Jim Harbaugh lost his fourth straight edition of The Game on Saturday
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Ohio State Postgame Presser: Jim Harbaugh Comment Count

Ethan Sears November 25th, 2018 at 12:35 AM

Things Discussed

  • Harbaugh's responsibility for the loss
  • The defense, lack of pass rush
  • Real injury updates (no, seriously)
  • The disappointment

[After THE JUMP: ,,,]

 

Jim, this was seen as the best opportunity since you've been here to beat Ohio State. DIdn’t happen. How much of the responsibility do you take personally?

 

 “Well, when things go good, things go great, good. If it doesn’t, you take responsibility for it.”

 

Jim, nobody really saw this coming, 62 points against your defense. How do you explain the performance today, overall, by your team?

 

“Well, they played great. Their third quarter, especially, a lot of speed plays that got out on the perimeter on got loose. Also set them up in good field position with a couple turnovers and of course the blocked punt contributed to the score as well.”

 

But overall, you couldn’t have been happy with your own team’s performance, could you?

 

“Like I said, I take responsibility for it.”

 

Jim, after seeing how they gave up 51 to Maryland and bumbled around a lot of other times, it it possible you guys — your players, not you — came in overconfident?

 

“No.”

 

The progress you guys made this year — do you feel like today was a step backwards for you and your team?

 

“Like I said, it didn't go good. Didn’t end up good. And I would say — and we take responsibility for us.”

 

What can you tell us about Devin Bush’s health?

 

“Devin — he has a hip. I don't think it’s anything that’s gonna be long term. … He had a hip. Same with Grant Perry, had a hip pointer. David Long, looks like a hip flexor strain. Believe all three are not long term kind of injuries, but not good for today. (Zach) Gentry got a concussion. And Shea Patterson has a contusion on his knee. Knee bruise. Bone bruise.”

 

Coach, seemed like they came in with their usual attack plan, doing a loot of slant routes, crossing routes. Describe the preparation you had for your defense for (that)

 

“Well, they do a lot of things well. And they threw the ball downfield well. They threw the crossing routes, the slant routes extremely well. And ran the ball good. So, they did a great job.”

 

How difficult do you think it is gonna be going back to the drawing board?

 

“We’ll come back motivated and make darn sure it doesn't happen again.”

 

Jim, early, what was the offensive game plan early? Was it control the clock? Run the ball? What was your plan?

 

“Wanted to run our best plays. Throwing, moving the ball. Outside zone, inside power. We had basically everything. Drop back, zone read, was all in the plan. Rollouts, boots. That was our plan.”

 

Did you feel like your team was ready for everything Ohio State threw at you? Offensively and defensively? It seemed like they caught you off-guard

 

“They had several successful plays, no question about it. Especially, they got some real speed plays. Crossing routes hurt. Threw the ball downfield well. They did a nice job throwing and catching those. I thought their protection was really good. We didn’t get the pressure on the quarterback that we wanted to.”

 

Coach, aside from the scheme, after this loss, is there anything you see in terms of personnel — be it staff, be it in recruiting that you feel like you guys didn’t have and you need to go get?

 

“No, I like our players, like our coaches. They do a phenomenal job.”

 

Jim, prior to Shea going down, what did you think of his performance?

 

“I thought Shea really competed well. Played extremely well. Was really pleased, the way he played. He’s such a competitor. He was doing everything he could.”

 

I know you’ve seen a lot, in a lot of places. In your career, did you find this shocking?

 

“I thought Ohio State played really well. In all phases. Did a heck of a job. They’re a really good football team.”

 

Jim, last year after this game, you said the program needed to get stronger physically. You did a lot of stuff this offseason. What do you need now?

 

“Like I said, we’ll come back in our next game and be motivated to win our next game.”

 

Jim, why don't you think the pass rush was effective today?

 

“They did a really good job of protection.”

 

How would you compare this performance to the performance a couple years ago, at Ohio State? Just how you were feeling after the game

 

“Same. Just motivated to come back and make darn sure it doesn't happen again. Win our next game. That’s our motivation.”

 

You’re a pretty good historian of this series. Did you know coming in that they had never scored more than 50 in a game in this series?

 

“I believe I did, yes. And congratulations to them. They played really well.”

 

What’s your message to your team tonight?

 

“Same thing as I just told you.”

