Michigan Football: It’s stupid to think Jim Harbaugh isn’t a top-25 coach

The Athletic released a list ranking college football coaches and insanely enough, Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh wasn’t on it. Here’s why that’s wrong.

I don’t subscribe to The Athletic but overall I have heard good things. Yet, after hearing about the joke that was Bruce Feldman’s list of top 25 college coaches, one that left Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh off the list, maybe I won’t anytime soon.

I mean come on, Bruce, that’s just ridiculous and you of all people should know it.

Yes, I will agree that Jim Harbaugh has underachieved a little as the Michigan football head coach, but to rank him outside the top 25 is pure insanity. If he was free to coach any college in the country, many would come calling — so would the NFL, as the rumors persist.

Harbaugh wouldn’t be so highly sought after if he wasn’t a good coach, that’s just common sense. However, if you look at his record, Feldman’s refusal to put him on the list is even more brainless.

I’ve had this argument with fans, but one would think a career analyst like Feldman would know, but Michigan was not Michigan when Harbaugh took over four years ago. It still isn’t but it’s much closer and trust me, the Wolverines are on the verge.

But even if you don’t believe that just look at the progress he has made over the past four seasons. For starters, Harbaugh has led Michigan to three 10 win seasons. I know that doesn’t mean much to some, but when is the last time Nebraska won 10 games? What about Florida State or Oregon?

Texas won 10 games this season for the first time since 2009 and they are the hot item in college football. I know they beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and that’s great. I also know Michigan lost in the Peach Bowl, but can you really hold a loss against a team when its three best players chose not to play?

Obviously, Harbaugh needs to beat Ohio State and he needs to win more big games. But let’s not forget he beat three ranked teams in succession this past season and also beat the Big Ten west champion on the road.

Twice in the last three years, Michigan went into the Ohio State game with a chance to not only win the Big Ten but make the College Football Playoff and if it wasn’t for a bad call in 2016, Harbaugh would have a Big Ten title banner and a playoff berth to bring to this debate.

I don’t know about most teams, but getting within a doorstep of the Final Four seems like progress when just four years ago, Michigan couldn’t even hang with the likes of Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan State or Penn State.

All of those teams owned Michigan at the end of the Brady Hoke era and during his time, the Wolverines had back-to-back losing seasons in the Big Ten. Do you know how many losing seasons Harbaugh has had in the Big Ten? None.

In fact, he has gone 6-2, 7-2, 5-4 and 8-1. I get that 26-9 in the Big Ten may not be elite, but Michigan football was 6-10 in the previous two seasons before he arrived. So let’s not act like he hasn’t made progress.

Harbaugh has passed every team in the Big Ten but Ohio State. He has won on the recruiting trail and had the league’s best recruiting class in 2019. He also is well positioned to beat Ohio State this next season. If he doesn’t, he deserves criticism, but even then, he will still be a top-25 coach.

Any thought otherwise is just ridiculous.