The negativity about Coach Harbaugh is irrational.
Here me out.... Through his first 4 years Harbaugh is 38-14. Saban was barely better than that at Lsu and Bama after his first 4 years. Harbaugh has a better record than B Kelly, Dabo and Dantonio did at the sane time. Being pissed is normal and ok, but it doesn’t mean we should want a new coach. Players have to be faster, stronger and more aggressive... all there is to it. Wake up people... it’s coming... this thing is going to be rolling. Cheer up, a new year is upon us.
PS - Be careful what you wish for.
December 31st, 2018 at 12:54 AM ^
In a certain sense, yes. But the reality is that OSU has been much better under Meyer than they ever were in the 90s.
December 30th, 2018 at 8:35 PM ^
Arguments to be made on both sides here. Unless we laid a major egg next year, it would be a big deal if we actually canned Harbaugh. Almost no coaches who post consistent 10 win seasons and aren't on an obvious downward trajectory get fired. Mark Richt I guess did.
December 31st, 2018 at 1:55 AM ^
Richt didn't get fired. His resignation was a surprise to Miami, which is why, for reasons of stability, they went to get Diaz back, even if that meant paying Temple a buyout to do so.
December 31st, 2018 at 3:11 AM ^
Georgia
December 30th, 2018 at 8:36 PM ^
The dollar-spent-to-win ratio is out of whack. This is business, not a popularity contest. And I pray the various UM "important people" see it that way. If next year ends with a couple blow-outs and a lot of, "but who else can be our coach?" or "he's only had 5 years" or "he just needs his guys" or "but everyone sat out!!!" or whatever, I will talk with my feet and stop paying and watching.
December 30th, 2018 at 8:53 PM ^
This is one of the less thoughtful comments you've made.
In terms of business, Michigan could pay Jimmy twice as much and still collect a hefty ROI, simply in terms of the monetary value of the football program to every team there and the university as a whole.
As far as wins go... dude, get a reality check. We are in 9+ win territory on the reg with @CoachJim4UM. Unless we want to start paying kids and giving homes, cars, etc. to families, y'all need to chill with these unrealistic expectations.
Damn this board is just in over its head with these hot ass takes!
December 30th, 2018 at 9:12 PM ^
You are thinking and talking EXACTLY like a failed CEO, in terms of business performance. You literally just defended very, very slightly above average performance from our coach with the "9+ wins territory" bullshit. No one is paying the most in the country for a coach for slightly above average performance. And if you are really resting on "but we still have ROI!!!," then we can hire Hoke or RichRod back; UM would probably "make money" for another 25 years or more with a .500 win percentage from a coach. We want excellence, championships, exceptional performance, not "we're about average and still making money, fellas!!!?" That's dumb
December 30th, 2018 at 9:21 PM ^
9+ wins is slightly above average? Let's do some simple math. The average number of wins in the Big Ten this season was 6.7. We had 10. That's like saying a 100/120 is slightly above average... when a 67 is average.
Hoke and RR? Pretty sure we had to give tickets away to get fans. 0/2, homie.
Alabama & Clemson -- are they your barometer for excellence? Assuming so. Like I said, until we are willing to break rules, we aren't ever going to be on the same planet as them (or others running their program like the NFL AAA teams they are).
We just finished second in the conference, won 10 games and we're "slightly above average" according to you? I'd rather be a failed CEO collecting my buyout than just a blind rage-quit mindless fan.
Put your money where your mouth is and take that walk. We don't need your garbage neg takes.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:34 PM ^
Hey "homie," I appreciate your overly aggressive responses, but you can put your money where you mouth is and, well, go f**k yourself. If you don't like my take, move along. 9 wins is not what anyone here expected with Harbaugh or is looking for. Not one single fan, especially not after 4 years. Not you, either, if you're being honest.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:51 PM ^
Wow. You're acting more and more like your avatar by the minute. Here's some objectivity:
Jim: 38 wins through first four years, overall avg 9.5 wins/season at UM
Bo: 38 wins through first four years, overall avg 9.7 wins/season at UM
Lloyd: 39 wins through first four years, overall avg 10.1 wins/season at UM
Jim is empirically at or near the only two other coaches you could ever say brought our program close to an elite level ("excellence," as you called it.)
