Am I making too much of one loss? No. Because this is not in reference to one loss. This is a culmination of a multitude of factors. The premier rivalry of OSU and UofM is no longer a contest. The Wolverines haven't beat the Buckeyes since 2011. The Harbaugh era has produced one Bowl Game victory and, unfortunately, bowl games are irrelevant outside of the college football playoff. Ohio State has made the playoffs four times and Michigan State once. "Little Brother" has made the playoffs and the Wolverines haven't. Ohio State and MSU might go to the playoffs again this year. Ohio State has won a national championship in this format. It's time to admit that Michigan has more in common with Tennessee, Texas, and USC than Ohio State, Notre Dame, or MSU. We're a program that gets hyped up for what it did in the past and not what it is doing now.
How did this happen?
Success in college football comes down to two things: 1. Coaching and 2. Emphasis on winning from the school.
Harbaugh is not a win-it-all coach. He has hidden his flaws behind his NFL career and one Super Bowl appearance as a coach. Harbaugh coaches to manage the game and tries to coach smart. That's why the Wolverines don't get blown out frequently, however, it is why great coaches like Mel Tucker kick our ass. Making risky decisions by going for it on fourth down instead of kicking field goals separates the national title contenders from the 8-4's.
LIve look at Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines
This is pretty much Mel Tucker's first year. I don't want to take anything away from him as a coach. In fact, much the opposite. I want to praise him and express my envy that he is coaching at MSU instead of Michigan. His fire is true and not fueled by national media bloviating. Harbaugh gets more praise and admiration from the press than any 8-4 to 9-3 coach has ever gotten. "Oh, he wants to win! You can see it in his animated scowling!" Then why, if he wants to win so bad, does he always kick field goals instead of going for it on fourth down? You can't beat good teams that way. I'm no football expert and I know that to be true.
Furthermore, his stubbornness as a coach hinders him. Is every team just an offensive wizard that tricks the Wolverines by running the same play over and over to huge gains? "Stick with the program." Is that what the mice say as they go through the maze getting zapped over and over. Stick with the program? The same can be said for the offensive playcalling. Run up the middle. Gain of 1. What should we do? Call it again! Many are saying that Michigan got robbed because of a bad call or two. No, the Wolverines got robbed because Harbaugh decided to kick four field goals instead of taking a risk. Risk-taking in coaches is good. Playing it safe will win most games, but not enough of the big ones.
This is a slow decline into mediocrity.
These problems are a sample of an ongoing problem at UofM. By allowing Harbaugh more chances than the previous two coaches, the school has implicitly stated that what is important isn't winning at the highest level but staying above the muck of total irrelevancy. This is a slow decline into mediocrity. By lowering the standards of what Michigan football should be pursuing, they've lowered the brand. No one is scared of the Wolverines anymore. Yes, we still recognize the maize and blue and the logo. Lots of people will still watch the legacy brand for its historic value. It's not about winning. It's about making money. Taking a risk on a Mel Tucker, Dabo Swinney, Lincoln Riley, or James Franklin, is just too much of a financial risk. I know that for every major success like them, there are multiple major failures. You can lose money by being awful. But by never risking awful, you can never get great.
Furthermore, the playoff model changes everything. To quote Ricky Bobby, "If you're not first, you're last." Mel Tucker has done more in his two years (one of which is the Covid season) than Harbaugh has done in his entire tenure with fewer resources and national media hype. Tucker didn't need anyone pointing out his "fiery" scowling on the sidelines. He, and MSU, spoke their fieriness into the scoreboard. That's why I'm jealous.
We have to face it as Michigan football fans. We are "little brother" until we decide to do what big brother is doing. Take risks. Go after coaches that might crash and burn. Is that out there right now? I don't know. I really don't know if a coach that is better than Harbaugh is available. Cause, Harbaugh is a "good" coach. He's just not great. College football is all about coaching. Until our coach is great, Michigan won't be.
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