Jim Harbaugh takes a swipe at Mark Dantonio on Twitter; MSU coach responds
Michigan football's head coach had some words for Michigan State football's coach: 'Congrats on turning around a 3-9 team'
Jim Harbaugh has called out another coach.
And this one lives nearby.
Michigan's football coach took a swipe at Michigan State's Mark Dantonio via Twitter on Monday afternoon.
"Saw Coach D comments on continuing to "focus" on how "he" can beat Michigan," Harbaugh wrote. "Congrats on turning around a 3-9 team, plagued with off field issues. Good for BIG to have him back."
On Sunday night, Michigan (8-4) was picked to play in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day over in-state rival Michigan State (9-3).
The Spartans have a head-to-head victory against Michigan this season and Dantonio is 2-1 vs. Harbaugh. Both of Dantonio's victories over Harbaugh came at Michigan Stadium.
Asked about the bowl situation Sunday, Dantonio referenced the scoreboard.
“Well, I just look at it as the opportunity to play in the Holiday Bowl right now,” Dantonio said. “You know, the records are what they are. I’ll just continue to concentrate on beating Michigan. And things will sort of sort out.”
Less than two hours after Harbaugh's tweet Monday, Dantonio sent his reply.
"For all Spartans, 'it's not over, it'll never be over, it's just getting started,' #SpartansWill," he wrote.
Harbaugh hasn't shied away from calling out coaches on Twitter.
►More:Outback Bowl, Twitter beef add juice to Michigan-MSU rivalry
Harbaugh has taken swipes at Georgia coach Kirby Smart and now former Tennessee coach Butch Jones. He also went after Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith in the spring of 2016.
Smith made reference to Michigan "jumpstarting its program" after it opted to head to IMG Academy in Florida for spring practice.
Harbaugh took it as a shot and brought up Ohio State's "tattoo fiasco" from 2010.
"I felt like one got shot over our bow. It wasn't a knee-jerk reaction, I waited a good eight or nine hours," Harbaugh said then. "I figured they might consider that it could be construed a certain way toward our program, (as) some of the scribes and pundits were construing it that way. When no explanation came, I thought it was time to fire one over their bow. I consider things even right now."
In this instance, Harbaugh seems to be pointing toward Michigan State's tumultuous offseason after a 3-9 campaign in 2016, when the Spartans dismissed four players (Josh King, Donnie Corley, Demetric Vance and Austin Robertson) charged with sexual assault.
In total, Michigan State had 13 players leave the program before the 2017 season. Four of them were dismissed.
Michigan and Michigan State are next scheduled to play Oct. 20 in East Lansing. The Spartans have won eight of the last 10 meetings in the series.
Contact Nick Baumgardner: nbaumgardn@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickBaumgardner.
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