ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Jim Harbaughs ways seem to be working with his target audience.Michigans coach has starred in a rap video, traveled the country for youth camps, taken his team to Florida for spring break, traded barbs on Twitter and even had sleepovers with recruits.Hes done all of that -- and much more -- entering his second season with the Wolverines.If generating buzz to attract recruits to help revive a storied program is Harbaughs aim, hes hitting the mark.Harbaugh is much more popular than Alabama coach Nick Saban among millennial males, according to a New York-based company that measures the awareness and appeal of personalities. And, at least some data shows Harbaugh is on the verge of having his celebrity transcend the sports world with those same young men between the ages of 18 and 34.Harbaugh is making a significantly stronger impact than Saban among younger males and that seems to be his objective, Henry Schafer, executive vice president of The Q Scores Company, said in a telephone interview Friday. And, Harbaugh is on the cusp of being an iconic figure among the general population in the same demographic.Nearly three-fourths of male sports fans between 18 and 34 are aware of Harbaugh. Harbaughs Q score is 25 among that group, meaning one out of four millennial males said he was a favorite of theirs in a survey done earlier this year. Saban is someone 68 percent of millennial males surveyed are familiar with and his Q score is 21 among them.The Q Scores Company conducted its latest survey in February, just after Harbaugh slept at the houses of recruits and prior to him becoming the first college football coach -- and perhaps the last -- to take his team way off campus for spring drills in Florida. In June, the envelope-pushing coach barnstormed around the country for satellite camps that the NCAA banned after the SEC and ACC pushed for a proposal to do so only to have that decision rescinded.I dont know about `Q Ratings, but I do know that it was priceless to coach and teach 15 to 20,000 youngsters at those camps, Harbaugh told The Associated Press, just before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a recent Chicago Cubs game. Obviously, we didnt do all those camps just for recruiting because all of those youngsters arent coming to Michigan. But they were all introduced to and learned more about the great game of football.Michigan was good, not great, in Harbaughs first season leading his alma mater.The Wolverines were 10-3, opening with a setback to Utah and losing later to Ohio State and Michigan State.They are positioned for a successful start to this season, hosting the first five games, all of which they will likely be favored to win. They appear to have tougher tests in the back half of the schedule, including road games against the Buckeyes and Spartans, rivals who have had their way with the maize and blue in recent years.If Harbaugh and the Wolverines dont win more games this season and lose to both rivals again, his efforts to create buzz will fall flat. And, hell still have five fewer national championships than Saban.Hype is just hype. It doesnt mean anything, Michigan receiver Jehu Chesson said. Youve got to beat your rivals, and we dont shy away from that.Between spring drills and training camp, Harbaugh appeared in a rap video with Bailey, whose song Whos Got It Better Than Us? plays off a catch phrase of Harbaughs father, Jack. The senior Harbaugh asked his kids, including Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, that question when they were growing up and Nobody! was the expected response.Jack Harbaugh, who recently moved into a house 500 feet, from his sons house in Ann Arbor, said there is no disconnect between the perception and reality of Jim Harbaugh.Jim is who is he and he doesnt ever worry about the backlash, said Jack Harbaugh. He took his shirt off at a camp, and people are still talking about it a year later. They asked him to be in a rap video and he had some fun with it. Some liked it. Others didnt, and that doesnt bother him.His current players and the ones he is recruiting, those in the aforementioned millennial group, seem to be fans of Harbaughs unique style.Harbaughs boss, Warde Manuel, doesnt fit in the same demographic. However, Manuel also admires Harbaughs approach and is thankful his first season in charge of the athletic department will be Harbaughs second season on the sideline at the Big House.Having him back has meant a lot to the university, athletic department and Michigan football in ways that can be measured: wins, ticket sales and donations, Manuel said. And in many intangible ways, he has made people feel good around here and from afar about him and Michigan.---Follow AP College Football coverage at http://collegefootball.ap.org/ and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25---Follow Larry Lage at http://www.twitter.com/larrylage and follow his work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/larry-lage Cheap Oilers Jerseys .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. Cheap Adidas Oilers Jerseys . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. http://www.cheapedmontonoilersjerseys.com/ . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. Wholesale Oilers Jerseys . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. NEW YORK -- The next time David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox conduct postgame interviews, they hope their comments take place in a raucous clubhouse during a boisterous celebration for clinching the American League East.The Red Sox did not clinch Tuesday as Ortiz was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts and stranded seven runners during a 6-4 loss.Their next opportunity will be Wednesday in Ortizs penultimate game against the Yankees.The Red Sox won 11 of their last 12 to be in position for their eighth division title. They need a win, or a loss by Toronto to Baltimore, but neither happened in the series opener.Ortizs comments were also as quiet as his bat. He did not field any questions and before exiting the clubhouse said: That aint fun. They got me out, just put it down like that. They tricked me tonight. Too much talking between the pitcher and catcher. Ill trick them tomorrow.If Ortiz can trick the Yankees by getting more big hits in a win, the Red Sox will be division champions, doing so after starting their 11-game streak with four straight victories over the Yankees at Fenway Park.I mean its what he always does, Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts said. He comes through in those situations. Nobodys perfect so hell be ready to go tomorrow.Beside Ortizs inability to add to his 124 RBI, David Price allowed three home runs among 12 hits in 6 1/3 innings.The Red Sox hope Clay Buchholz can continue his recent resurgence and further improve his chances of being on the postseason roster. The Red Sox can use an effective Buchholz since Drew Pomeranz (forearm soreness) was scratched from his Thursday start and Steven Wright remains out with shoulder bursitis.On the surface, Buchholzs numbers of 8-10 with a 5.00 ERA in in 36 appearances (20 starts), are not appealing but playoff roster construction often is a what have you done for me lately business.And for Buchholz, the answer is this: 4-0 with a 3.09 ERA in his last six starts. Those wins are not necessarily a situation where he has been blessed with tremendous run support.I knew it wasnt going to be bad all year, Buchholz told reporters in Baltimore last week.ddddddddddddThere were a stretch that I didnt really know what was going on and I didnt know how to fix it. And when I tried to fix it, I was trying too hard and overdoing a lot of things, overanalyzing.His run of effective starts began Aug. 16 and 23 in a 4-3 loss and a 2-1 victory against Detroit and Tampa Bay, respectively. Three relief appearances followed and then came four more starts this month against San Diego, Toronto, New York and Baltimore.Only the start against the Blue Jays can be considered ineffective as Buchholz allowed six runs and four hits in three innings of Bostons 11-8 victory. In the other three starts, he allowed four earned runs and 18 hits in 19 2/3 innings.Buchholz is 6-9 with a 5.99 ERA in 19 appearances (18 starts) against the Yankees. On Sept. 16, he allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings at Fenway Park.The Yankees have won five of their last 15 games following a seven-game winning streak and are barely mathematically alive. They are four games behind Baltimore with five to play, but also are behind Houston, Seattle and Detroit.Gary Sanchez hit his 20th home run and Tyler Austin had the tiebreaking home run in the seventh Tuesday, and at this point the storylines for the Yankees are not about postseason plans but development.There are some good things that have happened but no because were about winning championships and whenever you fall short, theres a ton of disappointment, manager Joe Girardi said when asked if this season has been successful. Its very difficult. You look and examine everything thats went on with the player and what you need to do to get to that level. So I think there are successful stories but as an overall success, no.Bryan Mitchell makes his fifth start of the season and eighth of his career Wednesday for the Yankees. He pitched in Fridays 9-0 loss at Toronto but allowed three runs (one earned) and six hits in a career-high six innings. ' ' '
