“Yeah, I would.”

That was Karan Higdon’s answer to a question a few days before Michigan took on Ohio State in Columbus to close out the 2018 regular season. The question? “Would you go as far as to guarantee Michigan will beat Ohio State?”

Higdon’s response made plenty of headlines in the week leading up to college football’s greatest rivalry. But the Michigan running back was put in a pretty difficult position when he was asked that question. There really was no good way to respond without making news.

On Thursday, Higdon acknowledged that the question put him in a pretty bad spot.

“It was a lose-lose question, it was a tough question and I handled it the best way I could,” Higdon told Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors. “If I could go back, I would handle it the same way.

“It was a question that kinda put me in a corner, regardless of how I answered it. Regardless, it was going to be criticized and looked down upon.”

Higdon’s right, too. His “guarantee” wasn’t the same as when Jim Harbaugh promised a Michigan victory over Ohio State 30 years ago. Then, Harbaugh was unprovoked and made the statement. Higdon was asked, essentially, if he believed his team would win.

What player would say no?

A few months after a blowout loss to the Buckeyes, Higdon still says he would’ve handled the question the same way. And that’s not being overconfident or cocky, it’s a player believing his team can win a football game, regardless of opponent.

That should speak more to Higdon’s character than him “guaranteeing” a win.