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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Madison Williams

Jim Harbaugh Tried to Explain What ‘Bet’ Means and College Football Fans Were Perplexed

One word has been used repeatedly by Michigan football players this season: Bet.

The players began posting this word after the Big Ten conference banned coach Jim Harbaugh from coaching on the field. Apparently the word caught on to Harbaugh, who shouted “Bet!” after the Wolverines captured the Big Ten title on Saturday over Iowa.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates after the Wolverines won the 2023 Big Ten title with a 26-0 victory over Iowa.

Junfu Han/USA TODAY Network

After Michigan was selected as the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff standings on Sunday, Harbaugh used “bet” again, but his explanation of the word made fans realize he doesn’t exactly know what it means.

“Our players came up with this ‘Bet, Bet,’” Harbaugh said on the ESPN CFP Show. “I even had to look up what it means. But what it means to me is ‘Bringing everyone together,’ and that’s what our team has done. So, bet.”

In the context of which the players use “bet,” it’s in reference to the slang meaning of “okay” or agreeing with someone, but often in a sarcastic tone.

The college football world began roasting Harbaugh’s new meaning of the word, especially as this shows the coach’s age in comparison to the players.

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