SI: Three Years Later, Can Jim Harbaugh and Michigan Advance Past Novelty Act?

BleedGopher

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per SI:

It’s not that Harbaugh’s job is on the line. He’s a long way away from that kind of hot seat. Rather, the attention has moved on: last year, to darling newcomer P.J. Fleck, and this year to Frost, who may have the chops and the talent to hold college football’s fleeting focus. Harbaugh, meanwhile, has lost his novelty. He’s established, but as what?

This season will go a long way in answering that question.

Harbaugh’s Michigan teams have been good. In 2015 and ’16, he finished 10-3. Last year, the Wolverines dipped to 8-5, with an offense that was at times painful to watch. Still, Harbaugh and the Michigan tradition were enough to land Shea Patterson, the quarterback transfer from Ole Miss who—if he continues to develop like he did over his first two seasons of ball—could command the Big Ten come September. This is still a team that can flex and land a major transfer, and its 2018 recruiting class landed seven four-star recruits. It was the third highest-ranked class in the Big Ten—which is higher than Michigan has ever finished in the conference during Harbaugh’s tenure. That is to say: this is still a team in transition, that can trade on building toward a big season. Or at least it was, and maybe 2018 has to be that year.

https://www.si.com/college-football...erson-scott-frost-nebraska-big-ten-media-days

Go Gophers!!
 

He has managed to put together a pretty great career so yeah I think he can.....
 


He has not been able to compete in the East. I think he something like 1-5 against Michigan State and Ohio State.
 

I'm not convinced he's so far away from a hot seat. If they lose to Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan State again this year, the Big Blue alumni will be even more restless. Success at Michigan - for better or worse - is perceived as competing for conference titles. As they have yet to be to a conference championship game, let alone win one, hard to say the alumni are terribly happy with his performance on the field so far. Especially with the size of his paycheck.

Granted, he's had some poor quarterbacking, and might have something going this year with Patterson, but that's yet to be determined.
 


I'm not convinced he's so far away from a hot seat. If they lose to Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan State again this year, the Big Blue alumni will be even more restless. Success at Michigan - for better or worse - is perceived as competing for conference titles. As they have yet to be to a conference championship game, let alone win one, hard to say the alumni are terribly happy with his performance on the field so far. Especially with the size of his paycheck.

Granted, he's had some poor quarterbacking, and might have something going this year with Patterson, but that's yet to be determined.

They start the season at Notre Dame, as well. And they get Wisconsin and Nebraska at home, and travel to Northwestern, from the West. (granted, most of the hoopla around Nebraska this year is just hype for Frost, not that they actually have a competitive team)

Not going to be an easy year, by any means ...
 

Shea Patterson looks like a Johnny Football clone so it will be interesting to see what Michigan’s new coordinator does with him. Traditional Michigan seems like an odd landing spot for a spread athletic QB but Harbaugh did ok with Kaepernick so it’ll probably work out.


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I was just talking to a Michigan friend of mine. I'm surprised there isn't more talk about his lack of success against their rivals.

I don't think Michigan faithful care if they crush Rutgers and Minnesota. They need to be MSU, OSU, etc. They aren't there yet and I don't know if Harbaugh gets them there
 

I'm not convinced he's so far away from a hot seat. If they lose to Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan State again this year, the Big Blue alumni will be even more restless. Success at Michigan - for better or worse - is perceived as competing for conference titles. As they have yet to be to a conference championship game, let alone win one, hard to say the alumni are terribly happy with his performance on the field so far. Especially with the size of his paycheck.

Granted, he's had some poor quarterbacking, and might have something going this year with Patterson, but that's yet to be determined.

If Michigan fire's Jim of all people this year for something other than a crazy scandal ..... they should change their name to something other than Michigan.
 



I was just talking to a Michigan friend of mine. I'm surprised there isn't more talk about his lack of success against their rivals.

A lot of Michigan fans that I've met are pretty knowledgeable and knew the losses they took coming from 16 to 17 were pretty high and had reasonable expectations.
 

If Michigan fire's Jim of all people this year for something other than a crazy scandal ..... they should change their name to something other than Michigan.

Oh, I don't think he'll be fired this year for anything except winning < 5 games or a big scandal - neither of which seem likely - but I do think his seat would warm considerably if they lose to their East division rivals again this year. 0-6 versus your biggest competition in years 3 and 4 of the coaching regime is not a good look, especially for the highest-paid coach in the conference.
 

