Overtime - by John U Bacon (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

From the "poet laureate of Michigan football," a riveting inside chronicle of the Jim Harbaugh era, and "an unprecedented look at the inner workings" (Sporting News) of a big-time college football program

John U. Bacon received rare access to Head Coach Jim Harbaugh's University of Michigan football team: coaches, players, and staffers, in closed-door meetings, locker rooms, meals, and classes. Overtime captures this storied program at the crossroads, as the sport's winningest team battles to reclaim its former glory. But what if the price of success today comes at the cost of your soul? Do you pay it, or compete without compromising?

In the spirit of HBO's Hardknocks, Overtime delivers a deeply reported human portrait that follows the Wolverine coaches, players, and staffers. Above all, this is a human story. In Overtime we not only discover what these public figures are like behind the scenes, we learn what the experience means to them as they go through it - the trials, the triumphs, and the unexpected answers to a central question: Is it worth it?

From the "poet laureate of Michigan football" (according to New York Times's Joe Drape), and one of the keenest observers of college football, Overtime offers a window into a legendary program and the sport itself that only John U. Bacon could deliver.

Review Quotes

"No one knows the Big Ten better than John U. Bacon." - CHRISTINE BRENNAN, USA Today columnist and author of Best Seat in the House
"John U. Bacon's writing is essential to anyone who wants to understand how Big Time College Sports works and why it is stuck in our hearts even when it makes us crazy." - JOE DRAPE, New York Times sports reporter
"Buy it. Read it. Appreciate the richness of the reporting, writing, and context." - GENE WOJCIECHOWSKI, reporter, ESPN's College GameDay
"Scintillating. ... A page-turner. ... A must-read. ... A pivotal glimpse into ... why college football is about so much more than mere wins and losses." - WolverinesWire/USA Today Sports
"John Bacon is a riveting story-teller on any subject. This book may be about Michigan, but it captures the human, physical and financial challenges of college football nationally. John explores this story--as with everything he does--with enormous heart and enthusiasm. A fun and important read." - ROBIN WRIGHT, award-winning author of Rock the Casbah
"Bacon's knowledge and passion for Wolverines' football is apparent; however, most impressive is the in-depth access he receives to players and coaches. ... A comprehensive look. ... A must-read." - Library Journal, STARRED Review
"Provide[s] an insider's look at Michigan's closely guarded football secrets. ... Overtime--through Bacon's sleuthing and careful reporting--investigates how college football's winningest program... is built from the inside out." - Forbes
"This is a must read. As usual John's writing skills satisfy more than just the fans of the Maize & Blue. I picked it up and couldn't put it down!" - TIM BRANDO
"Through meticulous reporting and engaging storytelling, John U. Bacon reveals how Coach Jim Harbaugh defines success in college football. Wins matter, but how you achieve them matters more. Setting high academic standards and playing by the rules are expressions of Harbaugh's competitive instincts, which come to life in Overtime." - BARBARA MCQUADE, Former U.S. Attorney, Legal Analyst, NBC News
"Fans interested in learning more about the crazy amount of work that happens when the cameras aren't around on Saturdays should check out John U. Bacon's newest book - another in a long line of thorough and entertaining looks behind the scenes from John U. Bacon." - DAN MURPHY
"Nobody knows the past and present of Michigan football better than John. His institutional knowledge, dogged reporting, and skillful writing are perfect tools for the task of taking readers inside the Maize & Blue. Overtime is required reading for not only Michigan fans, but all college football fans.'' - TIM LAYDEN
"Bacon spent a year embedded in the program, catching stories you wouldn't believe. ... It's certainly the deepest Bacon's ever gone into Michigan football, and the first [book] to really encompass the scale of the institution. The question Bacon's answering is the one purportedly closest to Harbaugh's heart: Is football worth it? [This] is where this book really excels." - MGoBlog.com
"John U. Bacon's Overtime is a brilliant look into the wild and wonderful world of U.S. college football. While Bacon's intense focus is on the Michigan Wolverines, his first-rate storytelling transcends Ann Arbor. This is one of the best insider-football books ever written. Highly recommended!" - DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, Professor of History at Rice University and author of American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race
"Profound. ... Excellent. ... An unprecedented look at the inner workings of Michigan's 2018 season. ... Overtime delivers." - Sporting News
"I've read everything John U. Bacon has ever written and I've never been bored or disappointed. ... A quick and captivating read--even if your position in Michigan's football orbit is as an Ohio State fan." - Eleven Warriors
"John U. Bacon is simply unmatched at drilling down and capturing the essence of an athletic culture. Turns out he's also--this is the special sauce of Overtime--the nation's pre-eminent Harbaughlogist, delivering delightful, telling gems from the life of one of the most intriguing characters in all of sport." - AUSTIN MURPHY
"Bacon relies on meticulous details to not only provide an insider's look at Michigan's closely guarded football secrets but does so from the lens of the behind-the-scenes personalities that Harbaugh has entrusted to help keep the Wolverines on track. Bacon's expertise of college football's inner workings, the NCAA's sometimes head-scratching governance of the sport and his ability to seamlessly navigate Michigan's vaulted football nerve-center that is otherwise reserved for players and coaches allows outsiders access and insight they would not otherwise experience. ... Overtime- through Bacon's sleuthing and careful reporting - investigates how college football's winningest program... is built from the inside out through an unwavering standard of playing inside the lines." - Forbes