Harbaugh getting DRAGGED in the media today

Submitted by jamesjosephharbaugh on

Just google search for “Harbaugh” and watch the arrows fly. Maybe it’s deserved, maybe it’s hot takes. But it’s everywhere  

The one that stood out to me was Yahoo Sports saying this feels like the beginning of the end for Harbaugh. 

ppudge

September 2nd, 2018 at 9:33 AM ^

Actually started 19-3:  10-3 year one and then 9-0 to start year 2.  Ah, the good old days.

But since that Iowa debacle, the offense has never looked the same.  We went 1-3 to close 2016, 8-5 last year with no impressive wins and now 0-1 to start 2018.

The luster is coming off Harbaugh quickly and if he can’t manage to get this thing turned around, I think the general apathy towards the program that started near the end of Hoke’s reign will be back and that will be a much tougher hole to climb out of this time.

Mazzy

September 2nd, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^

I honestly think some of that apathy is already here.

I work at UofM, and that last year under Hoke for "staff appreciation" they sold football tickets at a discounted rate to us. It was that game that Morris fainted on field. They never offered anything but gymnastic tickets to staff prior to that, at least in my 13 years there. We all knew it was because they couldn't fill the stadium.

This year they are again offering football tickets. They are $20 more than they were under Hoke but they are for a conference game and Harbaugh is far more hyped (and still loved) than Hoke at the time. I have no delusions about Umich's care about "staff appreciation". I am proud to work there, but I don't need rose colored glasses to accept reality. They again can't sell these tickets so they are passing them off as a perk to us to salvage their own image on TV.

MotownGoBlue

September 2nd, 2018 at 8:41 AM ^

It’ll take a long streak of wins to shut the media up, including meaningful road wins (which we are capable of IF this team plays to their potential and IF the coaching staff adjusts earlier in games). 

In the meantime, best get used to the scrutiny. 

s1105615

September 2nd, 2018 at 9:23 AM ^

I'm not convinced that UM has the potential to win these games anymore.  Now, more than ever I am convinced UM will find a way to lose, whether it be by digging an early hole or taking a lead and blowing it whenever they face a team with a pulse.  

2016 was the exception that proves the rule.  This is the new normal, and it sucks.

BallsoHarb

September 2nd, 2018 at 8:42 AM ^

This is the reality: it’s the first game of the season, and if we can get two positions sorted out, this will be a solid team. We have four major games left, if the coaches are able to develop the offense to win 2/4 of those, with one being OSU, season is a success with good momentum into next year. I will reserve judgement until that time, unless this team does something awful like blow a game against a cupcake.

Funky Kingston

September 2nd, 2018 at 8:57 AM ^

That’s the issue.  PSU and MSU played at home against lower tier teams and struggled.  They will be much better for it and they are not getting the blowback for almost losing.  Smart scheduling.

JFH supposedly set this game up: away against a rival that was better than us last year.  And then came in with an unprepared team and apparently with no idea what go do when his team got punched in the mouth. Poor scheduling.

Consequences are a bitch.  Learn to make better decisions.

EDITED to remove ad hominem attack.

jbrandimore

September 2nd, 2018 at 8:44 AM ^

Jim deserves all the arrows coming his way.

Im sure he’s seen enough football to realize his LT was going to be a combination of a pylon and a turnstile last night.

Everyone understands that if he had a better option at LT, he would be playing but to take no steps to mitigate the potential damage is mind boggling.

We always joke about cornering the market on blocky catchy guys. Why wasn’t one of them surgically attached to Runyans hip last night? Why weren’t any RBs chipping? Why is Higdon in the game on passing downs when he can’t or won’t block? Why isn’t the QB rolling out to his right on most plays? Why aren’t we throwing screen passes to the left to give the guy Runyan can’t block something to think about?

Harbaugh has forgotten more football than I will ever know. This makes it all the more bewildering that he watched this disaster in practice all summer - after watching it in games for the last two years - and didn’t do a damn thing about it.

