Michigan Football: Top 5 games of the Jim Harbaugh era for Wolverines

No. 3 2016 Citrus Bowl Michigan vs. Florida

Every team sets out with goals at the beginning of the season. One of the goals that most teams have is getting to six wins so that they become bowl eligible. The Wolverines had just finished their first regular season with Jim Harbaugh at the helm. They went 9-3 and earned the right to play Florida in the 2016 Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day.

That Michigan team was looking to get the bad taste out of their mouth after Ohio State came into the Big House and ran all over them, winning 42-13.

Florida stood in the way of Michigan and a 10-win season and that was bad news for the Gators. The Wolverines were hungry and ready for a Big Ten – SEC battle.

Michigan amassed over 500 yards of total offense en route to a 41-7 drubbing of the Gators. The Wolverines offense was lead by Jake Rudock who threw for 278 yards and three TD’s. The defense was stout and stifled the Florida offense all day.

The win was important for the Wolverines in a few ways. They got to 10 wins which was a good milestone for them in year one of Harbaugh. It also allowed them to go into the off-season with some momentum for the 2016 season. The players were happy and so were the fans.

Winning against Florida, a formidable SEC opponent, meant that Michigan was able to go against good teams and win. The 2016 team benefited a lot from the success of 2015. Key players on the 2016 team got valuable reps and playing time in 2015.