There were several signs that rivalry week had arrived at Schembechler Hall on Monday as coach Jim Harbaugh and select players spoke ahead of No. 6 Michigan football's game Saturday against No. 7 Michigan State.
In Harbaugh’s case, rivalry week was met with a heightened terseness when fielding questions. He was more short-winded than usual and declined to elaborate on a larger percentage of inquiries compared to his normal Monday news conferences.
For the players, rivalry week meant detailing their mental approach to a game that doubles as both an in-state showdown and Michigan’s initial crack at a ranked opponent this season.