Jim Harbaugh and the return of bully ball

On the night of Jan. 8, Jim Harbaugh finished his story. This year, he delivered a rare gift to his alma mater: he won a consensus national championship. Even Harbaugh’s mentor, the legendary Bo Schembechler, couldn’t get the Michigan Wolverines higher than a No. 2 ranking in the final polls. The win-at-all-costs and widely-disliked Harbaugh, who was suspended for three games earlier this season by Michigan for recruiting violations and another three by the NCAA for improperly scouting opponents, did it Schembechler’s old-fashioned way: he rammed it down everyone’s throats, with a smash-mouth running game and a defense laden with NFL size and speed.