Jim Harbaugh Calls Hatred Between Michigan, Ohio State 'Very Manufactured'

The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is one of the most historic rivalries in all of sports, but Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh believes the perception of a shared hatred between the two teams has been created by people outside of the team facilities.

"I'm not going to go as far as to say contrived, but it is hyped up to no ends," Harbaugh said Monday, per ESPN's Tom VanHaaren. "And these are student-athletes that are young kids, young adults, that are playing this game. And all we ask them to do is go out there and play the very best. I think that it's very manufactured for the TV show that people want to watch and see."

Michigan defeated Ohio State this past Saturday 30-24 to remain undefeated at 12-0 and clinch a spot in the Big Ten title game. Harbaugh was not on the sidelines, as it was the final game of his three-game suspension related to an investigation into an alleged sign-stealing operation by former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions.

Wolverines offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore served as interim head coach in Harbaugh's place once again, and Harbaugh was more than pleased with what he saw.

"I'm not saying that I'm in a position of granting who a Michigan man is or who isn't, or who a Michigan legend is, or is not," Harbaugh said. "[I'm] not the maker of those two lists, but I have nominated people before and I nominate Sherrone Moore as a Michigan legend."

While rivalry week has long been the most exciting time of the college football season, Harbaugh believes the way television networks hype up these games only creates more pressure for the players.

"It's not healthy. It's not healthy for the student-athletes on either side when you're trying to put that much [pressure]," Harbaugh said. "That somebody's practically thinking it's life or death ... I would say it's not healthy for the young people."

Michigan will play in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday in a primetime matchup against Iowa.