Jim Harbaugh, Kalen DeBoer share approaches to preparation ahead of national championship
Jim Harbaugh and Kalen DeBoer held a press conference on Sunday ahead of Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
The coaches both spoke about their teams’ preparations for the big game. Both teams returned home and rested after their semifinal playoff games, and they explained how that helped.
“We decided to fly right back after the game in Pasadena. Felt like it saved us some hours, get back to Ann Arbor, get rest in our own beds,” Harbaugh explained. “Allowed a lot of the guys to sleep in each day. And then Friday traveled here. That approach really, it was the same — we try to duplicate an in-season week as far as the preparation, what we do on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.”
The Wolverines defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide on New Year’s Day in Pasadena.
“I think we’re in a good place. I feel like we had a really good practice yesterday. Guys were in rhythm, ready to go. And one more day to polish and we’ll sleep in tomorrow, see if we can’t cut the day a little bit in half, and make it into our routine for game day. But that’s probably more similar than it was different,” Harbaugh said.
DeBoer said that his Huskies stayed the night in New Orleans while the coaching staff went back to Seattle to work on the gameplan.
“I think with our Sugar Bowl being such a late game and us actually gaining hours going back to Seattle, we just stayed the night there,” DeBoer explained. “Sent the coaching staff back early, right after the game, let them get to work on the plan.”
DeBoer also said he feels like his team has had good practices and has gotten a feel for the facility.
“Brought some good juice to our guys and had a nice, clean practice. And gotta continue to build and have a great day today leading up to tomorrow,” said DeBoer.
The Huskies and Wolverines will kick off from Houston at 4:30 p.m. PT on Monday.