UPDATED--Semi OT: Harbaugh Article

Submitted by Hoken's Heroes on

You can see a lot of Bo in Harbaugh. And while Jim sometimes needs to self censor himself (imho), I truly love the guy. What he's done at Stanford is amazing, considering the fact they do not have a loyal football fan base (from what I have been told and read).

It would be awesome to see Stanford play U of M at the Rose Bowl.

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/27797/stanford-football-cha…

 

I hope Stanford destroys ND.

Updated: Stanford easily took ND to the wood shed. Funny thing is just before game ended, Harbaugh takes a TO. Then ND gets the ball and with 5 secs left, Kelly takes a TO. Harbaugh is seen laughing. Game ends and camera shows Harbaugh trying to find Kelly who is giving NBC an interview and then walks off. I don't think Kelly wanted to shake Harbaugh's hand. If anyone knows if the two did meet after the game, let me know. But it appears Kelly is a dick.

mrlmichael

September 24th, 2010 at 9:42 AM ^

I really like him. Of course it helps that he played QB for Michigan but I think he is a great coach. Doing awesome things for a football program that is usually never on the radar. Would be fun to play them in the Rose Bowl for sure.

AMazinBlue

September 24th, 2010 at 9:56 AM ^

Having the Cardinal come to the Big House would be cool.  Harbaugh's lack of restraint toward the opposition is something that this program lacked before RR came in.  Bo didn't mind putting up 60 on Northwestern or Indiana.  LC was much more conservative and wanted to get a lead and then just hold it.  JH wants to crush you into the ground.

What he does at Stanford is impressive, especially considering their academic requirements.  I met someone a few weeks ago that is a season ticket holder to Stanford football and he said the administration will do nothing to bolster the program or keep it successful.  If UM came calling one day for JH, they'd let him without a fight.  

jmblue

September 24th, 2010 at 2:52 PM ^

Do not assume that what Bo did to Northwestern was analogous to what Harbaugh did against Wake.  Bo would not have left Luck in as long as Harbaugh did.  His teams scored a ton on the likes of NW because those teams were just horrible and couldn't stop even our third string.  College football had far less parity back then.  Bo only ran it up on rare occasions when he hated the other team's guts.

johnvand

September 24th, 2010 at 1:24 PM ^

Yup, in December '07 Standford had pulled off the one upset of USC at USC, and that was about it.

At that point, it was between an up and coming coach with U of M ties with one big win under his belt, and an established coach coming off several straight seasons of big wins, and a hair shy of a BCS championship game appearance.

From a resume stand point, there was no comparison.

profitgoblue

September 24th, 2010 at 3:29 PM ^

I hadn't thought of it from that angle, I was more thinking it would be cool to see the two great academic institutions play each other.  But I get your point and its well-taken.  That said, I'd still like to see the game played.

coldnjl

September 24th, 2010 at 10:39 AM ^

Jim Harbaugh is an amazing coach. I think during the coaching search, he clearly wasn't the candidate he is now. I still feel one day he will come home

jmblue

September 24th, 2010 at 4:26 PM ^

Funny (not in a "ha-ha" way) how a couple of wins over USC make people willing to forgive almost anything.

At the very least, can we stop pretending that this was one soundbite?  He attacks our integrity all the time.  It's part of his regular recruiting pitch: "I wish I had gone to Stanford.  At Michigan, they wouldn't let me major in history.  They don't care about academics like we do."

profitgoblue

September 24th, 2010 at 11:44 AM ^

Most people probably think like you, but Harbaugh's comments burned all goodwill he earned during his time at Michigan with me.  A "Michigan Man" doesn't do things like that and get to be let off the hook by me so easily.  (Not that anyone cares if I ever pardon Harbaugh or not).

Don

September 24th, 2010 at 1:16 PM ^

Since Brandon played for Bo and has made no secret of "adulating" him (to use a Harbaugh-ism), it would be interesting to know what his real views on Harbaugh are, inasmuch as he directly impugned the academic integrity of the program that both played in, and the integrity of the coach both played for.

If Harbaugh made those comments in sincerity, then he's a moron. If he made them simply to puff up Stanford by criticizing his alma mater, then he's a weasel. Well, he's a weasel anyhow, since oddly enough he never uttered a word of his criticism until a certain old coach was dead and buried and could no longer defend himself.

Mitch Cumstein

September 24th, 2010 at 1:13 PM ^

The guy says what he thinks.  Should he have said that, probably not, but he did.  Is it true? In some cases probably.  I don't think you can hate a guy for giving truthful criticism about his former school.  Like I said though, I fault him for giving it in the wrong forum.  Not a deal breaker for me.

bluenyc

September 24th, 2010 at 1:33 PM ^

I agree with you on the forum.  I am not sure if I have the right quote down, but he said something on the lines of Bo taught him to speak his mind.  I am all for that, but the forum was wrong and he trashed the University.  If he had a problem, he should have done it in private.  I am sure Bo didn't teach him that. 

These people who have a problem with Coach Rod not being a Michigan Man.  He is more of a Michigan Man than Harbaugh will ever be.  I rather have a guy who accidently says big blue in a while than a guy who goes against the family.  I know I may get negged, but to me he is Fredo.

bluenyc

September 24th, 2010 at 10:59 AM ^

He was my favorite player growing up and I didnt even like Michigan, although I love us since school.  But he is no longer my favorite Wolverine.  Good luck to him, I hope he does well.

blueheron

September 24th, 2010 at 11:09 AM ^

I've posted this before.  There's a subset of the "Anyone but RichRod" fan base (which surely overlaps with the '07 edition of the Les Miles Fan Club) that has written off the possibility of Rodriguez succeeding here.  They believe Harbaugh is the only logical successor and they're terribly annoyed that this Denardism is delaying the inevitable (and possibly costing them a shot at their golden child, Harbaugh).  Ain't lying... I've met some of them...

