Absent without effect

 Jim Harbaugh was not on the Michigan sideline in Happy Valley yesterday, and, man, was his absence felt. The Spyverines completely fell apart. Penn State rolled over 'em like a big wheel. Their undefeated season, their hopes for a College Football Playoff berth, it all went swirling down the Big Cosmic Toile-

I'm sorry, what?

You mean none of that happened?

You mean it was Michigan who rolled over the Penn States like a big wheel, lining up and smash-mouthing the Nittany Lions into a coma? 

Well ... yes.

Blake Corum ran for 145 yards and two scores, Donovan Edwards hoofed it 10 times for 52 yards and another six, and the Wolverines put up a stat line straight out of the Bo Schembechler archives: 46 rushes for 227 yards (a 4.9 average), with quarterback J.J. McCarthy throwing just eight passes all day. At one point in the second half, Michigan ran the football 32 straight times.

Oh, yeah. And the Spyverines cruised, 24-15.

"But I thought not having Harbaugh on the sideline was going to place Michigan at a distinct disadvantage," you're saying now. "I thought it would cause irreparable harm to the team, or whatever it was the Michigan administration said."

Nah. That was just Michigan doing a little drama-queening.

Truth is, not having your head coach on game day is not nearly as crucial as not having him during the week of preparation preceding. And Harbaugh gets to be there for that. Michigan can be as butt-hurt as it wants about the Big Ten's punishment, but frankly it's not much of a punishment.

That's because most of a head coach's important work happens during the week, not on game day. That's when you watch tape. That's when you put your game plan together. That's when you drill that game plan into your kids' heads until they can execute it in their sleep.

Game day?

Game day you turn 'em loose and just CEO whatever happens. It's an important job, but most of that job gets done by the players and the coordinators.

Look. I'm sure the Spyverines missed Harbaugh yesterday. Acting head coach Sherrone Moore made it sound as if the guy had died, the way he wept when the game was done.  And Corum said what you figured the players would say, which is that they won this game for their head coach.

Heck. You might even say not having Harbaugh there gave Michigan a we'll-show-you edge it might not have had otherwise. An unbeaten team isn't nearly as dangerous as a pissed-off undefeated team, after all.

Everyone is still waiting to see if the restraining order comes down that would put Harbaugh back on the sideline again next week at Maryland. It's pretty much a lock he will be, given that the judge ruling on the case is a former Michigan football player.

And then, by God, look out. The poor Marylands will have no chance.

I mean, not that they would anyway.