Written by Nick Bumgardner at MLive.com
Jim Harbaugh’s always wanted to see a game at Doak Campbell Stadium.
He figures Dec. 30 in Miami will be the closest he ever gets.
Michigan’s head coach, who will lead the No. 6-ranked Wolverines into battle against No. 11 Florida State in the Orange Bowl later this month, gushed over Florida State’s football traditions Wednesday during a news conference in Miami.
“(Florida State) is one of those great programs, one of those great traditions,” Harbaugh said. “Renegade, the war horse. The spear. The tomahawk chant. I’ve never been to a game at Florida State, but I always wanted to. I always wanted to go to a game at their stadium and see that atmosphere in person.
“This will be as close as I’ve ever been to that. I’m excited about that, looking forward to it.”
Two staples of Florida State’s football tradition are Osceola and Renegade.
Osceola, a mascot dressed like a Seminole Native American — something designed and approved by the Seminole Tribe of Florida — typically rides into Doak Campbell Stadium before FSU home games atop his steed, Renegade (an Appaloosa horse).
Osceola and Renegade are synonymous with Florida State football. And Harbaugh’s been a fan for a long, long time.
“I’m going to get some chills, I know, when the Appaloosa comes riding out there,” Harbaugh said.
After saying that, Harbaugh asked FSU coach Jimbo Fisher if Osceola and Renegade would both be present at the Orange Bowl.
Fisher, smiling, said he thinks they will. As long as the bowl allows it.
“Well, you have our permission,” Harbaugh said. “I want to see that. That is cool. A lot of teams have cool things. We’ve got cool things (at Michigan) and other teams have cool things, but that’s right up there with the coolest things (in college football).”
Fisher was then asked jokingly if he had any openings in his schedule coming up.
“Not for a while,” he laughed. “But it is amazing that Michigan and Florida State haven’t played more.”
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