I'm not going to move along. I'm choosing you tonight, because all of you Benedict Arnold MFers who sit around in your nerd chairs at your nerd computers waxing philosophic like you've got all the answers to our football team's problems need to get called out. You're the annoying little weenies who run their mouths when we are doing well and wave your flag then and only then. Loyalty is an all the time thing.
You support each other. You encourage each other. How quickly you forget.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:56 PM ^
How many games did Bo play? Try to be a little honest.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:57 PM ^
Stop. Please just stop. Stop comparing JH to Bo or Lloyd. This is pure BS. They were from a different era. They are not his peers/competition. JH is the 3rd highest paid coach in all of CF. He needs to step up to the plate and act like it...TODAY.
December 30th, 2018 at 10:04 PM ^
Jim, Bo, Lloyd:
How many Big Ten Titles?
Win % Against MSU?
Win % Against ND?
Win % Against MSU?
Now shutthafuckup, you're being dumb in trying to defend someone. It's not even close. The truth? I love Harbaugh, have met the man a couple times, and would LOVE for him to succeed here. Period. Rooting and praying for it. But you're like a Fanboy who cannot imagine an existence where JIMMMMMMMM doesn't succeed. He's like your mom, and mommy is never wrong. Shhhhh, little boy...
December 30th, 2018 at 10:07 PM ^
You need to get out of the sewer more, my man. My mom's dead, too. So chill on the mom stuff.
What is your definition of the kind of regular success he should be producing? That we should rationally expect from this team every single year?
December 30th, 2018 at 10:16 PM ^
You obviously know the "mom" stuff wasn't directed at your mother particularly, so stopping feigning offense. It wasn't intended and you should have taken it that way.
I think you and some others above didn't quite understand my take. So, let's set some things straight:
-I want Harbaugh to be our coach for 20 more years, retiring with a couple NCs and several Big Ten titles and various accolades, etc. Love the guy to death
-BUT, his performance so far, by any reasonable facsimile of what we were hoping to get when he was hired, has been sub-par. We are 50-50 vs. MSU, and his two wins of four games come against they worst two teams in a decade under Dantonio. We are 0-4 against OSU. We are 0-1 against ND. That's 2-7 against main rivals. Not OK
-We are 1-3 in bowl games. Not nearly good enough, especially since none of those were CFP games
-We have zero titles of any kind. OK, so I guess this year we share a divisional title. If any honest fan can look me in the eyes and say, "YES, that shared divisional title is what I wanted!", they're lying
Now, take everything above and add in....highest paid coach in the country (or at worst, top 3). This performance is not worthy of top-three money. And continuously kicking the yard markers down the field - to 5 years, 7 years, 10 years, or whatever - is disingenuous. He needs to perform NOW
December 30th, 2018 at 10:24 PM ^
Yes please cherry pick some more
December 31st, 2018 at 3:29 AM ^
Sounds like a guy whos favorite gift on christmas was that 2018 michigan football participation trophy. Fuck outta here with 6.7 wins is average. 14 teams in the conference and only 2 can recruit ATLEAST on the same lvl as michigan. 10 wins SHOULD be the minimum with this roster. God forbid some of us fans have a higher desire to be more than relevant. As for saban and dabo “cheating.” North carolina bball doesnt play school yet john beilein smoked roy williams. What harbaughs excuse? Jt was short on 4th down meanwhile the whole 4th quarter his conservative bo like tendencies got him a total of 1 first down. Just cuz harbaugh put out the dumpster fire this program was before him doesnt mean his program is great. Its squarely doing what it should be doing. Beating the teams hes supposed to beat. Nothing more nothing less. And for a program that “doesnt bow to anyone” its failed, is failing and will continue to fail until changes are made.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:39 PM ^
The most irrational thing about this board is the incessant whining, without any proof, of the so-called paying of players and no academics at the schools that win.
