One of coach Jim Harbaugh’s favorite sayings since coming to Michigan is: “In my America, you’re allowed to cross state borders.”
He spoke generally, but there was a target audience: SEC-region players.
Michigan now was an option.
At first, opposing coaches rolled their eyes. Then, as Michigan made inroads, they criticized him. Now, they might be firing coaches because of Harbaugh.
In the South, college football is traditional and consistent, with rivals separated by only a few hundred miles.
There’s also an understanding among the schools that they can bicker and compete with one another but not with someone from the outside.