INDIANAPOLIS — It happened to just be a coincidence, but Michigan’s point total on Saturday was not lost on Jim Harbaugh.
The Wolverines beat Iowa, 42-3, to capture the Big Ten championship at Lucas Oil Stadium, and their final touchdown and extra point conversion prompted the head coach to do a double take.
“It hit me when I came over to talk to Aidan (Hutchinson),” Harbaugh said. “That’s up 42 up there.”
The No. 42 was the jersey number worn by Tate Myre, one of the four students killed in the Oxford High School shooting on Tuesday. Michigan wore a special patch on their jerseys to memorialize the teen, “a football player, wrestler — best athlete in the school,” Harbaugh said.
It was reported that Myre tried ambushing the shooter, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, in order to save his fellow classmates. The ‘O’ shaped patch included Myre’s initials, “TM,” No. 42 and four blue hearts, one for each of the four students killed in the incident.
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“Best athlete in the school could have easily made it out of that school, and been the first one out,” Harbaugh said. “But you just know that while people were running away from that gunfire, he was running in to it. He’s a hero.”
Michigan invited members of the Myre family to the Big Ten championship game on Saturday, and they were part of the pre-game coin toss. As it turns out, the idea for the gesture came from Hutchinson, a senior defensive end from Plymouth, Mich., who approached Harbaugh earlier in the week about dedicating the game to Myre.
“I’m glad that our players got soul, too,” Harbaugh said. “They’ve got big hearts. Incredible guys.”
Asked if Michigan would continue wearing the No. 42 patch on their jerseys in the College Football Playoff, Harbaugh looked to Hutchinson, who quickly said, “Sure, let’s do it.”
“Absolutely,” Harbaugh responded.