreds of young men. He has represented the Ball State brand with integrity and class, and I wish him well in future pursuits.”
Neu led Ball State to two bowl games. That included a win over San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl to conclude the 2020 season, when Ball State finished 7-1 and won its first MAC title since 1996.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein will not play against No. 20 Clemson on Saturday, with redshirt junior Nate Yarnell getting the start for the Panthers.
Holstein hadn’t been cleared medically, sources said, and was considered a game-time decision by coach Pat Narduzzi after leaving two of Pitt’s past three games following apparent head injuries. Holstein took part in warmups Saturday.
Yarnell, who lost a camp battle to Holstein, will make his first start this season and fourth in his career for the Panthers. He has a 2-1 record as a starter, with wins over Western Michigan (2022) and Boston College (2023) and a loss to Duke (2023).
Yarnell has a strong amount of experience for a backup, as he has thrown for 1,104 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career. That includes a 65.3% completion percentage and an average of 8.9 yards per attempt. This season, he has thrown for five touchdowns and two interceptions while playing in the past three games.
Holstein has been a revelatory player for the Panthers under new offensive coordinator Kade Bell. Holstein, a transfer from Alabama, has thrown for 17 touchdowns with six interceptions.
Pittsburgh has the country’s No. 16 scoring offense at 36.7 points per game. That’s up from No. 114 last season, when it averaged 20.2 points.
Holstein has completed 61.9% of his passes and thrown for 2,174 yards.
Indiana has agreed to a contract extension with Curt Cignetti amid the Hoosiers’ unprecedented 10-0 start, the school announced Saturday.
Cignetti’s new eight-year contract runs through the 2032 season and will pay him an average of $8 million per year with an annual $1 million retention bonus, putting the total value of the new contract at $72 million.
“I am beyond appreciative for the tremendous commitment, confidence, and support from President Pam Whitten and Athletic Director Scott Dolson,” Cignetti said in a statement. “Manette [his wife] and I love Bloomington and are grateful for how the IU community has embraced us. I look forward to leading this outstanding program and doing my part to continue the momentum for Hoosier football.”
Cignetti originally received a six-year, $27 million contract when he was hired in December. He took the Indiana job after leading James Madison to an 11-1 season in 2023 — when he made $677,311 — with the goal of changing the Hoosiers’ historically woeful image in football.
He then led Indiana to the first 10-win season in school history and a possible push for the College Football Playoff. No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) has one more win than its combined total over the previous three seasons. Its No. 5 ranking is one spot shy of the team’s highest ever, last reached in 1967, also the last time the Hoosiers won or shared a Big Ten title.
Indiana has scored at least 40 points seven times, won nine times by 14 or more points and trailed only twice briefly all season.
“We were confident IU could become a winning program and we love what he’s building here,” Dolson said in a statement. “We love the student-athletes that he’s bringing here. We love how our fanbase has rallied around this team and made Memorial Stadium the place to be on Saturday afternoons. And now, we love the fact that he’s going to be doing all those things right here in Bloomington for a long, long time.”
A source told ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg that Indiana will also significantly increase the pool for Cignetti’s assistants and staff.
The Hoosiers are on a bye this week before a pivotal matchup with No. 2 Ohio State next Saturday that could determine Indiana’s playoff hopes and a potential spot in the Big Ten championship game.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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