HateSparty

September 2nd, 2018 at 11:45 AM ^

They tried a WR screen to his side and Runyan didn’t chip his guy, just sprinted out to second level and the play was blown up by said missed chip. This was a disgusting example of the night. Poor execution at important moments by undercoached players who should be on the sidelines. I’m all for Harbaugh being blasted. All deserved.

JD_UofM_90

September 2nd, 2018 at 8:47 AM ^

I wanted JH as our head coach.  But I wanted the SD/Stanford/SF version of Harbaugh. His Stanfords OL could line up against USC and run the same 3 plays and there was nothing they could do about it.  Our offensive team is soft, weak and pathetic again  just seams like the offense is a reflection of what the softer more subdued Harbaugh has become   

Aspyr

September 2nd, 2018 at 9:32 AM ^

This is really where the issue is - for some reason Harbaugh decided to move away from the offense that made him successful. The Capital One game against Florida really was the last time we saw that rolled out in it's true form... or he needs to hire (or delegate) an actual OC and run a new system because this hybrid is basically Al Borgess 2.0.

 

 

Brian Griese

September 2nd, 2018 at 8:50 AM ^

I sincerely hope the next coach has never met Bo. If they have never heard of him, that would be even better. Someone needs to get rid of this stench of arrogance inside the program, and it needs to be someone from way outside the program. Granted, 1/4 of the people will flip out it’s not a “Michigan Man” but continuing to run this program like it’s 1985 where Michigan thinks they have the best talent, coaches and scheme which live in a never ending bubble of hype needs to stop. 

JDeanAuthor

September 2nd, 2018 at 8:50 AM ^

How come everybody's firing shots at the offense?  

Could they have been better? Yes--and they were in the 2nd half.

But it was the defense that cost us this game.  21 points in the hole against a very predictable QB isn't Pep or Wariner or Shea's fault.

UMDWolve

September 2nd, 2018 at 9:02 AM ^

Because the defense has done some great things along with a few poopy things.  We also trust the defensive coaches to develop the new DTs and safeties.

 

The offense and especially the o-line is a dumpster fire and has just recently been upgraded to a category 5 dumpster fire, and nobody trusts the offensive coaches (including Harbaugh) to develop that unit into something serviceable this year. 

 

We're at 'wait 'til next year' stage after game 1.  Alternatively they play the true freshmen on the o-line to see what they can do, which doesn't turn out very good for any other team who has tried it.

MotownGoBlue

September 2nd, 2018 at 9:20 AM ^

The defense came out far too aggressive but made adjustments by late in the 2nd quarter and played good to very good in the 2nd half.

The offense? Through 3.8 quarters they put up a staggering 3 points...

With a good offense we can at least match our opponent’s scoring (a flippin shootout if necessary) 3 points and last minute (literally) heroics won’t win too many games. 

bluebyyou

September 2nd, 2018 at 8:51 AM ^

Harbaugh deserves any crap he gets today.  How can you have a team with someone who is considered an elite QB and not know how to run a two minute drill?

fatpete

September 2nd, 2018 at 8:56 AM ^

He deserves it all. He's the most overrated coach in NCAA football. He must believe his own press hype because nothing improves with him or his program and he's not accountable. Maybe a little fire under his ass would help? I don't know..... he's a freaking head case.

mGrowOld

September 2nd, 2018 at 9:03 AM ^

In the week leading up to this game I predicted a 9-3 overall record and a loss to ND because I saw no evidence that things had improved.  Hype yes-evidence no.  And when Brian accurately assessed our oline in his preview post as a disaster I doubled down on my thinking.

I was called a troll, a contrarian for the mere joy of being a contrarian, a negative Nancy and was asked by several posters why did I have to be that way.  I was called names in the "we're gonna win by 3 TDs easy" thread, the numerous prediction threads (which had us winning around 34-10 on average) and in basically any post asking for thoughts on the future.

Believe what you see, not what you hear and I see a program awash in mediocrity that can't win big games on the road against a team with a pulse.  I see a flat, poorly coached team that's getting killed on the recruiting trail.  And I see no sense of urgency by the players or the coaches to change that.

I was challenged by a lot of people here to show up on Sunday and take a big bite of humble pie for being so, so wrong about what was going to happen last night in South Bend 

Well here I am.