Hey -- I can't say I'd mind having him in the list of candidates.  But, he's being viewed through rose-colored specs by a lot of Wolvie fans these days.

PurpleStuff

September 24th, 2010 at 11:18 AM ^

It isn't just Michigan fans who ride Harbaugh's jock.  There seems to be a national consensus that he is a great coach that has no basis in reality.  It is as if beating USC twice has given him a golden ticket that allows everything else he does (losing record against Cal, losing to Wake Forest, etc.) to be ignored.

They also act like Stanford is some donkey program which just isn't true.  Only USC and Washington have been to and won more Rose Bowls than Stanford among Pac 10 schools. 

Mitch Cumstein

September 24th, 2010 at 1:18 PM ^

Would you rather a .500 record at Stanford (who had 1 win the season before he got there), or a sub-500 record at Michigan (who won the cap 1 bowl the year before).  Obviously this doesn't close to tell the whole story, but just marginalizing Harbaugh's '.500' record doesn't either

As another poster mentioned its his trajectory that is impressive, not necessarily his record or accomplishments.

PurpleStuff

September 24th, 2010 at 2:46 PM ^

I'll take the guy who built a team that won two major bowl games at a school that had never won one in over 100 years of football. 

Harbaugh has accomplished nothing at the Division 1 level aside from go 8-5 in his third season at a school with plenty of historical success, especially when compared with their direct competition in the Pac 10.  In the last 25 years, 4 different Stanford coaches have had seasons as good or better than Harbaugh's best so far.  Until he does more, which he very well may do, there is no reason to view him as any better a coach than Ty Willingham (and I don't know anybody who would want us to hire him). 

Mitch Cumstein

September 24th, 2010 at 3:17 PM ^

with what you're saying except one thing:

Until he does more, which he very well may do, there is no reason to view him as any better a coach than Ty Willingham

I think you would agree he hasn't had the failures that Willingham has had. I mean that has to count for something. Just comparing two coaches best season doesn't really tell the whole story. Also, I think the Pac10 is a lot closer to the B10 than the BE is.

PurpleStuff

September 24th, 2010 at 3:35 PM ^

The reason I only used Harbaugh's best season is because he had a losing record in his other two.  His one 8-5 season is the only positive about his tenure at Stanford so far (unless avenging last year's loss to Wake Forest in decisive fashion gets your blood boiling).  The only reason to be as impressed as people are by Harbaugh's tenure at Stanford is if you already liked the guy to begin with and assumed he would (and will continue) to have success. 

My question is: What happens if he loses to Notre Dame on Saturday?  Does the "It's only Stanford" excuse come out from all the Harbaugh supporters?  What if he finishes middle of the pack in the Pac 10 again or loses a third straight game to Cal?  My guess is that we'll still hear about what a rad dude he is and how he should be the obvious replacement for Rodriguez (followed by lame backtracking suggesting the speaker is still a total believer in RR but merely looking at what-ifs).

On the flip-side, Rodriguez is having the same trajectory here at Michigan and has a much more proven track record of success, yet you and I both know that a chunk of our "fanbase" will continue to hate his guts if he "only" manages to go 8-5 this season.

Mitch Cumstein

September 24th, 2010 at 4:04 PM ^

I think part of it might also be that Harbaugh took over after a 1-11 year.  So the team was improving from day one (record wise) as opposed to here, there was a step back before moving forward.  I think you are right about the haters though, 8-5 won't stop it.

 

Edit:  Also, does this mean you don't care about small conference success at all?  Both RR and Harbaugh had decent track records before becoming head coaches at BCS programs.

Bill in Birmingham

September 24th, 2010 at 2:41 PM ^

There are some of us (at least one) who fully support Coach Rod who still love Harbaugh for what he did here. He was a gutsy clutch player and, in my opinion, the best (college) quarterback ever to play at Michigan. Was I pissed about what he said about his academic experience? Of course. But I also know he is a competitve SOB who doesn't always think before he speaks. Remember the Ohio State guaranteed win? So would I want him to be considered as a future head coach after Coach Rod leaves when he is good and ready? Yes. And I don't think Les Miles can coach his way out of a paper bag.

bronxblue

September 24th, 2010 at 11:17 AM ^

I think Harbaugh is a good coach and it is great what he's done at Stanford, but I guess I have never really gotten over the couple of times he sniped at UM through the years.  I get that he's intense and there was some truth to his statements, but it is also your alma mater and (if memory serves me right) were made with little real prompting.  Coupled with his (admittedly older) drunk driving issues, and I find it hard to root for the guy beyond his time at UM (shades of Braylon...).  Plus, and it sounds like I'm in the minority here, I am not a fan of running the score up on teams - I know it's what Bo did and that apparently makes it right, but at some point just be happy you won by 40 and move on.  It rarely makes the victory any sweeter (I get going for two against USC - a big rival - but why ice the WFU kicker?), and nobody involves feels great about it. 

Bill in Birmingham

September 24th, 2010 at 2:48 PM ^

Bo may have run up the score in a few cases with people he really disliked, but the scores were much more a function of a different day and much less balance in college football. I saw a lot of forty point wins when I was there in which the starters played little if any in the second half. And until Carter got to AA in 1979, we really didn't throw much at all.