The Jim Harbaugh Show officially gets started on Thursday night, and FOX Sports 1 is pumped. The network even dressed a bus in Harbaugh’s signature khakis to take it on a tour in celebration of Michigan’s season opener against Utah.
How to watch Michigan vs. Utah on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
Jim Harbaugh time is finally here, but Utah is no cupcake.
Make no mistake though, Utah is no cupcake. After a few years of finding its footing in the Pac-12, the Utes are a legitimate contender in one of the toughest divisions in the nation, the Pac-12 South, after finishing 9-4 in 2014. When the Utes traveled to face Michigan in 2014, they came away with a 26-10 win.
The former Stanford and San Francisco 49ers head coach is about as close to a sure thing as you can hire in college football, but turning around a 5-7 program might not happen overnight. Still, Utah’s only a 5-point home favorite.
Either way, expectations will be high and Harbaugh has turned things around quickly for teams in the past, so an early test will either go a long way toward anointing him as a savior or forcing Michigan fans to realize that even Harbaugh has a project on his hands.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: Thursday, Sept. 3, 8:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1 (Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Molly McGrath)
Online streaming: FOX Sports Go
Three big things to know
- Both Michigan and Utah received votes in the AP Poll, but not enough to crack the top 25. The Utes were the closer of the two with 36 votes compared to just two for Michigan, still a win for either team could be enough to catapult into the rankings, or at least climb right to the doorstep.
- Utah really, really likes their senior running back Devontae Booker. So much so that the team started a #BookerForHeisman campaign three months ago. After 1,512 rushing yards and First Team Pac-12 honors last year, Utah will want to put Booker on national display against Michigan.
- That said, Michigan was strong against the run in 2014. While the Wolverines offense finished No. 62 in the nation at running the ball and No. 109 at passing, it was much better on defense, allowing just 117.7 rushing yards per game. Only 13 teams allowed fewer rushing yards, so it could be tough sledding for Booker against D.J. Durkin’s defense.
Further reading
For more on Michigan, visit Maize n Brew. For more on Utah, check out Block U.
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