Please, stop with that, as it really makes this fan base look even more puerile.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:56 PM ^
Good ole Michigan arrogance at its finest
December 30th, 2018 at 10:05 PM ^
Clemson, which has not been nationally relevant since the early 80s, is brought to its current prominence purely through the skillset, leadership, and hard work of Dabo Swinney? Have you heard him speak?
December 30th, 2018 at 10:47 PM ^
Oh you people are beyond naive.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:43 PM ^
You're talking like someone who studied humanities in college and thinks they are qualified to speak about the operations of large scale corporations. Facts are that since Harbaugh has been here this team has consistently seen itself ranked inside the top 10. That alone would indicate a significantly better performance than you have led on with "very, very slightly above average."
Using your example of drawing parallels between business profitability and the success of a football team, you must also understand that it is much easier to take an already profitable business and make it unprofitable than it is to make a profitable business even more profitable.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:54 PM ^
Unrealistic expectations yet MSU has 13-1 and 12-2 seasons under their belt in the last 6 years with nowhere near our talent.
December 30th, 2018 at 10:36 PM ^
This is LOL material. When MSU had those winning seasons they most certainly did have talent on their roster. This is the finest cherry picking on the blog I have ever seen and that is definitely saying something. Thank you I needed this laugh! Last year Dantonio was 10-3, which you don't find acceptable with Harbaugh. The year before that, wasn't that the 3-9? This year they are 7-5, with an appreciably easier schedule than what we had. Just give it up!
December 30th, 2018 at 11:26 PM ^
But MSU will have their 3-9 or some other sub .500 season every 3rd season. This blog would really turn ugly if Harbaugh has a sub .500 season.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:31 PM ^
I see improvement in Michigan since Jim Harbaugh has been here. I expect that trend to continue. I hope there's a new coach in the offense. Seeing what Jim Harbaugh did in the off season last year, hiring coaches that improved the team, it's fair for me to think he will do the same this off season.
How many years did it take at coaching until Nick Saban won a National Championship? 26 or something?
He's out recruiting Jim Harbaugh right now? Well, he's been coaching for 41 years at the college level, just 30 years longer than Jim Harbaugh, that's all. He better be doing better.
Michigan is ok with money. Jim Harbaugh has probably brought m ore money into the program than he's paid.
Having said all that, I NEED to see improvement in the passing game.
December 31st, 2018 at 12:51 AM ^
I'm a Harbaugh backer but he is the third highest paid coach
http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/
while producing the 9th-ranked winning percentage among power five schools over his tenure
https://www.teamrankings.com/ncf/trends/win_trends/?range=yearly_since_2015
There are lots of former up-and-comers who flamed out at big time programs (RichRod, just wait until he can recruit from Michigan, Charlie Strong, Ty Willingham, etc), so the risk of hiring a sub-top ten coach is very real.
Plus ticket prices are right near the top.
"We went through every team in the Preseason AP Poll and averaged out their lowest ticket prices (what you’d have to pay just to get in the stadium), using StubHub." -A little odd, but what I found for 2018--Muttley
December 30th, 2018 at 8:37 PM ^
I look forward to seeing what Harbaugh will do with a decent OL and a healthy second year starter at QB. Hopefully it will include making better use of the incredible WRs on the team.
December 30th, 2018 at 8:37 PM ^
I think people who want a head coaching change are idiots but people have a right to be disappointed.
There is no sugar coating these last two games. We're back where we were last offseason as far as morale goes.
All we have to show in 4 years is a Citrus Bowl trophy in year one and a co-championship in the division. Not very much and not what any of us expected.
Those refs from The Game in 2016 should go Jason Pierre-Paul themselves along with Delany.
December 30th, 2018 at 8:38 PM ^
I really hope you aren’t Shea Patterson. A starting QB posting on a message board to give the head coach a break is... not a good look bob.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:24 PM ^
I really have no idea why people here somehow became convinced that Mineral King is Shea Patterson.
December 30th, 2018 at 10:12 PM ^
Really? Mineral King was the name of the old quarry near Shea's house in Texas. Would be a really big coincidence if it weren't Shea or one of his proxies.
