Jim Harbaugh is the right coach for Michigan Football
By Peter Arango
The Michigan football program has taken a step back this season, but in the long run, Jim Harbaugh still has the Wolverines on track to be a national power.
Yes, any loss is a disappointment, a conference loss is especially painful, and a lopsided loss to Penn State is particularly galling, but …Michigan football was not expected to be running the table this year; too many key players had graduated and gone on to the NFL, the quarterback situation was not settled, the offensive line had some serious rebuilding to do, and the secondary and the receivers were young and untested.
Related Story: Get to know Rutgers
Michigan football’s defense looked good enough at the start of the season, increasingly effective through some games in which the offense floundered. The Penn State game showed some of the weak spots on defense, and against a good quarterback in McSorley and the likely Heisman winner in Saquon Barkley, Michigan was only able to keep it close for two quarters.
Let’s wait until the end of the season and then revisit that statement: Michigan kept it close for two quarters, against a team that could easily end up one of the final four. And did it after a soul crushing Barkley touchdown in the first minute of the game.
Here’s the truth. Harbaugh had a heck of a job to do in pulling Michigan roo5gqll from near obscurity to one of the colleges in the national conversation. How long did that take? One season. Except for one VERY bad call against Ohio State, Michigan could have been top four last season.
OK, check. check. TWO Seasons under Harbaugh and it was very close.
More truth. The state of Michigan produces somewhere between 8 and 10 true blue chip recruits per year. Alabama can take a shot at about 40 in-state top recruits; Georgia currently produces 100, Ohio 50, and Pennsylvania 36. There’s a lot of quacking about Jim Harbaugh’s big personality, but let’s remember, he had to pull Rashan Gary from New Jersey and Quinn Nordin from Penn State’s back yard.
What’s Michigan’s recruiting look like? Harbaugh is going head-to-head with every power program for every four and five star recruit, even in-state recruits such as Kalon Gervin, a five star cornerback from Cass Tech., currently considering Michigan State, Oregon, Florida, Nebraska, and Virginia Tech. At the moment, Michigan is ranked 18th in recruiting by Rivals.com , behind Ohio State, Penn State, and Maryland
So, Who’s coming to play in 2018? Here is the single five star recruit and the the four star recruits already committed to Michigan:
Stephen Herron, Jr. ***** Defensive End 6’3 235 lbs. Trinity HS, Louisville, KY
Emil Ekiyore, **** Offensive Guard, 6’4, 340 lbs from Cathedral HS, Indianapolis, IN
Michigan Wolverines Football
Ryan Hayes **** Offensive Tackle 6’7 250l lbs from Traverse City HS, Traverse City, MI
Jalen Myfield **** Offensive Tackle 6’5 273 lbs from Catholic Central, HS Grand Rapids, MI
Cameron McGrone **** Outside Linebacker 6’1 215 lbs from Lawrence Central HS, Indianapolis, IN
Joe Milton **** Quarterback 6’4 222 lbs from Olympia HS, Orlando, FL
Mustapha Muhammad **** Tight End 6’4 235lbs from Ridge Point HS Missouri City, TX
Otis Reese **** Outside Linebacker 6’4 206 lbs from Leesburg HS, Lee County, GA
Myles Simms **** Cornerback 6’2 173 lbs from Westlake HS, Atlanta, GA
Michigan football fans have playoff dreams, and the program has a huge legacy of football success to live up to. Before the Harbaugh in the hot seat alarms start ringing, let’s remember how far the Blue has come and how well the last two year’s recruits has been coached.
A great take by Dan Wolken in USA Today Sports offers some perspective:
“.But at least Harbaugh, unlike previous Michigan coaches who all made their contributions to a seven-decade run that yielded half a national title, hasn’t relied on Michigan’s crusty brand or its talent-deficient geography and hoped things would fall the Maize and Blue’s direction. He’s actively tried to even the odds and elbow his way back into the club of elites.
This is the last, best shot for Michigan to convince the rest of college football it’s still a legitimate player. If it doesn’t work, the image of failure for Michigan won’t be Harbaugh, it will be a long look in the mirror. “
Remember the bumper stickers? Get Harbaugh?
Next: Top 10 Michigan Running Backs of All Time
We did. Thank God. Go, Blue!