How do teens today view Harbaugh?

Submitted by NYC Fan3 on September 23rd, 2020 at 11:20 AM

I found the Deion Sanders thread interesting and thought it could be applied to our own coach.

Prior to joining Michigan, Harbaugh was known as one of the hottest coaches in the NFL.  5 years later, 0 Big Ten Titles,  1-4 record in bowl games (lost last 4).  47-18 overall record, 72.3 win percentage.

What do today’s teenagers think of Jim?  Is our quirky coach still seen as a QB guru?  Top coach in all of football?  Teenager views aside, what are your current thoughts on Jim?
 

 

 

 

Goggles Paisano

September 23rd, 2020 at 12:14 PM ^

I have teenagers.  If you say something that is untrue or essentially bullshit, the kids will say "cap".  "No cap" would therefore be the opposite of that.  If you say something that they believe to be true, the kids will say "no cap".  

There was this one time where I used it in the proper context and my kids were quite pleased with me - haha! 

mgokev

September 23rd, 2020 at 11:53 AM ^

The teens lowkey think he's a little extra, no cap. Big yikes, don't @ me

Translation: the teens view his antics as a little over the top but don't broadly publicize this opinion. Laser Wolf believes this to be true and that it is cause for concern, but Laser Wolf also does not wish to engage in conversation on the topic.

Wolverine Devotee

September 23rd, 2020 at 11:23 AM ^

He’s beaten every B1G team but one. Most of them by double digits, multiple times. 

Gotta beat osu and gotta win postseason games. It’s almost impossible to reach the B1G title game without beating them. 

And even if maryland had beaten osu in 2018 and we did make the B1G title game and won, it would’ve been with a big “yeah, but” from everyone. 

Hail-Storm

September 23rd, 2020 at 2:19 PM ^

To be fair to us, since 2001, Michigan has only won twice in 19 tries.  Michigan ended up on the wrong side of many heart breakers along the way (2001, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2016) with the rest mostly blow outs.  Of the two wins, the 2011 was almost blown, but luckily a wide open OSU  receiver was finally overthrown in a critical moment.

Can we win? Sure. but odds are that we will finish the last two decades with a 10% winning record against OSU. I think those skeptics earned it after watching the game for the last 20 years. I'm all for Harbaugh and crew proving me wrong.

I Like Burgers

September 23rd, 2020 at 9:14 PM ^

Too many people want to live in a fantasy world where Michigan and Ohio State are equivalents. The reality is they have a large talent advantage, a coaching advantage, and an overall better program advantage.  And they've had it for multiple decades at this point.

The Michigan-Ohio State game is like playing a video game that uses RNG to determine your success.  Yes, it's technically achievable, but you need a series of unlucky breaks to happen to your opponent and a series of good things to happen to you. One thing goes wrong and you're done.

Reality is, even if they win, it's going to be seen as a fluke instead of some tide change.

xtramelanin

September 23rd, 2020 at 11:53 AM ^

if the question is serious, it is interesting in that JH and i were friends (but not besties) in college and i have a generally very positive opinion of his coaching and how he handles players.  that said, we have not returned interest from MAC schools for our 2021 son and if the avatar twins generate interest i think our response would be the same.  

however, if JH really was coaching there (and i know he won't), that might be enough to tilt the scales.

MGoNukeE

September 23rd, 2020 at 11:36 AM ^

No one, not even teens, care about bowl games. It's all about the playoffs; hence why there's such little turnover from year to year regarding the teams that go to the playoffs.

Teens think Ohio State is a better program than Michigan. They thought that well before Harbaugh arrived. Go figure.

DonAZ

September 23rd, 2020 at 11:50 AM ^

If you take it literally -- meaning absolutely nobody; zero -- then yes, it's not true.  Somebody cares.

But the larger point is almost certainly true: the playoffs have eclipsed the bowl structure, and the focus is being one of the four teams in the playoff.  The top talent is going to the handful of teams that seem better able to get to the playoffs -- Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and to a lesser degree, Georgia, Oklahoma, LSU (we'll see how they do sans-Burrows), and maybe Florida.  There's a set of previously "elite" teams that aren't part of that discussion: Texas, USC, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Miami, Florida State, and yes, Michigan.

I wish it weren't so, but that's the reality.

HateSparty

September 23rd, 2020 at 11:56 AM ^

This is a great post.  And if you do not live vicariously through the success of Michigan, you will enjoy them immensely and have a great sense of pride in our university and what it is as an institution.  As for Harbaugh, my teen knows who he is and all that but his interests are not influenced by him.

Don

September 24th, 2020 at 8:47 AM ^

Anybody who thinks that in any given season more than three or four teams in the bowls-and-polls era had a realistic chance at being declared national champion is engaging in a huge amount of historical revisionism.

And yet the vast majority of teams and their players took their bowl games in that era quite seriously, and Michigan was no exception. The 8-0-3 Michigan team that beat Washington in the '93 Rose Bowl went into that game ranked #7, and there was no chance whatsoever that they were going to be in contention for the NC when the Orange Bowl featured #1 FSU against #2 Nebraska.

That didn't seem to lessen the intensity of Michigan's performance that day.

uofmchris1

September 23rd, 2020 at 11:52 AM ^

Beating rivals, top 10 teams, and number of B1G champs aside, Jim more than likely has Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, and countless others on speed dial. This still goes a long ways with teenagers today.