How Jim Harbaugh made Michigan a national power once again
An interesting article on Harbaugh's genius in gaining national attention for the Michigan football program, and increasing the recruiting footprint.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/14993834/how-jim-harbaug…
A few quotes:
According to Repucom's Celebrity Davie-Brown Index (DBI), which measures and qualifies celebrity influence and relevance both locally and worldwide, Harbaugh is unmatched by his peers. The index, which features more than 7,000 celebrities, doesn't include every FBS coach, but Harbaugh's Celebrity DBI score of 54.24 ranks higher than Ohio State's Urban Meyer (45.31) and Alabama's Nick Saban (44.37).
Hoke also signed the nation's No. 6 recruiting class in 2013, but his approach was more regional. The 2013 class had 17 prospects from Ohio or Michigan, and only four from outside the Big Ten footprint, including top-rated recruit Derrick Green (Virginia). Hoke signed only two California recruits and three Florida recruits in four classes.
Seems a little early to make this proclomation unless you believe Brady Hoke turned michigan into a national power too.
I think they're talking in terms if celebrity/attention and recruiting. The on-field trajectory is on pace to be a national power as well.
I do not believe Uofm has earned the title "national power" in terms of on field success YET. I do believe that we became a national power in terms of potential the day Harbuagh was hired.
Perception is greater than reality. To those who matter, Michigan has returned to a national power. Does reality match that statement? Who cares?
I'm really grooving on where we are. But for me we need to start beating State and OSU to really say we've arrived.
I completely agree. I have never been more confident going into a season, but the last time I was was in '07...... I do think Michigan finally has a coach and staff that can live up to the hype, but it's going to take a few years of beating our rivals somewhat regularly on the field before that sick feeling in my stomach goes away.
You are really comparing Harbaugh to Hoke as equals?
Hoke came in with a 47-50 record and took a team that was on an upward trend and had more upperclassmen than underclassmen for the first time in four years to a nice season thanks to Denard Robinson.
Harbaugh came in with a 58-27 record in college and a 44-19-1 record in the NFL with a Super Bowl appearance. He took a team that was on a downward trend to a totally unexpected 10-3 season and a bowl victory over a high quality SEC team, even though he had to find a grad transfer QB to make up for Hoke's failure to develop anyone on the team.
Harbaugh will win a National Championship with in five years and it could happen this year. Brady Hoke is a great guy and a solid coach who genuinely cares about his players, but he is never going to win a National Championship as a head coach.
Son of a lava lamp.... just about to post this.
good article
Having gained national attention for the right reasons again does not mean we are back to being a national power just yet. We have one big bowl victory to our credit and that's it for on-field accolades.
next season then technically UM is back. You can be modest all you want about the future of the program if it makes you feel better inside but the truth of the matter is that UM football is coming like a freight-train. Better get the mother truck out of the way baby!
Lets pump the brakes on the national power bit until we make the playoffs and beat our rivals consistently.
We did we beat Florida by a million points. I agree that we're not fully back yet but we're partially back.
We lost to the only 3 decent teams on our regular season schedule. I will grant you 25% back, and hopefully 100% after a big year this year.
10-3 Northwestern and 9-4 BYU weren't decent?
No not really. I mean the shut outs were impressive but they really weren't that great.
They were good teams. You dont win 9 and 10 games by being bad.
We had one win over ranked opponents in the previous 10 attempts and we got 3 this year. That's a helluva step in the right direction.
March 21st, 2016 at 11:45 PM ^
If you consider beating Northwestern and BYU as decent wins, then you are illustrating exactly why Michigan is NOT back.
I say 50 percent back because he layed the foundation for future success. Harbaugh took us from terrible to pretty good in one year. This year will elevate it to elite.
Two things on this. First, you need to change "decent" to great or elite. Otherwise, that statement is just wrong. BYU, Florida, and Northwestern were all certainly better than "decent" and three other Michigan opponents (IU, MINN, PSU) did make bowls. None of those wins make you a national power, but it's not like Michigan played Oregon State nine times.
The other thing I wanted to throw out is that you also need to look at who you played, how you played them, and when you played them. Wins over BYU, Northwestern, and Florida weren't just wins. Those were complete blowouts from start to finish. That's why Michigan was so high on the advanced stats, despite not having any huge wins.
Additionally, if you took the Citrus Bowl version of Michigan and let it play the same schedule, it probably goes 11-1 in the regular season. That's a pretty big factor when you're looking at where a program is going.
Hold your horses
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I only see 1 horse there. Fail.
Incorrect. He said hold your horses. He did not say hold all horses at the same time.
Then you are assuming that the man in the picture has already held other horses, since the caption is "Done." However, there is no evidence to suggest that multiple horses have been held.
But if said individual only owns one horse, he is indeed holding all of his horses.
You are assuming I am not the guy or the horse, ftm, in the picture. There is only one picture in the hopes that by conserving some small amount of bandwidth we can get our points back.
I read it as each person has one horse, and he is saying he did his part. Now the rest of us have to "hold up" our ends.
those are mere ponies
is a brony....?
Thank you!
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but I don't think that's a real horse.
Well, it's certainly not a real heavy horse.
I agree with all those who are saying that it is premature to call us a "national power" in terms of football results - that takes regular success over years. But it is indisputable that Harbaugh is making a splash wherever he goes, doing new, creative things, and getting media exposure (and thus recruiting exposure) that is novel. There is a "vibe" about the program that is resonating nationally, to the point that it will be a surprise if they are not competing for national titles over the next five years.
DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER
THE MINNESOTA AND INDIANA GAMES?
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Yeah we won!
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Then the MSU fluke is a positive.
"Something something selling jerseys in Ohio is a good start"
I think Harbaugh has changed the tide on the rivalry. Hell people all over the world are starting to believe him. Never in a million years I would have thought that. Selling Michigan jerseys is a good start.
March 23rd, 2016 at 12:52 PM ^
Ahh that was it. lol
One 10-3 season does not a national power make
Is that you yoda?
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Exactly. That sounds a little too Notre Dame-ish for my liking. When they went 10-3 after Tyrone Willingham's first season, it was the first proclamation of "Return to Glory," a phrase they continued to use for the next 15 years.
I realize hype is going to come when you have a coach like Harbaugh but I'd prefer it if his first season was more considered as a process of righting the track, not that we're already there.
I don't want to be a Notre Dame clone.
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Notre Dame didn't ever have a Harbaugh coaching them before.
And they wonder why we were so skitterish about that other name for "Brandon's Lasting Lessons."
I would agree with the general consensus that we're not there juuuust yet (see: almost losses to Minn, IU; see also OSU 2nd half), but we are well on our way (see recruiting, complete domination of SEC East winner FL, and recruiting (again)).
Also on a side note: today is my 5 year Mgoanniversary!
If you bring up the fact that we barely beat Indiana and Minnesota, you have to bring up the fact that we barely lost to MSU.