Oh, I don't think he'll be fired this year for anything except winning < 5 games or a big scandal - neither of which seem likely - but I do think his seat would warm considerably if they lose to their East division rivals again this year. 0-6 versus your biggest competition in years 3 and 4 of the coaching regime is not a good look, especially for the highest-paid coach in the conference.

We will see. Michigan fans are pretty loyal. I'm not sure they'll be burning khaki pants for a long time. Jim is a big part of their identity even. Time will tell (unless he does well, then we won't ever know).
 

If I were a Michigan fan I would have supreme confidence that Harbaugh will turn the team into a juggernaut, just be patient. His teams at Stanford were so tough and physical and good. They are really building along the lines and have a ton of returning starters. Won't be long.
 



They start the season at Notre Dame, as well. And they get Wisconsin and Nebraska at home, and travel to Northwestern, from the West. (granted, most of the hoopla around Nebraska this year is just hype for Frost, not that they actually have a competitive team)

Not going to be an easy year, by any means ...
I think they can win in South Bend, the key for them will be can they hold serve vs PSU and Wisconsin at home. They have Sparty on the road and the game is in Columbus this year. I do think if the Buckeyes win this year and next year, he's in trouble.0-5 in that game will make your seat scorching hot at either of these schools, regardless of record. As for this year, I can see them going 10-2.

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I think they can win in South Bend, the key for them will be can they hold serve vs PSU and Wisconsin at home. They have Sparty on the road and the game is in Columbus this year. I do think if the Buckeyes win this year and next year, he's in trouble.0-5 in that game will make your seat scorching hot at either of these schools, regardless of record. As for this year, I can see them going 10-2.

Would be great to have Michigan beat the Badgers in Ann Arbor. I don't like this talk of Wisco winning the Big Ten. :(
 

Would be great to have Michigan beat the Badgers in Ann Arbor. I don't like this talk of Wisco winning the Big Ten. :(
Ann Arbor seems to have Wisconsin number, been pretty unkind to the skunks over the years

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Harbaugh will be gone by January. Its a lock.
 

If I were a Michigan fan I would have supreme confidence that Harbaugh will turn the team into a juggernaut, just be patient. His teams at Stanford were so tough and physical and good. They are really building along the lines and have a ton of returning starters. Won't be long.

This is the view of most Michigan fans I know. There are a few impatient youngsters who can't wait, and of course trolls and fans of other teams all claiming Harbaugh is on the hot seat. Sure, we would like to see more wins, especially against OSU and MSU. One thing that shuts up the naysayers pretty quickly is to ask them who they would want to replace Harbaugh. There isn't a single name that would leave his current job and be an upgrade, and they know it. I'm not really all that worried if 8 wins is the floor for Michigan, I just don't want the ceiling to be 10 wins. If in a few years Michigan never wins more than 10 games, is still winless against OSU and loses more often than beats MSU, then yes, I might just re-think my support and enthusiasm for Harbaugh.

Then again, Michigan tried the coach du jour a few years ago. Rich Rodriguez was a colossal failure. I just don't see any possibilities on the horizon that would be an improvement.
 

If I were a Michigan fan I would have supreme confidence that Harbaugh will turn the team into a juggernaut, just be patient. His teams at Stanford were so tough and physical and good. They are really building along the lines and have a ton of returning starters. Won't be long.

That's most Michigan fans that I know as well. They know they'll be fine.
 

They start the season at Notre Dame, as well. And they get Wisconsin and Nebraska at home, and travel to Northwestern, from the West. (granted, most of the hoopla around Nebraska this year is just hype for Frost, not that they actually have a competitive team)

Not going to be an easy year, by any means ...


OH NOES

M00N .... 2!!!!



 

This is the view of most Michigan fans I know. There are a few impatient youngsters who can't wait, and of course trolls and fans of other teams all claiming Harbaugh is on the hot seat. Sure, we would like to see more wins, especially against OSU and MSU. One thing that shuts up the naysayers pretty quickly is to ask them who they would want to replace Harbaugh. There isn't a single name that would leave his current job and be an upgrade, and they know it. I'm not really all that worried if 8 wins is the floor for Michigan, I just don't want the ceiling to be 10 wins. If in a few years Michigan never wins more than 10 games, is still winless against OSU and loses more often than beats MSU, then yes, I might just re-think my support and enthusiasm for Harbaugh.

Then again, Michigan tried the coach du jour a few years ago. Rich Rodriguez was a colossal failure. I just don't see any possibilities on the horizon that would be an improvement.