 

 

Comments

victors2000

November 25th, 2018 at 9:54 AM ^

JK Dobbins said, "When Urban Meyer calls, you come"

The players believe in him, and when they get to Columbus they are brainwashed into what 'The Game' means. The fanbase exhault them, they buy in to the "Michigan Difference", and make this some holy war. The team is built up to believe that this game means everything. You saw how the crowd stormed the field. After beating us for the 14th time in 16 tries. Beating us means something to them that is beyond football.

jnz

November 25th, 2018 at 12:54 PM ^

One reason was we never sent one more than they could block. Most of the time we sent one linebacker that made it five on five. The first half we never sent the house after Haskins. I thought Brown wants to get to the qb before our guys lose coverage.

1VaBlue1

November 25th, 2018 at 9:23 AM ^

You're hot take is garbage.  As one of the 'TOP fans', please go back to my comments on the subject and tell me the time it wasn't mentioned that I didn't think OSU could score enough in 20-25 minutes.  They did.  And the offense didn't capitalize on TOP with scoring, like they had all year.  In this particular game, yeah, it didn't matter.  Because taking ONE stat on its own never tells the story (another thing I said many times).

Michigan scored 19 points before the game was lost mid-way through the 3rd.  If you can't take advantage of TOP offensively (by scoring points), and you can't stop a dead man defensively, you're not going to win.  One stat isn't going to change that.

Swayze Howell Sheen

November 25th, 2018 at 8:45 AM ^

"Jim, has anyone on your team ever heard of a crossing route?"

"Jim, tell me: do you know that OSU has receivers that are way way faster than your third- and fourth-best corners?"

"Jim, this game sucked to watch. For your players, did it suck to play in? For you on the sideline, did it suck to coach it?"

"Jim, this is an all-time historic beatdown. How does that feel, to be historically beatdown, I mean?"

"Jim, many of your fans really want you to win this game. Do you have a year - or decade - where you think that might happen?"

"Jim, your offense, when it runs well, looks ok. OSU's, when it runs well, looks great. Do you have some thoughts about that?"

"Jim, if you could fire one coach, who would you fire? Yes, it's ok to fire more than one."

"Jim, talk about what winning The Game feels like, you know, from the 80s."

 

charblue.

November 25th, 2018 at 9:10 AM ^

Well, you ought to get a press credential, then you could get all the non-answers to those same questions and feel just as frustrated as everyone else with or without any real understanding of what the coach is willing to tell you in perhaps a different setting.

Would it have made you feel better if he came out and said we sucked and I apologize for our poor play, that's not what we coach our guys to do. And after this, I am going to be re-evaluating everyone's performance including mine to see how we need to get better.

I think all of that goes on every week and after every season and this includes during recruiting as well. This is all pretty hard to accept for everyone but no one feels it worse than the head coach. How would you have responded to those questions as head coach? Would you have come out ugly about your team and crapped on their entire season of effort? And if you would, how much respect do you think you would sustain within the framework of your team?

That was also part of Bo's Lasting Lessons. Harbaugh is a disciple of the old man. You never criticize your team in public. You encourage them. You prepare them hard behind closed doors, correct mistakes, figure out personnel and coaching choices and staffing, and you don't dwell in the past. You move ahead. If you can't see that, then you don't understand the man coaching our team.

1VaBlue1

November 25th, 2018 at 9:28 AM ^

"You never criticize your team in public. You encourage them. You prepare them hard behind closed doors, correct mistakes, figure out personnel and coaching choices and staffing, and you don't dwell in the past."

Management 101.  Anyone that has ever been successful managing people understands this and follows it.  If you don't, any success you might achieve is fleeting and people hate you.

itauditbill

November 25th, 2018 at 10:29 AM ^

Here's an answer: While our defense practiced well I and the coaching staff did not prepare them properly. I thought our practice went well, our guys worked hard, but I and the coaching staff did not do the job necessary. As we move forward through the bowl game I will address this, and for next year we will look at what changes we can make to give the team the best opportunity to win their game. (If that's what Jim means by taking responsibility) 

Answer number 2: As a team myself, the coaching staff and the players did not give the appropriate respect due to our opponent and it showed on the field. (If that is what happened.)

