Jim Harbaugh feeling the love from Michigan team, fans as he serves suspension

Jim Harbaugh felt the love in Ann Arbor, even if he wasn’t allowed to coach Michigan’s Week 1 game.

As Harbaugh serves a self-imposed suspension to begin the season, Wolverines quarterback JJ McCarthy wore a “Free Harbaugh” shirt, which was seen as he came off the team bus. Additionally, players lined up for the first play on the field in a straight line and held up four fingers, Harbaugh’s college jersey number.

Speaking with the media on Monday, Harbaugh explained how it warmed his heart to see what his players did for him, as well as what the support of the fanbase as a whole means to him.

“Personally, I felt the love too, which was great from our team and the Michigan faithful. … I felt the love from them just doing them. I could see it in our players. I could see it in our coaches. That’s what I want them to do. I want them to do them,” explained Harbaugh. “Do you, that’s the way we say it around here. I saw them having fun.

“Saw them executing and playing good, and felt the love from them and the Michigan faithful.”

Alas, Jim Harbaugh has earned some love from Michigan faithful for their performance over the last couple of seasons, even if some may think what they did over last weekend was a little much.

Nevertheless, Michigan was able to find victory in dominating fashion, and they’ll hope to keep rolling until their coach can return to the sidelines.

Paul Finebaum calls Michigan out for handling of Jim Harbaugh’s absence in opening game

Continuing, one person who Jim Harbaugh has never felt much love from is none other than SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum.

In true Finebaum fashion, he said what Michigan did in Week 1 for Harbaugh was a little over the top, and he made no bones about it.

“Yeah, and this isn’t a case where the NCAA forbade a star for North Carolina or LSU from playing a game, this was agreed upon,” Finebaum said on the Matt Barrie Show. “This was self imposed. So I mean, Michigan fans, I realize you live in a different world up there in southern Canada, but the point being, talk to your athletic director or talk to your president, those are the cats that came up with that idea.”

Moreover, neither Harbaugh nor offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore coached Week 1, but Moore will return next week and be the acting head coach until Harbaugh finishes his three game suspension.

Perhaps this is the end of Michigan’s antics or it might continue for the next two games. It certainly brought attention to the situation and the players made it clear how they feel.

On the flip side of things, Finebaum makes a good point. This was indeed a self-imposed suspension.

On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this article.

The post Jim Harbaugh feeling the love from Michigan team, fans as he serves suspension appeared first on On3.