What to Expect from Harbaugh in Year One?
Hello MGoBlog,
This is my first time creating a forum post. Some of you have seen me comment here and there for the last three years. You'll know from my other posts that: a) I'm an Ohio State fan; and b) I'm not a troll--I visit here because I love college football and respect the writers and posters on this blog.
With the introductions out of the way let me start out by saying that I (like many other Buckeye fans) hope you guys get Harbaugh. The B1G needs Michigan to be its traditional self. Ohio State is only as good as the strength of its conference in many respects. And it benefits as much as Michigan if The Game is between two ranked powerhouses that will usually decide who goes to the B1G Championship Game.
I think Harbaugh can get you guys there more so than anyone else available. And, from reading this board, it appears that I am not alone. Assuming this happens, what are reasonable expectations for the Wolverines in year one? Transition usually takes time, but we have seen programs where the transition is seamless and the new coach has early success. Oddly, Brady Hoke was one of them in 2011. Would be interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks.
December 26th, 2014 at 4:59 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 4:59 PM ^
in this rivalry when Michigan had the upperhand and suggested what you are proposing now. In fact, the pendulum of rivalry success has always been fostered by a change in coaching. We all know this, going back to Bo's hiring, the start of the 10-year war, and then the succession of coaches at Ohio State after Mo, and Lloyd chases out Earle Bruce and John Cooper, giving us the Senator whose between the bball half prediction would turn out to be completely inaccurate except on his ability to throttle Michigan on the football field.
So, it's been one long winning streak for the Buckeyes, who nevertheless have changed coaches twice since the Lloyd Carr era, whether because or as a result of winning at all costs, you can opine. And instead of hiring a stopgap winner, you went out and got a classic leader.
I always say this and it falls on deaf ears everytime: But it's the Midwest and Ohio in particular which has produced all the best coaches, even now. And if Michigan hires Harbaugh it will be the fourth of the last five native Ohioans that the school has employed as its head coach. Lloyd being the exception since Bo. Jim Harbaugh was born in Toledo.
In any case, if you regard Urban Meyer, and Nick Saban as the best college coaches along with Les Miles, you really are talking about Midwest coaching domination. Forget the fucking SEC. These guys are all from the MAC if you really want to distill their backgrounds.
Even Dantonio who is a Tressel associate, and one of the best coaches in the game. Let's give credit where it's due. Dantonio is a great coach.
If Michigan hires Harbaugh, the league will come to reckon wanting that. If you thought Meyer would change the world in Columbus, welcome to your new obsession. He bleeds to kick Buckeye ass with authority and on certain occasions with a warranty attached.
December 26th, 2014 at 5:10 PM ^
Jim Harbaugh is way more Michiganian than Ohioan playing HS at Pioneer.
December 26th, 2014 at 11:55 PM ^
you know our population is Michiganders , and no the women are not Michigeese. They may have passed some law making us official Michiganians but they're not gonna fluoridate my whiskey !
December 26th, 2014 at 5:01 PM ^
Harbaugh is good, but Stanford was still Stanford. I think we started with 4 then 5 wins - which was still better than normal but not crazy good. I'd expect a slight uptick in expectations with the knowledge that we have no great QB heir apparent. I'd say 7-9 wins is reasonable
December 27th, 2014 at 1:14 AM ^
was a true rebuilding job. I think the situations at Stanford and UM are apples and oranges. If you look at the recruiting rankings for the Big Ten the last 4 years, OSU and UM are light years ahead of everyone else in terms of the number of 4 and 5 star recruits they've signed. The question, imo, is how quickly Harbaugh can develop these recruits. QB is a definite question mark though.
December 26th, 2014 at 5:03 PM ^
Year 1
A hearty backslap on both Dantonio and Meyer.
Year 2
Defeats both Dantonio and Meyer on the road.
The rest is history!
December 26th, 2014 at 5:05 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 5:26 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 5:38 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 5:36 PM ^
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December 26th, 2014 at 5:36 PM ^
We will be Wisconsin. We play a tough schedule, but home field in the bigger games and a low-variance style of play make me think 9 regular season wins is possible (and since this is a prediction thread, I predict it). Lots of 24-17 type games.
December 26th, 2014 at 5:37 PM ^
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December 26th, 2014 at 5:39 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 5:44 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 5:46 PM ^
1-0 every week
December 26th, 2014 at 5:55 PM ^
I think the defense will carry us through some tough wins in the first half of the season before our offense starts to click for the big games down the stretch. 10-11 wins very possible with the talent on this team.
December 26th, 2014 at 5:58 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 6:08 PM ^
Better fundamentals, intensity, and conditioning than we had this year.
As for wins and losses, it depends on what we get out of the QB position. With average QB play (e.g. John Navarre as a junior), we should win 9 or 10. Every other position group is average or better, and we are strong at DT, LB, and CB. With shaky QB play (e.g. Navarre as a sophomore), we can win 8. With ugly QB play (e.g. Morris 10% better than he was this year), we're probably looking at 6.
December 26th, 2014 at 6:10 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 6:10 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 6:10 PM ^
I'm as confident as I could possibly be that Harbaugh will eventually turn this program around, but I think year 1 will suck. Similar to this year. I don't think a couple of months of Harbaww is going to fix our qb situation.
