How 10 Days Made All the Difference for Sherrone Moore

Wolverine coach flipped top recruit Bryce Underwood, pummeled Northwestern and upset Ohio State to earn hero's welcome at basketball game

Photo by Derek Kornacki

Wolverine coach Sherrone Moore got things under control with big wins in recruiting and games.

By Steve Kornacki

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – What a difference 10 days can make.

Sherrone Moore was hardly a fan favorite when his Michigan football team —one win shy of bowl eligibility — prepared for Northwestern in the home finale. The Wolverines had a chance to finish with the worst record for a defending national champion in the 27 seasons since the College Football Playoff began.

But then Moore got Belleville quarterback Bryce Underwood – the nation’s No. 1 recruit – to flip from LSU. Two days later, Michigan trounced Northwestern, 50-6.

One week later, the Wolverines overcame being between 19.5- and 23.5-point underdogs to upset Ohio State, 13-10, and attract a bowl invitation to Tampa on New Year’s Eve.

It was an unbelievable 10-day turnaround.

Moore was noticed by a good number of basketball fans while making his way to his seat at Crisler Center during Saturday’s game with Iowa. They gave him a healthy round of applause.

Minutes later, Moore was introduced to the fans on the scoreboard big screens, while sitting with Underwood and other players. The maize and blue-clad fans, many of them standing, absolutely roared.

Moore stood and milked the moment.

Smiling widely, he motioned as if he was planting a flag in the ground, and did so repeatedly. The crowd went wild at the obvious reference to the Wolverines planting a gigantic Block M flag into the middle of the field at Ohio Stadium. That action – also performed after winning in Columbus in 2022 -- prompted the Buckeyes to storm the field, briefly stealing the flag, and sparking a melee.

Moore and Underwood later threw T-shirts to fans from the basketball court during a second-half timeout, and Moore was given a microphone afterward.

“I appreciate your support!” Moore shouted to the fans. “Goooooo Blue!”

A football pep rally had broken out amid a very competitive and exciting basketball victory.

And Moore, who was Jim Harbaugh’s absolute and unequivocal choice to replace him upon departing to coach the Los Angeles Chargers, had been acknowledged as the leader of choice by faithful fans.

Fans who can’t wait for 2025.

And while that is all fine and good, Moore will now face what Harbaugh did upon arriving here in 2015: over-the-top expectations.

But he will do so after building up some mighty good will.

Next up is mighty Alabama in the Dec. 31 ReliaQuest Bowl.

“We’re just locked and ready to go” Moore told reporters Tuesday. “We’ve had two really good days [of practice] already — just kind of going to get their minds right, their bodies right, and finals and stuff and study, and got back into it yesterday, and it’s been great. So, just excited.

“Kind of hyped for that — just want to win. We’re gonna do everything we can with all the guys that we have there to go win. That’s the No. 1 goal, to go win. And we talked about recommitting, just like we did in the bye week [before Northwestern], to recommit to your why, recommitting to each other, and doing everything we can to be successful. And I think we’re in a really good place right now mentally, physically, spiritually, and just want to do everything we can to win.”

And that’s what this always comes down to – win and win some more.

Moore will get more applause with each victory, and realizes that “W’s” are the great perception-setter. That’s nothing new, either.

But now Moore is trending up, and that’s the only place to be.

Ho, ho, ho!

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