December 29, 2014, a date that changed the course of Michigan football forever. On that date, it was announced that Jim Harbaugh would be the next head football coach at the University of Michigan. The school hired him with Big Ten and National Championships in mind. It was a boom or bust mentality. After all, you don’t spend 8 million dollars on a coach without those goals.
Six years later, all he’s produced is failure. Six years later, all Michigan fans feel is pain and the pain keeps getting worse. We’re the laughing stock of college football, and as fans, there’s nothing that we can do other than sit here and take it.
Failing to Meet Expectations
In his five previous seasons, only one time did a Harbaugh led Michigan team finish above where they were ranked in the preseason poll, 2015. All we heard for years is “wait until he has his guys” or “what until he gets his QB.” Well, we’ve waited long enough. Harbaugh has his guys and his QB, but it’s the same old same with him.
There is no Big Ten Title to show off, and especially no National Championship. Not once, has a Michigan team been to Indy or the Playoff. Considering that was his sole purpose for being here, I would say he’s done a pretty poor job.
Anger, frustration, embarrassment, and most of all disappointment. That’s what it feels like to be a Michigan fan in 2020. Angry at ourselves for thinking that this year would be different. Frustrated with Harbaugh and Don Brown and their inability to change. Embarrassed by the consistent failures. Disappointed because we thought this guy would be different.
We were wrong, just like we were with Rich Rod and Brady Hoke. Only those guys didn’t have the same expectations. Harbaugh came in with all the support in the world. There wasn’t anything standing in his way to take Michigan football back to the top, yet after six years the same mistakes continue to occur.
Jim Harbaugh Can’t Win the Big One
There are two rivals that a Michigan coach must have a winning percentage against in order to be successful; Michigan State and Ohio State. Harbaugh is 3-3 against Michigan State with all three of those wins coming against terrible Spartan teams. Not to mention the most recent debacle in which Michigan was a 25 point favorite, proceeding to lose the game 27-24. He’s 0-5 against bitter rival Ohio State with a -95 point differential. To put a little cherry on top, Harbaugh is 1-6 at home against the two, his lone win came last year against MSU. When the games matter most, Harbaugh chokes.
Sure, the recruits are flowing in from left and right, but they haven’t amounted to anything substantial. What does it matter if you have a top ten class if after the season you’re maybe a top 25 team.
Does Harbaugh even have a signature win? I can’t think of one, but there are plenty of Signature losses. They pile so high it’s hard to pick which is the worst. “Trouble with the snap”, the Saquan Barkley, Penn State blow out, and Ohio State trouncings are ones that come to mind.
Did I mention his bowl game record is 1-4? His one win came in his first season with players he didn’t even recruit.
The Michigan fan base has been let down time and time again by the man that was supposed to be the messiah of Michigan football. Everything that’s transpired in his tenure, since being crowned head coach, has been brutally disappointing. It’s time we move on from him.
———————————————————————————————————–
Read More College Football Articles on StudentUnionSports.com