I am pretty sure he knew whether answer number 1 or 2 was correct midway through the 3rd quarter. In no case is he throwing an individual under the bus, he is putting the blame on the group that was responsible always leading with the staff.  It is a correct answer with honor. Not this bs, non-answer. 

itauditbill

November 25th, 2018 at 3:55 PM ^

Well then why doesn't he just sit there and say nothing... it would be just a damn useful. I realize that it's a requirement that he sit for these... just say nothing... rather than that crap answer...Is it relevant that he did not even try to answer the question given to him. 

Was it a bad question? I don't think so.. I think we would all like the answer to that question. So it wasn't a bad question... then he should either give a real answer or just sit there and say nothing. He could have said.. "That's a good question. I don't know." But instead he treated the media like shit for asking a reasonable question. That is a shitty way of acting and I think it's reasonable to expect more from a representative of the University of Michigan.

Amaznbluedoc

November 25th, 2018 at 10:34 AM ^

JH may try to channel Bo (witness his weird progressive like emulation of the coach’s appearance) but he lacks Bo’s knowledge and strategic vision.  Bo knew the importance of the game.  Everything he did in the season was in anticipation of the game.  The dirty cyst understands this better than JH and is a better strategic thinker.

His Dudeness

November 25th, 2018 at 8:59 AM ^

Don't even know why I read this. Jim is a pro and isn't going to say anything stupid. That said these always ring disingenuous because... they are. He knows we aren't where we want to be. It might even scare the shit out of him, but he's not saying that. He's not John L Smith. 

Arb lover

November 25th, 2018 at 9:47 AM ^

Because OSU had so many issues this year, the odds of every player group (receivers, OLine, DLine, QB, RB, etc.) showing up to play in any one game were slim, except for the Michigan game.

Haskins was more accurate and had less pressure than other games, for instance. That isn't because our DL was slow and weak. As Haskins demonstrated an ability to consistently hit short targets that had more speed than our secondary and who decided they were going to catch balls this week, Brown had to switch out a lineman for an extra linebacker and zone cover. Because of that both ends had double teams and Haskins likely had more time. When the Oline decides to not show up, Haskins folds under pressure as we saw in many closer games. It's not that Michigan was an inferior opponent, you just had the five stars just wake up and decide they'd play.

The lack of discipline on that team though, hurts the conference. For instance 2016 OSU getting absolutely skunked by Clemson after having not prepared any sort of game plan.

If it was MSU I'd speculate some sort of drug use.

poseidon7902

November 25th, 2018 at 9:06 AM ^

I get that you just lost, but this isn't an answer:  

 

Coach, seemed like they came in with their usual attack plan, doing a loot of slant routes, crossing routes. Describe the preparation you had for your defense for (that)

 

“Well, they do a lot of things well. And they threw the ball downfield well. They threw the crossing routes, the slant routes extremely well. And ran the ball good. So, they did a great job.”

ScooterTooter

November 25th, 2018 at 11:26 AM ^

This happens though. 

Our offensive line has done this twice: They were miserable all year in 2013 and 2017 before turning in quality performances against Ohio State. 

Now imagine that with a bunch of more talented players and better skill position players going against injured Gary and Winovich without Solomon. 

It just happens. 

massblue

November 25th, 2018 at 9:17 AM ^

The people who even entertain the idea of removing Jim have lost their mind. Let’s face it.  OSU will always have more talent than us no matter who our coach is. They are coached as well if not better than almost every team in the country as long as Urban is there. Unless there are some breaks in the Game such they play poorly, have injuries to key players, we have a healthy team loaded with seniors and the game is at home, etc, we are not winning the game and there is no coach out there who could come here and change the situation. 

The fact that OSU has lost to other teams in BIG in the past does not mean shit. They do not get OSU’s best.  Let’s enjoy the 10-2 record and support the team for an 11-2 record. 

Mattinboots

November 25th, 2018 at 9:21 AM ^

100% agree. The only coaches in the country who we could immediately get who could recruit better talent and know the landscape of the upper Midwest (I.e., ruling out Dabo) are Saban and Meyer.

I think tons on this board forget how much talent Michigan gets from Ohio, most of which stays in Ohio since OSU is a perennial powerhouse. 

