This isn't the first time Michigan has had to rebound
I'm old enough to have attended the 1980 loss to a South Carolina team featuring George Rogers who at the time seemed as dominant as Jonathan Taylor. The final score wasn't nearly as bad as Saturday's, but being there nearly 40 years ago the outcome felt nearly as inevitable at times. That Michigan team ended up winning Bo's first Rose Bowl. I've seen Michigan bounce back from other disappointing losses too numerous to mention -- both rivalry losses in 2015, Illinois in 1999, Oregon in 2007, Iowa in 2002 etc. Anyway, this article suggests that the team realizes that the season is not over, and history suggests that that may be true.
September 24th, 2019 at 6:12 PM ^
ok, now i can sleep
September 24th, 2019 at 10:11 PM ^
Beautiful.
September 24th, 2019 at 6:18 PM ^
I wish we would have rebounded on that missed free throw against Oregon a couple of years ago in the sweet 16
September 24th, 2019 at 7:46 PM ^
Very underrated Beilein era regret. Possible 3rd final four.
September 24th, 2019 at 8:54 PM ^
Best handle on this blog - somewittyname
September 24th, 2019 at 10:35 PM ^
wilson, box out!!! happened to him a lot that year.
September 24th, 2019 at 6:19 PM ^
You forgot 1981 vs Wisconsin where #1 Michigan lost. They proceeded to go 9-3. That’s probably more like this teams ceiling.
September 24th, 2019 at 6:20 PM ^
Only 84 rebounds since 2000.
September 24th, 2019 at 7:00 PM ^
That's twice as many rebounds than I had. Of course, I was only in Ann Arbor for 2 years.
#ladiesman
September 24th, 2019 at 6:23 PM ^
The only issue is that none of those teams won the big ten and only one beat ohio state. If that were to happen in year 5 of harbaugh i think its safe to say his career at michigan will end. This post made me more depressed not hopeful. Thank you
September 24th, 2019 at 6:46 PM ^
He isn’t getting fired nor is he likely to leave.
I don’t think you understand the situation very well.
September 24th, 2019 at 6:55 PM ^
I strongly believe the former. He isn't getting fired, not should he.
The latter I am not so sure about. Something seems off with him recently. I'm optimistic he will stay, but that Super Bowl L has always made me think he'll leave within the first 8 years.
September 24th, 2019 at 8:51 PM ^
No matter the field, it never makes much sense career-wise to make a move after a career low point. His opportunities would be limited, and he is too prideful.
September 24th, 2019 at 7:21 PM ^
But, but we could hire 20-19 Matt Campbell to replace Harbaugh
September 24th, 2019 at 8:30 PM ^
Matt Campbell has given Iowa state two of only seven 8-win seasons at Iowa State in the last 100 years. He'll do well wherever he goes next. Maybe here.
September 24th, 2019 at 8:00 PM ^
If he can't get to a Big Ten Championship, beat his rivals, or get to the playoff he'll be out sooner rather than later.
I'm assuming donors will eventually get tired of looking like a national embarrassment. Although, if fans show up anyway, because "give it time" then who knows.
September 24th, 2019 at 6:37 PM ^
September 24th, 2019 at 6:41 PM ^
John u Bacon just threw us under bus on Finebaum. My goodness. Bo would be turning in his grave, Bacon is lucky he's gone.
He said nothing about our DT problems, yet went to say how the team and Harbaugh is at crossroads, and never thought they'd look that bad. Said our lines got manhandled, and tail between legs.
The truth is the OL had no push because they're still wondering what to do in this new offense and blocking scheme, and we have no DT. He should have ripped them for the personnel error, but not said what he said.
September 24th, 2019 at 6:46 PM ^
I’m confused...what’d he say that was wrong?
September 24th, 2019 at 7:01 PM ^
He's absolutely right. At the same time, Meyer's teams got throttled:
In a 2014 asskicking by Virginia Tech
In a 2016 asskicking by Clemson
In a 2017 asskicking by Iowa
In a 2018 asskicking by Purdue
I guarantee their fans were in full-fledged panic mode after those games. Hell, the 2014 Ohio State team started out by looking like shit against Navy with their lead rusher gaining 50 yards, then getting completely thrashed by Virginia Tech. I think we all know how that team ended up. We're not going to be as good as any of those OSU teams, but the season isn't over by any means.
September 24th, 2019 at 7:16 PM ^
Um, if we’re not going to be as good as those teams, then this season is failure given the preseason hype. Those OSU teams lost 2 games tops every year led by a guy who lost less than 10 games in his entire career at OSU.
Comparing Harbaugh Michigan struggles to OSU Meyer struggles are not in the same realm of feasibility. Nothing in Harbaugh’s tenure at Michigan suggests that he will turn this around. Meyer had immense credibility.
September 24th, 2019 at 7:23 PM ^
Urban’s worst season at osu was at least as good as Harbaugh’s best season EVER. The idea that they’re comparable is silly.
September 24th, 2019 at 10:26 PM ^
To be fair, Urban Meyer took over a team that was in much better condition than the team Jim Harbaugh took over.
September 24th, 2019 at 10:46 PM ^
For sure. That’s why I included his entire career. People forget that Harbaugh has won 11 games once in his entire career. Two losses is a failured season for urban. It’s a high water mark for Harbaugh.
The sad thing is, I think Harbaugh is actually a better coach than urban. He’s just doing a very poor job at this point in his career.
September 25th, 2019 at 12:00 AM ^
I think Urban is one of the best of all time and that's the primary reason that Harbaugh doesn't have multiple 11 win seasons at Michigan.
