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Tom VanHaaren, ESPN Staff Writer
EAST LANSING, Michigan — Despite an NCAA investigation into alleged sign stealing, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and his players said there was a laser focus within the program this week.
Michigan played in-state rival Michigan State and came away with a convincing 49-0 victory on Saturday. Harbaugh said his players never let the reports or investigation permeate their preparation and how they took on this opponent.
“I think there’s been attempts to diminish the team in a lot of ways,” Harbaugh said after the game. “‘Starting with this is too easy of a schedule. These guys aren’t very good.’ And that kind of thing. But they just play, and they’ll do that again today, we’ll get on to the next one and move on with humble hearts.
“Their focus was laser, laser like. Staying strong, focused, just on a mission.”
The NCAA is investigating Michigan for allegedly scouting future opponents in person at games, which would be a violation of NCAA rules. Michigan has since suspended staffer Connor Stalions, who is the focus of the investigation.
Despite the news coming out this week, Harbaugh and his players said it wasn’t a distraction and didn’t limit their goal of winning this game.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy said that Harbaugh did address the team this week about the allegations, but there was no rah-rah speech given. It was a message of staying focused on the task at hand and not letting outside noise take away from their season.
“We do a tremendous job of keeping the main thing the main thing and staying in the present moment,” McCarthy said. “Controlling what we can control, just striving to get better and we know this is a special group. We just strive every single day to see how good we can really get, and all the outside distractions and all the allegations against Coach Harbaugh, that doesn’t do anything to us, because we’re just out there trying to play ball, have fun with our boys.”
Tight end Colston Loveland echoed McCarthy, adding that the Wolverines believed they had to stay focused to remain undefeated.
“Really had a single mindset of getting prepared, beating State. That was pretty much, if anyone around the building wanted to talk about anything else, they didn’t want to,” Harbaugh said. “They wanted to just talk about the game, preparation and practice and get ready to play and execute and I thought they played their best. We have a little saying around here that says what you do speaks so loudly, we can’t even hear what you’re saying.”
