Michigan Football: 5 things we learned from Peach Bowl loss to Florida

Harbaugh can’t figure out who his best players are

There are a lot of different aspects of being a great head coach. One is identifying the best players and how to put them in the best position to succeed. On that front, Harbaugh and his staff are failing.

On the first drive, Turner, a freshman, made an electrifying run. It was a 41-yard touchdown that did get called back, but still, it was a play Chris Evans and Tru Wilson aren’t capable of making. Throughout the game, Turner looked superior to Evans, yet, again and again, Harbaugh wasted touches on Evans and Wilson, who is as ordinary as they come.

Wilson and Evans ran the ball 10 times for 29 yards, while Turner got seven for 32. He also caught a 17-yard pass, giving him 49 yards on eight touches. Wilson and Evans caught three passes for 12 yards. So they touched it 13 times for 41 yards.

Evans is a niche guy. He is not and will not ever be starting material at Michigan. Wilson isn’t either. Frankly, I wondered why Turner didn’t get more than the 13 carries he got this season. He’s more dynamic and it’s frustrating he was wasted all season in favor of also-rans.

It’s just another example of Harbaugh’s strange decision making. He has three 6-foot-3 receivers in Black, Peoples-Jones, and Collins, plus Gentry and Turner — matchup nightmares but does nothing with them.

Instead of spreading teams out and putting that pressure on them, Harbaugh mixes personnel like it’s the NFL, using fullbacks and tight ends. This offense could be explosive, only Harbaugh seems determined to make it conservative, predictable and ineffective. He also isn’t holding true to his mantra of the best players will always play. Otherwise, Turner would have started.