SBNation: Harbaugh is Ruthless

Yet when Oregon or whoever puts up 60 or 70 points on a cupcake, nothing is written about it.

Also, how in the hell is a team supposed to be ready to play four quarters if the games are out of reach by the beginning of the third? He wants to win and he wants to see his team improve.

Keep in mind: Most if not all of the teams that were creamed by UM have gotten a great deal better since they were beaten.

I think the most sporting move is to put in your backups when the blowout happens, and to run your normal offense with them. And that's what Harbaugh has been doing. It's patronizing to shut down your offense and just run up the middle three times and punt.

A one-sided hack job, that...  The author left out a LOT of context that could have put Harbaugh in the correct light.  Instead, author assumes that his readership is as averse to competition as he apparently is.  I wanted to like the story, but cannot due to lack of context.

Harbaugh will pull players and shut-off most of the playbook when things are out of hand.  But when programs (players, coaches, admin) do something that slights his charges, the playbook will open back up.  Rutgers determined its own fate - a partially open playbook.  Illinois received far more benefit - plain generic, vanilla playbook and the next step up from indifference.  Because they didn't do anything but come in and play hard - something Harbaugh expects and admires.

MSU?  LOL!!!  There will be no mercy for MSU.  Not because of the previous 8 years - only because of last year.  Not the way they won.  But because of how they acted after they won - specifically Dontanio.  Taunting UM fans will not be tolerated by Jim MF'ing Harbaugh.

MSU gon' die...

Or his own?

I disagree on one point. I believe he does care about making his own players feel good.

To quote the MSU Coach after a intergalactic gift-wrapped win.

We will see where the Wolverine Fans are this week....

Check out this exchange he had with Dantonio this morning:

 

is a dress rehearsal for November 26 in Columbus. That includes fake punts, going for two on extra-points and referee challenges.

If someone cannot understand this, they should not be watching or writing about college football.

Is that he coaches at the end of blowouts the same way he coaches in the first quarter. The players at the end deserve Full Metal Harbaugh as much as the starters. Challenging a spot on fourth-and-2 late in a blowout? Hell, yeah. The players deserve that.

He ain't smiling and relaxing when we're up 50-0 in the fourth. He's coaching.

since we can only take 70 for road games the possibility of a blowout is greater because he can't put all those walk-ons in - like Merrit or whomever was the walk-on RB we saw vs. Illinois - will have to be the 4 guys we have plus the FB's

Never understood the whole "Harbaugh is a classless jerk" for seemingly running up the score. Particularly in the Rutgers game. 

Was clearly evident by the start of the second half that Harbaugh had called the dogs off. He called for a pass only three times and basically spelled out for their entire team what he was going to do on offense. And they still couldn't stop Michigan. At some point, there has to be a level of accountability placed on the opposing defense to make a play. No coach worth his salt, and especially not one Jim Harbaugh, will EVER ask his players to give anything less than 110%. He may have his third-stringers and walk-ons in there, but he's going to tell those players to run the ball right down their throats until they scream "UNCLE."

When opposing fans chime in about how we have an ass for a coach, I always expect to hear back the typical "well when we do it, its different" kind of excuse. That's when you hear "oh well Dantonio was trying to get his guys some extra playbook practice" or "Its not Meyer's fault that the other team can't stop our third-stringers. Got to get ready for the playoffs." It's always wrong until it happens to you. 

in sports. The man is not ruthless or some kind of aggressive psycho, the man dares to be an individual in a sport that has traditionally resented individuality more than anything else.

DOOM to all teams who stand in Harbaugh's way!! DOOOOOM I say!!

The 6 reasons Harbaugh is not ruthless. This is about mental and physical preparation.

1) He looks at every play as an opportunity to get better. And even if the third string is in it's an opportunity for them to get more experience and improve

2) Mentally, you can never take your foot off the gas. You never want your players to think they can take their foot off the gas. It may not catch up with them in a 70 point blow out but it will in another game. And anyone who has played competitive sports will agree that as soon as you start playing down to an opponent the mental game can quickly turn against you. It's best to teach your players that there is never a case where they don't have to give 150%

3) Every play is an opportunity to try something new and learn.

4). The PSU 2 pt conversion was justified. They were cheating over for a block. The only way to defend that is to keep them honest. The Illinois spot at the end of the game was clearly not to run up the score. He just wanted to finish the game and also keep the refs honest.

5). If the game is out of hand, the only option is to put your /me and 3rd string in. But they are still going to go all out.

6). Don't piss Harbaugh off. Because then he will seek vengeance.

i helped coach jim, his bro, the minicks. bostic etc. he was just like he is now only one way to gol PLAY HARD AND WIN WIN AND WIN.