What (if anything) has Harbaugh done wrong in Year 1?
So many good things have happened in 1 Anno Harbaugh, the Year of Our Harbaugh, that the list of positives would fill up a series of diaries, and even then would still be incomplete.
We've discussed, and celebrated, the many good things and will continue to do more of that I'm sure. This morning, to change it up, I'm interested to hear perspectives on things you think he DIDN'T do right. Perhaps a more critical analysis from time to time will help ensure we don't turn into a PSU-like fanbase, turning the football coach into a deity that can do no wrong (even when faced with obvious evidence to the contrary)?
My list is small:
1) Waiting to unleash Jabrill on offense until mid-season. Could his dynamic playmaking abilities have won the Utah game? That game was so tight that I believe he could have been the difference maker.
2) Posing for this picture. THIS IS NOT A POWER POSE, JIM. (Credit: Melanie Maxwell - Mlive.com)
December 30th, 2015 at 10:47 AM ^
December 30th, 2015 at 10:25 AM ^
I'm sure he made plenty of mistakes. Whether we're able to see them or noticed is a different story.
Last offseason I was really skeptical about Jaybaugh, but given a year to kind of see the rationale behind it and seeing that the TE's are doing just fine I think he made a good call.
December 30th, 2015 at 11:27 AM ^
behind it still, but there's no doubting that the TE's have played very well. So I guess Jaybaugh can stay another year.
As long as Jim Harbaugh is HC he can hire his mother to coach TE's for all I care.
December 30th, 2015 at 11:42 AM ^
Really? Kid has been a great and ferocious recruiter. When Marrow passed on it, he gave the position to a hungary kid. Furthermore, he has been a great coach, as best seen by getting great development out of all TEs...Williams being exhibit #1, along with some very good flashes from Hill, Bunting, and even Poggi.
December 30th, 2015 at 12:05 PM ^
with any of that, it just seemed to me at the time that he didn't have the resume to be a position coach at Michigan.
December 30th, 2015 at 1:20 PM ^
December 30th, 2015 at 10:27 AM ^
December 30th, 2015 at 10:28 AM ^
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December 30th, 2015 at 10:42 AM ^
I wouldn't expect this until after year 3.
December 30th, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^
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December 30th, 2015 at 10:31 AM ^
Only thing I can add is not teaching an Aussie to fall on the dang ball
December 30th, 2015 at 10:32 AM ^
Yeah, that IMO is a more valid criticism than the punt formation. Good call.
December 30th, 2015 at 10:46 AM ^
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December 30th, 2015 at 10:54 AM ^
Even in .GIF form I can't watch a sport where they wear high waisted biker shorts and belly shirts, yet proclaim to be tough
December 30th, 2015 at 11:12 AM ^
December 30th, 2015 at 1:20 PM ^
I will have a nightmare tonight after seeing that picture! I dont want to think of what could possibly happen to me but I am sure the stache will be involved! Thanks..ugh
December 31st, 2015 at 1:25 AM ^
Football jerseys used to be belly shirts in the 80's or whenever it was. Basketball shorts used to be short when basketball was much tougher than it is now.
December 30th, 2015 at 3:29 PM ^
most punters will internally be screaming "OH SHIIIIIITTTT" as they bobble the snap and will try to get it off anyway. All he's thinking before the snap is 'Get this punt off' so I'd bet most or all punters will try to kick it there
December 30th, 2015 at 10:35 AM ^
December 30th, 2015 at 10:37 AM ^
The penalties would be my one issue. It seemed like we gave teams so many second chances that they didn't deserve because of idiotic penalties. And that was on top of getting boned by the refs over and over again (Will Jake Rudock ever benefit from a targeting call?).
December 30th, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
Many times, I don't mind the penalties that happen between the whistles. It's the pre-snap penalties that just drive me crazy. It's being undisciplined. It's unnecessary.
December 30th, 2015 at 11:29 AM ^
December 30th, 2015 at 12:11 PM ^
Despite refs trying to be unbiased, it's human nature for some folks to be turned off by a guy with enthusiasm unknown to mankind. I bet some of those penalties (or lack of penalties on other teams) were due to ref's subconcious split-second brain neurons considering dislike for Harbaugh.