December 30th, 2018 at 8:39 PM ^
Of course it is. The collective IQ here is at an all time low. Has it been perfect? No. But how have you all forgot about Richrod and Hoke so quickly? It’s mind numbing to me. I’ve played and coached at the college level, so I chalk it up to ignorance, but it’s hard to read this board sometimes
December 30th, 2018 at 9:01 PM ^
I’ve noticed that the guys who have actually played the game beyond PlayStation always have your take. Those who “get it” value his contribution to the program. I really don’t find that coincidental.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:28 PM ^
This is correct.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:31 PM ^
Agreed
Dunning-Kruger effect
December 30th, 2018 at 8:40 PM ^
Oooh, this one again, but without the stats of the other coach’s records. Going to have to dock you for not posting the entire amount of the egregiously repeated take.
December 30th, 2018 at 8:46 PM ^
Exactly. They Always leave out championships with this weak ass narrative
December 30th, 2018 at 9:42 PM ^
Yup. He said Harbaugh has a better won/lost record then Kelly did after his first 4 years at ND. This is true but Kelly took ND to the BCS title game in his 3rd year.
He said Saban's won/lost record in his first four years at LSU and Alabama is slightly better then Harbaugh's first four years at UM. However, in Saban's first four years at LSU he won 2 SEC titles and a National Championship. In Saban's first 4 years at Alabama Saban won 2 SEC West titles, 1 SEC Championship and a National Championship.
In Dabo's first 4 full years (I say full because he took over midseason in 2008) he won 3 division titles and 1 ACC title.
December 31st, 2018 at 1:22 AM ^
Division titles as comparative metric is kind of a joke.
Who was the second best team in Clemson's division when they won their division titles? I bet if wasn't the third or fourth best team in the country (which is what OSU has been the last four years).
December 30th, 2018 at 8:42 PM ^
I think fans are dissapointed and mad due to the fact that Jim does have all his pieces and only thing he needs to do is adapt and make a game plan based on this player’s strength. On top of that we have lost two games really ugly. I think it is normal at this point to question your coach when you have star players all over the field which are not being used properly.
However I wonder if Jim is actually as good of a game planer as we think he is or is he one of those people who hires the proper staff to get the work done and he gets the credit. It seems like he has missed on a bunch of guys (Drevno and Pep) who he thought would help him win championships and continue his success. It is really hard to tell what is going on with him anymore.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:49 PM ^
Jim has all his pieces? Really?
I gaurantee you he did not think higdon would of been his starting RB..
He was average at best, our oline still isn't good
They struggle with pass blocking and this year we had two tackles that were hoke recruits that realistically should have never seen the field.
December 30th, 2018 at 10:01 PM ^
Didn’t think Higdon would be starting RB then why was he offered? Why offer Chris Evans at RB when OSU only would finally offer him as a DB?
two tackles that are Hoke guys but Jim gets a pass??? Go check how mis manged tackle/OL recruiting was in his first two cycles. We are left with two Hoke guys because Jim screwed up.
December 30th, 2018 at 8:42 PM ^
I’ve heard all this crap before. Stop talking and actually do something. Also MK get your teammates off Twitter they are embarrassing themselves worse than the actual last two games.
Just so were clearr this is exactly how the begining of the end went with RR and Hoke era.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:06 PM ^
You mean with a 10-3 season? I don't remember rr or hoke doing that near the end of their career at Michigan.
December 30th, 2018 at 9:26 PM ^
I don’t ever remember RR doing that
December 30th, 2018 at 9:55 PM ^
Missing the point. Fans are pissed and see the issues. Players come out and say things like “Don’t be a fan later” “We are right there about to break through” “We are going to work so hard” All this took place right before Hoke and RR got canned and in both instances players quit on both coaches.
Keep on eye on this for next year. It’s brewing now
December 30th, 2018 at 9:45 PM ^
Did I miss something? People actually think MK is patterson?
December 30th, 2018 at 10:09 PM ^
Naw, Shea is too busy playing Fortnite with Chase in their room.
December 30th, 2018 at 10:11 PM ^
Even better. People actually think that people think that MK is Shea.