bet Michigan football Jim Harbaugh

Michigan football embraces the word "bet" as a mantra, leading to a 13-0 season and a spot in the playoffs.

Michigan football has been using the word "bet" a lot, especially in the second half of the season. The players and head coach Jim Harbaugh have been using it as a mantra, and it has become a symbol of their determination and unity. In popular culture, "bet" is a slang word that is used as a quick way of acknowledging something, similar to saying "okay."

The players initially started using "bet" to acknowledge Harbaugh's three-game suspension due to Michigan's sign-stealing scandal. It was a way for them to show that they were committed to proving people wrong for the rest of the season. Harbaugh himself offered a different explanation of what "bet" means to him. He sees it as an acronym for "Bringing everyone together," and he believes that it represents the team's ability to come together and build unity during adversity.

The word "bet" started to gain attention when players began posting it online after learning about Harbaugh's suspension. It went viral and even prompted other prominent figures in the Michigan community, such as university president Santa Ono and alumnus Tom Brady, to join in the online chant. Harbaugh's suspension was the result of U-M being found in violation of the Big Ten's sportsmanship policy for conducting an impermissible scouting operation over multiple years.

This isn't the first time that Harbaugh has turned a slang word into a coaching acronym. In the past, he has used the term "Dawg" to describe disciplined athletes with grit. The use of "bet" has become a symbol of the team's determination and unity, and it has been a driving force behind their success in the latter part of the season.