September 24th, 2019 at 8:07 PM ^
I don't know that I'd say that "nothing in Harbaughs' tenure" suggests that he will turn this around. He squeezed 8 wins out of the youngest team in America with no quarterback and no offensive line in 2017 and otherwise has won 10 games every year.
September 24th, 2019 at 8:26 PM ^
He squeezed 11 wins out of a talented and experienced Stanford team headed by one of the top 5 college QBs of our lifetime. Maybe if Luck v2.0 shows up, Harbaugh can get over his 10 win hump.
September 24th, 2019 at 8:30 PM ^
(Harbaugh built that program from the ground up and recruited Luck.)
September 24th, 2019 at 8:35 PM ^
(No shit, and we all thought he’d kill it here based on that. Instead his best season was at Stanford)
September 24th, 2019 at 7:40 PM ^
Well if Harbaugh wins the B1G all will be forgiven. Urban finished in first every year he was at OSU.
September 24th, 2019 at 9:08 PM ^
We’re no where near those osu teams. Why are these fans so delusional? Good god
September 24th, 2019 at 7:23 PM ^
Well, to be fair, I think he's saying something a lot of us have been thinking for a couple days now anyway, that it is a crossroads and in Year 5, I don't think any of us were expecting that it would quite like that at any point.
September 24th, 2019 at 7:36 PM ^
Under the bus? That was more like hitting them with down filled pillows. They played really bad, and Bacon could have said way worse. I just hate that he was talking to Charles Montgomery Burns. I can't wait till Homer finds out.
September 24th, 2019 at 6:45 PM ^
What does rebound actually mean? Year in and year out, we really only play a handful of teams with a pulse. Losing those and beating the hell outta Rutgers is frankly not too enjoyable.
I enjoyed large chunks of the revenge tour last year. It was great; there was swagger after showing up to South Bend completely unprepared to play in the first 30 minutes.
But that tour hinged on two games, and we only showed up for one. It was great to beat MSU, but to lose to OSU like that (and follow it up with our bowl performance), it waters down the whole concept of a rebound.
Rebounds are great if you actually score on that possession. Otherwise, they’re only a statistic. We airballed.
September 24th, 2019 at 7:02 PM ^
Harbaugh is 40-15 overall.
He's 13-15 against teams with a pulse.
I'm with you, buddha.
September 24th, 2019 at 7:12 PM ^
three days on, the thought suddenly popped into my mind today (which others mentioned on Sunday), where is the guy that ran up the score on USC?
Where is THAT guy? That's the guy i want to see on the sidelines.
September 24th, 2019 at 7:27 PM ^
That guy wasn't taken seriously at Stanford. Since then, everyone has seen what he's capable of a coach. No more sneaking up on people, especially at Michigan where there's already a target on the program. It's a nice pelt to have for opposing teams
September 24th, 2019 at 7:44 PM ^
He ran power manball in the Pac 10 and it was totally unique. He was great for that time and place and he gets a lot of credit for it. He’s pretty clearly not great for this time and this place - which is the only thing any of us should care about.
When he was hired, nobody on here thought that year five would see 0/4 against OSU, shit QB and OL play, and potential looming disaster. 10 wins is 10wins, but he’s under performer a lot.
I think everything you said about Harbaugh at Stanford applies ten fold to Brown at BC.
September 24th, 2019 at 7:59 PM ^
How does Alabama play physical football while having speed in space? They can man up in the RPO era. The line needs to block like maulers. Even Wisconsin was getting on in unbalanced trips run routes while their center mauled our tackles and MLB to no penalty.
The line needs to dominate and we need to stop turning the ball over—then, this team will easily contend in every game.
September 24th, 2019 at 8:36 PM ^
Solid coaching probably helps. Not recruiting a bunch of guys that nobody else wants might be good too.
September 24th, 2019 at 10:19 PM ^
The difference is Alabama buys all the best players in college football every year. They essentially start 11 five stars on both sides. They absolutely can out talent any team, and only need a simple game plan to win.
September 25th, 2019 at 12:54 PM ^
Disagree with this notion, it is not just a talent thing with Alabama, they also execute at an extremely high level. They are so difficult to beat because they have all that talent, plus they don't beat themselves for the most part and execute. You could put together the most talent imaginable, but without great execution you don't get a great football team.
September 24th, 2019 at 7:30 PM ^
No shit?
September 24th, 2019 at 7:44 PM ^
What the hell are you talking about?
I was at the 1980 Michigan South Carolina game too and we lost because Bo fucked up and faked a punt from inside our own 30 in the 4th quarter.
While we were WINNING.
The final was 17-14, the game ended with us on their goal line.
In modern rules, we kick the FG and go to OT, but instead, we went for it on 4th down.
By the way this stupidity- combined with the way Bo shit away the previous weeks game in South Bend because he didn’t understand what time outs are for (sound familiar?) cost that team (Bo’s best) the National Championship, as they never lost again.
September 24th, 2019 at 9:10 PM ^
You have a better memory than I have, and stand corrected. That said, I remember the offense being ineffective, and at least early on Rogers getting 5-plus yards every carry. I also remember reading that after the game coaching staff took Bo aside and pushed him to open the offense. My point was that was a depressing loss at the time they bounced back.
September 24th, 2019 at 9:37 PM ^
If you want to say we deserved to lose, I’m ok with that - but the comparison of that team to this is way off.
I just looked it up and Rogers was 36-141. He was obviously effective but we were also fighting and holding the Heisman winner under 4 a carry.
Taylor averaged 9.
September 24th, 2019 at 10:36 PM ^
I saw George Rogers play. He was better than Jonathan Taylor.
September 24th, 2019 at 11:14 PM ^
But on the bright side, at least your bitterness has faded with time.
September 24th, 2019 at 8:10 PM ^
Living in the past. What we do best.