As an aside: what do you really think about Mich St? Considering that the rivalry with Ohio St is arguably the biggest in college football, it would seem like perhaps Mich fans just think of MSU as an annoying little brother? Their team has been good for a while, so perhaps it’s just icing on the cake to beat Sparty?
 

As an aside: what do you really think about Mich St? Considering that the rivalry with Ohio St is arguably the biggest in college football, it would seem like perhaps Mich fans just think of MSU as an annoying little brother? Their team has been good for a while, so perhaps it’s just icing on the cake to beat Sparty?
Safe to say little brother has surpassed big brother this decade

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As an aside: what do you really think about Mich St? Considering that the rivalry with Ohio St is arguably the biggest in college football, it would seem like perhaps Mich fans just think of MSU as an annoying little brother? Their team has been good for a while, so perhaps it’s just icing on the cake to beat Sparty?

I've not lived in Michigan for about 35 years now, so I might not be the most representative fan. When I was growing up there, Michigan beat MSU so regularly that there wasn't much of a rivalry. I moved out of state, went to grad school at Purdue, met my wife there, had kids, and didn't follow sports that closely for several years. From the Michigan and Michigan State fans that I now see discussing the rivalry and who work and live in Michigan, they annoy the crap out of each other. You're right, to Michigan fans, the Ohio State game is the big rivalry, some even suggest Notre Dame would come in second, and MSU bringing up the rear. I've never heard any Michigan fan who doesn't think of the game with MSU at best a distant second rivalry game This annoys MSU fans to no end. I now live in the Oklahoma City area, and it's a little bit like Oklahoma-Texas being the big rivalry (and Nebraska used to be OU's second rivalry). Oklahoma State trailed behind, but to their fanbase, the big rivalry is with OU.

When Nick Sabin left MSU, he said something to the effect that Michigan had a huge built in advantage in prestige, facilities, money, fan support. At that time MSU didn't support its football team the way it has been for the past 15 years or so. I do think Sabin's parting comments might have gotten the ball rolling towards financially supporting football at a high level. That, along with a good coach, and a lot of mistakes by Michigan has led to MSU turning the tables on Michigan.
 

Thank you for the comments! It largely confirmed what I suspected. I know Perles had some success there before Sabin. But I’m sure Sabin knew what he was talking about when he said those comments!


States like Minn and Wisc only have a single flagship public university, as they didn’t use the Morrill Act to start a separate agriculture college.

Iowa did, but the in-state rivalry is quite intense and arguably the biggest for both, though I’m sure Hawk fans would deny that. And maybe that’s true, they have trophy games with Minn and Wisc, as well as a lot of alumni in Chicago.
 

Thank you for the comments! It largely confirmed what I suspected. I know Perles had some success there before Sabin. But I’m sure Sabin knew what he was talking about when he said those comments!


States like Minn and Wisc only have a single flagship public university, as they didn’t use the Morrill Act to start a separate agriculture college.

Iowa did, but the in-state rivalry is quite intense and arguably the biggest for both, though I’m sure Hawk fans would deny that. And maybe that’s true, they have trophy games with Minn and Wisc, as well as a lot of alumni in Chicago.
Didn't the At. Paul campus use to be called Minnesota A&M?

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Didn't the At. Paul campus use to be called Minnesota A&M?

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I'd love to know the history on that. My *guess* is that perhaps that was a nickname for that campus, since it is physically separated and is where the agriculture science/econ/etc colleges are located. I don't think it was ever actually a separate school ... but if I'm wrong, I'd like to know!
 

I'd love to know the history on that. My *guess* is that perhaps that was a nickname for that campus, since it is physically separated and is where the agriculture science/econ/etc colleges are located. I don't think it was ever actually a separate school ... but if I'm wrong, I'd like to know!
I am not 100 percent on the accuracy, but on the gopher basketball Wikipedia page, it says the sport introduced in 1896, a year after it was introduced at a rival school, Minnesota A&M in Stock Paul, which was later in corporates into the larger University of Minnesota.

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Perhaps someone, or some thing, did start a school called Minnesota A&M, located in St Paul. But it was not the state (territory) of Minnesota. And it was not started using money via the Morril Act. That much seems to be certain. See here: http://landgrant150.umn.edu/background.html

Maybe it was a private school, and later the U of MN purchased it?

But just doing a quick google search, I can't find anything about any such school. The only references to it are that Wikipedia article, and a couple webpages at a site called sports-reference: https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/minnesota-am/


If anyone has any further info, I'd love to read it.
 




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