'Every single sticker has meaning:' How helmet decals explain Michigan and Ohio State

Coach Jim Harbaugh, whose helmet was filled with Wolverines stickers as a star quarterback in the 1980s, brought back the tradition upon returning to lead the program in 2015. As Michigan neared 1,000 all-time wins, Harbaugh changed the philosophy in 2021, opting for a team-based model that includes the all-time wins tally on the victory decals.

“The way the sticker was, didn’t really tell you anything. It was just a sticker on there,” Harbaugh said. “But then guys could know the rest of their lives what that sticker was for and what it meant.”