Johnson ignited the flames of the Bears-Packers rivalry, taking a page from Harbaugh. From the moment he was hired, the Bears coach has tossed fire at his Wisconsin counterparts. First, it was the barb about beating Matt LaFleur during his run in Detroit. Then came the further quips, brisk handshakes and blunt words about detesting the Packers.
Harbaugh’s focus on The Game in Ann Arbor helped Michigan flip an eight-game losing skid versus its rivals to a four-game win streak from 2021-24. Loveland was around for the final three of those tilts (participating in two — 2022-23; he missed 2024 with an injury). Johnson lost his first game against the Pack, but followed it up with back-to-back victories, including a 31-27 wild-card comeback victory.
“Everyone’s only talking about the Packers,” Loveland said. “You can’t go a day without talking about them, talking about beating them, talking about the bad things. So, it’s very comparable [to Michigan].”
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