Ann Arbor — It’s unconventional, almost unheard of. In a normal situation, with a normal schedule, nobody does it. But in this rare situation, Jim Harbaugh sees a rare chance to push the possibilities.
There’s some risk in the plan — starting incumbent quarterback Cade McNamara in Saturday’s opener against Colorado State, then flipping to J.J. McCarthy for the second game against Hawaii, then continuing the evaluation. Could it divide the team? Could it damage the confidence of either quarterback? I suppose.
But as No. 8 Michigan prepares for its opener against Colorado State, here’s why Harbaugh is doing it: Because the payoff could be huge.