“He’s not dead”: CFB fans react to Michigan Wolverines players raising four fingers in the air to honor suspended coach Jim Harbaugh

The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines kickstarted their 2023 college football season Saturday with a one-sided win over the East Carolina Pirates.

The matchup saw the Wolverines dismantle East Carolina 30-3 at the Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. It was a strong performance from Michigan's offensive and defensive line.

Wolverines quarterback JJ McCarthy did not have too much of a problem leading the team on the field despite the absence of coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh is serving a three-game suspension self-imposed by Michigan for alleged recruitment violations in the COVID-19 era.

The team missed cornerback Will Johnson and safety Rod Moore in their season opener because of injuries. But it did not faze the defensive line, keeping a strong check on the Pirates and preventing them from scoring.

But in one of the fascinating moments of the game, all the Michigan Wolverines players raised four fingers in the air before the start of the first quarter. This gesture was apparently a show of honor for coach Jim Harbaugh, who will be back on the gridiron after serving his suspension.

However, some CFB fans were not too thrilled with the gesture and trolled the in-game moment on X (formerly Twitter).

One fan wrote:

"He’s not dead"

While the gesture from the Michigan players was to show their support for their suspended coach, many fans believed it was nothing but glorifying a menial situation.

However, one cannot deny that even without Harbaugh's presence, the Wolverines were on top of their game and looked like strong contenders for a College Football Playoffs spot.

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Michigan Wolverines QB JJ McCarthy wears a shirt supporting Jim Harbaugh with a cryptic message

Initially, it was believed that the NCAA agreed to impose a four-game suspension on Harbaugh for the recruitment violation allegations. However, the NCAA backed out from this agreement, leading to Michigan "self-imposing" a three-game ban on Harbaugh.

After Saturday's game against East Carolina, Coach Harbaugh will miss the team's matchups against UNLV and Bowling Green.

As the Michigan Wolverines players arrived at the Michigan Stadium on Saturday for their showdown against East Carolina, quarterback JJ McCarthy was seen sporting a T-shirt with a cryptic message for his coach.

While coming out of the bus, McCarthy wore a "Free Harbaugh" shirt to show his support for Jim Harbaugh.

The Michigan players are definitely not happy with the suspension imposed on their coach. However, they hope the self-imposed three-game ban will be enough to keep the NCAA happy, as Harbaugh may face additional punishments going into 2024.