Michigan Football: Top 5 wins for Jim Harbaugh as Wolverines head coach

No. 4 Harbaugh beats Wisconsin for first top-10 win

During his first season in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh actually beat three ranked teams including a 38-0 win over Northwestern at the Big House that awoke people to a new era of Michigan defense.

But the first really big win under Harbaugh came in 2016, which might still be the best season the Wolverines have put together with Jim as the head coach.

Wisconsin came to Ann Arbor in early October and was ranked No. 8 just like Wisconsin this past Saturday. That game wasn’t a blowout, instead, it was a defensive struggle, one that came down to the final minutes.

It wasn’t pretty by any means, Michigan managed 349 yards, while Wisconsin was limited to 159 by a defense that featured Jabrill Peppers, Jourdan Lewis and a stout front seven. Wilton Speight threw for 219 yards and threw the game-winning touchdown to Amara Darboh with 7:56 left as the two connected on a 46-yard strike.

Channing Stribling notched two interceptions that day but in the final minutes, Lewis nabbed his now famous, one-handed interception that ended the game.

The win propelled Michigan to a 9-0 start and helped the Wolverines climb as high as No. 2 in the nation before it suffered three nail-biting losses at the end of the season to Iowa, Ohio State and Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

Michigan had the lead in the final minute of each game but basically lost all three on the final play. That season was the definition of coulda, woulda, shoulda.