Mattinboots

November 25th, 2018 at 9:18 AM ^

Honestly don’t know why there’s a post game presser. He’ll never answer detailed questions immediately after the fact. His Monday pressers, while still not deep, have usually somewhat better answers because the coaches have had time to assess. This is true win or lose. 

eault

November 25th, 2018 at 9:26 AM ^

  I think it was on this site that someone made an observation that all of OSU's problems as a football team would be fixed in time for this game.  Whoever it was gets a "well done".  Our team looked totally lost out there and that falls on the coaches.  OSU's close call last week against Maryland probably woke them up.

OSU had some real speed burners.  As a baseball manager once said "would rather have a fast team rather than good hitting because speed doesn't have slumps'"

blueday

November 25th, 2018 at 9:31 AM ^

Jim. Go and hide. You peaked and have NEVER won a big game. We are now a basketball school.  Thanks Lloyd Carr. You started this mess. It's on you.

SD Larry

November 25th, 2018 at 9:32 AM ^

Agree with those who note Coach is not going to throw any player or coach under the bus.  Hard to come up with answers for this bad loss.  OSU probably got humbled a bit during the season and again at Maryland while we had some great big wins (Nebraska, Wisky, MSU, PSU) after loss at ND.  They literally played their best game of the year imo, and Michigan played its worse.  Outschemed ? For sure.  Outplayed? Yes.  Mental mistakes? We made several more than OSU yesterday in all 3 phases.  Not sure if we wanted this one too much, but OSU played with more freedom mentally. That blocked punt felt like it took a long time to unfold, yet you could see it coming the whole way.  After that, it was like the damn broke in OSU's favor. It's a big loss and it sucks. Still good season, program getting better, but that was a significant setback.  Hope we win the bowl game. 

Jevablue

November 25th, 2018 at 9:39 AM ^

Personal opinion.  His press answers were all acceptable.  These press conferences are a worthless exercise and rarely interesting unless it’s Mike Leach perhaps, he’s actually funny. 

His in-game answers were plainly ridiculous.  They didn’t just run there best plays but they schemed them to pick on exactly who they wanted to ruthlessly, which is actually what coaches are paid millions to do. I feel horrible for Brandon Watson especially.  But they also picked on and isolated Gil a bit too. They were precise and persistent with this.  I could not find any equivalent evidence of this from our offense and the defensive adjustments were indiscernible.  

I would contend we have had exactly one big game-day coach in the modern era, Moeller.  And fuck Les Miles forever  

 

Jevablue

November 25th, 2018 at 1:01 PM ^

His win pct was up there just fine but what I was speaking to was his willingness to be creative and even (god forbid) take risks in game.  IMHO we have been saddled with dogmatic ideologues (Carr, RRod - I actually have no idea if hoke had an ideology) and Harbaugh seems to be the latest.  They all had varying ideologies and they are all loathe to adjust them.  

1VaBlue1

November 25th, 2018 at 9:39 AM ^

The non-answers should've been somewhat expected, I guess...  IMO, when the offense started the game tentatively (run, obvious pass, run, punt), and then repeated it, I knew the tone was set to play not to lose.  They didn't come out aggressively, and they didn't adjust to the obvious thing OSU did on defense - they kept the LB's home until the play showed itself, then they just crashed a gap.  The DL was ask to do nothing more than eat blocks to keep the LB's clean.  That is all they did - and Michigan did nothing to offset that.

The constant runs into the A and B gaps - directly into the crashing LBs - just took everything out of this team.  As OSUs confidence built, the old feelings of getting beat set in.  It wasn't one thing, it was a snowballing of everything.  In the 4th, they were just going through the motions.

Beating OSU will become a thing, eventually.  I remember when both teams were actually even.  Talent will be even again (I think it's pretty close now).  The mental block is the one that is tough to get past.  It reared up in this game, again.  It'll happen, but until it does MGoMeltdowns will continue unabated.

Carcajou

November 25th, 2018 at 10:25 AM ^

I think the mental block thing is more in the fans' heads (and to a lesser degree the coaches) than the players', as most starters only have a couple of games' experience to compare it to. The talent gap is narrowing, but it still exists, and probably will for a long time to come.

Obviously Michigan is going to have to take more than a week to prepare for Ohio State if it hopes to beat them more consistently. It probably does have to be a year-round thing in the back of the minds of the coaches; and (without identifying it as such) will have to devote a portion of practice each week too, the same way defensive coaches will practice a bit against the option even if they aren't playing an option team that week -- it's impossible to prepare for the speed of it in only a few days.