December 26th, 2014 at 6:14 PM ^
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December 26th, 2014 at 6:31 PM ^
I wonder if Hoke would stay as DL coach if offered. He is close to Jack H.
Personally...I would not want that to happen.
December 26th, 2014 at 7:37 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 6:38 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 6:38 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 6:40 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 6:41 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 7:36 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 6:52 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 7:04 PM ^
I think 9 to 10 wins is doable. Most importantly I expect it will be clear that MSU run is ending.
December 26th, 2014 at 7:12 PM ^
By year 3 I expect the QB play will become a major factor, potentially year 2. By year 3 we should compete with the top teams.
December 26th, 2014 at 7:17 PM ^
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December 26th, 2014 at 7:33 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 7:41 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 7:35 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 8:34 PM ^
—we all know what Harbaugh has done with every other team he’s coached. The really interesting question is: What can Ohio expect from Urban Meyer? The last time he started losing to a former NFL coach, Saban, he had to retire. Actually, he had to retire twice.
In 2009, he lost to Saban’s Alabama team 32–13. The next morning, “Meyer was quietly admitted into a Gainesville hospital suffering from chest pains and dehydration.” He later resigned. Then he flip-flopped and told recruits he was back for good. But he flip-flopped again the next year. He claimed health problems and again retired not long after his team finished 7-5 and lost to former-NFL-coach-Saban by an even more lopsided score: 31-6.
Then, about 10 months after his 2011 bowl game, he flip flopped yet again. Thinking he would no longer face that former-NFL-coach, he took the Ohio job. His health miraculously returned as the games got easier. His team virtually tied with PSU for the B1G's worst SOS--by far the worst.
But this story may not have a happy ending for Ohio. In an ironic twist of fate, Meyer now must face Saban, the former NFL coach that he tried to avoid. To make matters worse, he will soon have to compete with Jim Harbaugh, who was far more successful than Saban in the NFL. So how long will it be before Meyer’s record starts falling, he begins losing to another NFL coach, his health problems resurface, and he retires once more?
December 26th, 2014 at 8:48 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 9:57 PM ^
I responded to this post not with an answer but a question, since the OP comes here not with a simple interest in FB, as he claims. He comes with an agenda. If you don't think this guy has an agenda, just look up his prior posts. He tries to build up Ohio and diminish UM. He portrays himself in the OP as a fragile--"please be easy on me"--first time poster. But his writing suggests he is well-versed in the art of internet opinion-making. Elsewhere, he even admits he has been"lurking" here.
I have no way of knowing if he represents one of the PR firms that Ohio pays to lutk on competitor's boards. But I do think he has a reason for raising his question.
He asks how Harbaugh will do his first year--not in later ones-- because the first is usually the toughest. Harbaugh will be playing with Hoke's recruits, and so it might be expected to have less impressive results. To him, the thread will sound better to recruits who read these posts if UM fans predict 8 or 9 wins next year than to have them predicting titles during later years. Thankfully, many UM posters did not do what he wanted.
He claims that he welcomes the increased competition, but in so doing, he subtly reminds readers about UM past losses under another regime, which you have unintentionally reinforced.
He claims Ohio wants more competition. But if they really wanted that, they would have added tough OOC games. It was UM, not Ohio that did that. During Meyer's tenure, UM had the toughest SOS, while Ohio (with PSU) had by far the worst in the B1G.
BTW. Meyer is not 3-0 vs UM but 3-1. Despite having Tebow, his team lost the last time we had a decent coach. Also, as a team leader (starting QB), Harbaugh is undefeated vs Ohio, 2-0.
December 27th, 2014 at 3:53 AM ^
He comes with an agenda ...his writing suggests he is well-versed in the art of internet opinion-making. Elsewhere, he even admits he has been "lurking" here. I have no way of knowing if he represents one of the PR firms that Ohio pays to lurk on competitor's boards.
Since you're on to us, I may as well out myself as a member of a deep cover agitprop team placed here under the direction of Jim Tressel (You think he left OSU? How naïve). We were instructed to infiltrate, to lurk, and to employ the art of internet opinion-making to break your spirit. As UFM's handler I am disappointed with the failure of this op, but I will concede that you're a worthy foe with a keen eye.
December 26th, 2014 at 8:01 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 8:19 PM ^
In many respects the team goes as the QB goes. It all depends on how quickly the QB's develop. I believe that Harbaugh is very good at developing QB's and the defense will be very good. That said, I think we should reasonably expect at least 8 wins with a ceiling of 10 or possibly 11 wins. And I think victories in 2 of 3 rivalry games is difficult but somewhat reasonable as well.
December 26th, 2014 at 8:21 PM ^
And the third is?
December 27th, 2014 at 12:05 AM ^
Which three ? No ND any more. Just OSU and MSU. Who else ?
December 26th, 2014 at 8:24 PM ^
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December 27th, 2014 at 12:04 AM ^
December 27th, 2014 at 12:35 AM ^
December 27th, 2014 at 11:33 AM ^
and a backfield of Green, Smith, Johnson (we pray), and Issac. Darboh, Chesson, Butt, and Canteen. That's likely more offensive talent than he found at Stanford his first year. Or second.