Over the last few seasons, Chase Winovich has become the face of Michigan football. You could also say he’s been the voice of the program.

Winovich is the one who coined the phrase “Revenge Tour” and brought back the term “little brother” to define Michigan State. Earlier this year, he said if he was allowed to come back for another season, he probably would.

He’s been the perfect voice for Michigan football. So it’s not too surprising that he made a comment that would be well-received by fans of the Maize and Blue and hated by Ohio State.

Sunday, Winovich said that Michigan’s loss to Ohio State in Columbus was a “mirage” and that coach Jim Harbaugh is “building a powerhouse” in Ann Arbor.

While Winovich’s statement is essentially just a player having faith in his program, it’s also a pretty bold one considering the past. Michigan has lost seven straight games to Ohio State and has one just one meeting in the last 15 seasons.

That’s not exactly a mirage.

With the news that Urban Meyer will retire following the Buckeyes’ appearance in the Rose Bowl, there’s a restored sense that Michigan has an opportunity to climb back to the top of the B1G. Without one of the game’s top coaches slamming the door on the Wolverines at the end of every season, Michigan has an opportunity to do something special.

Michigan had a spectacular year in 2018, going 10-2 and 8-1 in B1G play. The success of the season was overshadowed by a 62-39 loss to the Buckeyes. Still, it was Harbaugh’s third 10-win season in four years and the Wolverines are making a Peach Bowl appearance.

Winovich is right, the Wolverines are building something special in Ann Arbor. They’ll just have to wait another year to see if they can finally knock off Ohio State.