Michigan Football: Luke Fickell vs Jim Harbaugh sounds like fun

Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh helped turn the tide for U-M against Michigan State but now, he will have to do the same vs a new foe.

When Jim Harbaugh came to be the head coach of Michigan football, one of his first tasks was winning back the state of Michigan.

It took some time, but Harbaugh was able to do that, posting a 3-2 record against the Spartans. While the Wolverines haven’t won a Big Ten title under Harbaugh as Michigan State did back in 2015, Michigan football has clearly surpassed MSU in every possible metric on the football field.

That’s not why Dantonio left. He seems about to get caught up in more scandal and since he was probably about to get fired after another so-so season in 2020, it was probably smart to cash out and head for the hills.

Obviously, Michigan football fans won’t mind seeing Dantonio leave. He was one of the most successful head coaches Michigan State has ever had, delivering two Big Ten titles during his tenure and a historic run against the Wolverines.

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But now begs the question, who will replace him?

One candidate that got legs quickly was Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell, a former Ohio State coach and player. He was actually the interim head coach at OSU the last time U-M won the game back in 2011.

Dantonio was another former Ohio State assistant and was the defensive coordinator there before he coached at Cincy and went on to become the head man in East Lansing.

So could history repeat itself?

It sure seems like a good fit for the Spartans and after the spat Fickell and Harbaugh had last year over the eligibility of transfer James Hudson, it would add even more spice to a rivalry that doesn’t need any.

Michigan State and Michigan isn’t the same as Michigan-Ohio State, but it’s getting closer and with the success of the Spartans under Dantonio, the rivalry has changed. There is no doubt about that.

Yet, if the Spartans are going to stay competitive, they will need to hit on their next head coach and Fickell seems like a good hire, at least in the sense that as a defensive-minded, Big Ten guy, he fits what Michigan State was under Dantonio.

Who knows if he or another coach can restore the Spartans to what they were? All I know is that if Fickell is the new head coach, watching him and Harbaugh got at it year after year, will be must-see TV.