Still shocked and surprised that Michigan got so consistently beaten on both lines yesterday, in addition to the skill position one-on-one matchups (which were less surprising), and didn't have answers. Against the Ohio States and the Clemsons and the Bamas of the world, you gotta have Plans B and C (and maybe D as well) ready to go. Seemed like Michigan didn't, hasn' t.

BlueHills

November 25th, 2018 at 9:59 AM ^

As difficult as the game was, we scored 39 points. With our highly ranked defense that should’ve been enough. This one’s on the defense.

But let’s not lose perspective; 23 point losses aren’t plagues of locusts, they happen regularly to other good teams, because it turns out that perfect seasons are hard to come by. Ohio State lost to Purdue by 29 points this year, a worse loss on a lot of levels.

This edition of Michigan waxed Penn State by 35 points, and beat Wiscy by 25 points.

This is an excellent, if imperfect, football team that had a season to be proud of, this loss notwithstanding.

Amaznbluedoc

November 25th, 2018 at 10:13 AM ^

This is the kind of dangerous rationalizations which lead to the mediocrity we are witnessing.  Yes, we beat a middling pee u team, a garbage whisky squad, and even a sParty team with no talent and beset with injuries (3 starting OL).  If you don’t practice, plan, and execute for the game, you are destined for mediocrity.  Bo knew that and the Bo (progressive commercial) wannabe JH doesn’t.

Talk about plagues?  I’d rather lose to Purdue and be playing for the b10 championship and possibly the cfp than get raped by ohio.  They know it and for some reason M coaches and fans can’t understand this.

Carcajou

November 25th, 2018 at 10:34 AM ^

I seriously doubt the players and coaches are engaging in "dangerous rationalizing which lead to mediocracy". The justifications by some of the base are just ways of coping with the shock and humiliation. We're all still hurting -- it's been less than 24 hours. Hoping that some good can come of it, searching for some small glimmer of hope, is the best we can manage for the moment,

Amaznbluedoc

November 25th, 2018 at 10:54 AM ^

The only way forward is to plan for, out strategize, and execute better than ohio.  Seems simple, no?  It will take a lot of work at all levels to implement this approach, but showing up with the same o that ohio has worked on to contain all season and running the same d that their oc has diagnosed and has effectively schemed to beat is not the answer.  M operates on the insanity principle, continuing to do the same things over and over and expecting different results.

FlexUM

November 25th, 2018 at 11:34 AM ^

I agree on all accounts. I’m interested to see, strategically, where this team goes next year. Is it, we have a tough, but more favorable schedule so let’s keep the course?

i think you can carry a lot of this year to next and it’s a 9-3 year as the floor, without changing anything. There are going to have to be some strategic changes to get to 11-1 next year but I think the talent exists as does the schedule to do so. Actually there is no question. I think what happens next year falls fully on coaching. The lose some dudes on defense but it could be a special year. 

 

COULD...being the key word. I agree with you, though, some strategy changes will be needed. 

Northville

November 25th, 2018 at 11:54 AM ^

Yeah, it seems it was a combo of stubborness, overconfidence and a total misread on how the man-to-man D would peform vs. that speed/O-line.

if OSU plays to their potential every game, UM is gonna be up against it, but with a better D approach that game yesterday was an avoidable train wreck. 

Time to wise up. Fast. I don’t mind Jim feeling some heat. At all.

 

 

Carcajou

November 26th, 2018 at 4:11 AM ^

Will have to watch again (when I can bear it), but noted--in their first series, they ran Haskins (and picked up 9), just to send a message that doing so versus Maryland was not a fluke and they weren't afraid to do it (run him) just to keep Michigan on their heels.

One thing I want to reconfirm but that occurred to me later--in my memory it seems like in pass protection, they were not retreating. (Michigan's pass rushers like Gary and Winovich excell at beating blockers retreating in pass pro). Instead, they were taking them on at the line, keeping defenders' hands down, and even unsure if it was to be a run or a pass. Of course in quick passing, it is not necessary to retreat, so that makes sense.

Meanwhile Michigan predictably came out and stubbornly tried to establish the run, and left passing in more obvious circumstances. When Michigan did pass on first down, it seems it would be invariably be followed by a run on the next down.