December 30th, 2015 at 1:25 PM ^
I do both Y level and a summer rec league. In both there are coaches who have that kind of entusiasm and have challenged my calls when I am standing over the swimmer who missed the touch and they are about 30 yards away. I'd like to think I am fair and I don't look any closer at the kids in that team's swimcaps than any other swimmer. I do know some officials in the rec league who are reluctant to make calls for fear of incurring that coaches wrath and few who I think go out of their way to make calls because of it. One would like to think the grown ups would be more mature than the kids, but sadly that is not always the case.
While there is an "ethusiatstic" Y coach as I said, the Y training is much more involved and the support system for the officials is much better than the Rec league. So I don't think refs are reluctant to make calls nor are they as likely to punish a vocal coach. But even there I find I have to remind myself not to take a challenge personally.
December 30th, 2015 at 10:35 AM ^
Not showing his ability to walk on water in a public venue. Everyone deserves to see it.
December 30th, 2015 at 10:42 AM ^
too humble.
December 30th, 2015 at 10:35 AM ^
I'm going to start referring to time as BH and AH. Happy New Year's Eve Eve 1 AH!
December 30th, 2015 at 10:37 AM ^
OSU and MSU. That's about it.
December 30th, 2015 at 10:37 AM ^
Ahh, I would have to go with what other posters have already said.
Playing Grant Perry against Utah. It was the season openor against a good team at their stadium. Playing a freshman WR in your very first game, with a QB who had only been there a month.. Just didn't make sense.
Jabrill probably had his hands full against Utah... but giving him some hand offs would probably have been safer than playing Grant Perry. Jabrill would have been the difference maker.
If we don't play Grant Perry and utilize Peppers in the Utah game we probably come away with a close win. Hindsight is 20/20 though.
MAX PROTECT in the last punt against State.. Or maybe just throw up a Hail Mary and leave state with one play.
Idk, really there isn't much because with both of those things you really didn't argue with the call until it went bad for us. I actually was comfortable punting the ball..had confidence..until I saw the gunner split wide.
December 30th, 2015 at 10:43 AM ^
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December 30th, 2015 at 1:15 PM ^
December 30th, 2015 at 10:55 AM ^
To everyone calling out that he played Grant Perry...
take another look at the film from the Utah game. He had a great day as a blocker vs Utah. It might have seemed stupid in retrospect if that was the only PT Grant got all year and that game therefore cost him a redshirt year but I don't think the Grant Perry's of the world will be getting 5th years at Jim Harbaugh's Michigan. Jabrill did not need to be used on offense that early.
December 30th, 2015 at 10:39 AM ^
December 30th, 2015 at 10:41 AM ^
Les? Les Miles - is that you?
December 30th, 2015 at 10:45 AM ^
December 30th, 2015 at 10:49 AM ^
December 30th, 2015 at 10:50 AM ^
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December 30th, 2015 at 10:53 AM ^
December 30th, 2015 at 10:55 AM ^
Agree to some degree. However, there are all sorts of reasons to melt down (many of which Bo characterized). Get the officials attention that they suck, show the team you are still 100% engaged even if up big, motivate the coaching staff, you are just simply pissed, etc... I personally love watching him get fired up. Adds to the game for me.
December 30th, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^
I hate comparing to Sparty but Izzo's meltdowns have not seemed to lose their effectiveness over time
December 30th, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^
I see your point. I do love watching them, though. Especially after watching Hoke on the sidelines for 4 years.
December 30th, 2015 at 11:15 AM ^
a meltdown is not something you can typically control. If you can control it, that's just called having a fit.
December 30th, 2015 at 11:42 AM ^
... but I'm not recalling any melt-downs where he didn't have a legitimate point
December 30th, 2015 at 10:51 AM ^
December 30th, 2015 at 10:53 AM ^
Forgot about this - but you're absolutely right. This killed momentum, which we had a smudge of in the 1H.
December 30th, 2015 at 11:25 AM ^
Yeah, I would've loved to see the "alternate universe" version of this, where we get great field position. Chances are we still can't stop the OSU run game, but hey...anything is possible in the alternate universe.
December 30th, 2015 at 11:05 AM ^
Oh right. This too. Jesus, that was dumb.
December 30th, 2015 at 3:31 PM ^
If we get there and block then people are praising Harbaugh for his guts and for going after Urban