Michigan football ‘motivated’ for East Carolina without Jim Harbaugh

Michigan football is going to be without head coach Jim Harbaugh this week and the Wolverines have pledged that they will be “motivated.” 

The one thing I know is that I wouldn’t want to play the Michigan football team this week.

Normally, this is a great week for final predictions and whatnot, as we lead up to the first game of the 2023 Michigan football season.

And trust me, we have done plenty of those. We think the Wolverines are going undefeated, that the offensive line will be even better, and that the defense is going to be elite.

While I feel confident in those predictions, I feel even more confident saying that Michigan football will be extremely motivated against East Carolina on Saturday.

I know that because that is what the Wolverines have promised. Blake Corum said it first back at Big Ten Media Days that Michigan football was going to play for its head coach and have his back.

Cornelius Johnson said it again on Monday. This was after Harbaugh told the local media that missing these three games was like taking “a bat to his kneecaps” as opposed to a slap on the wrist.

"“Definitely motivation,” Cornelius Johnson said about the suspensions. “We need a lot of leaders on this team throughout the season. We’ve always talked about that. Obviously, we have coaches and captains, but it really trickles down to just leading yourself, making sure you’re holding yourself accountable, taking someone else one on one or talking to a whole group of people. Just having leaders on the team is what we’re going to focus back on when it gets hard.”"

Michigan football will have to overcome challenges

Even though Michigan should roll against East Carolina, a team that won eight games a season ago, it won’t necessarily be a cakewalk.

East Carolina is a program that’s on the rise and there is definitely talent there from the program in the American Conference. DC Jesse Minter is going to be the interim head coach. Kirk Campbell will also be calling the plays sinceSherrone Moore will miss the game due to suspension.

Harbaugh confirmed that Campbell will call the plays. We’ll see what that means for J.J. McCarthy and the passing game, but I don’t see the Wolverines wavering from what has worked, which is the running game and I don’t see East Carolina being able to stop it.

Michgan should dominate in the trenches and I believe they will be on their way to a dominating performance from what will be a motivated team.