Michigan Football: Do Wolverines have a chance against Ohio State?
Michigan football hasn’t played well in the game against Ohio State, but could there be a victory on the horizon?
There’s a tradition of winning in Ann Arbor and it far beyond Michigan football. At U-M, all sports are pushed to the limit to ensure a place on the Directors Cup stage.
The Directors Cup, for those unaware, is given to the school with the most success amongst all sports they participate in and there is no sport which carries more weight than the next. If you come in last place in rowing and yet win the National Championship in football, you still won’t be taking home the trophy.
That is to say, there are more important things in life than beating Ohio State. Don’t get me wrong, beating the breaks off the Buckeyes is an enjoyable sight to see; however, life goes on in the event the Wolverines fall short of victory in or out of The Shoe.
Although, at some point, an Athletic Director, who’s fielding calls from angry alumni, boosters, and fans, must question his coach about his record in The Game.
Warde Manuel has to be fed up with the borderline harassment he faces from those who fill his voicemail. And Jim Harbaugh must be feeling the pressure, especially when well known former Michigan football stars shake their head and publicly admonish the performance of their former school against their most hated rival.
On the flip side of the argument, Ohio State is dominating not just on the field but off as well. Their ability to recruit is unmatched not just in the Big Ten but nationally. It’s been an era of Urban Meyer taking a squad from a losing season to a perfect one and with that has brought a national championship and years of dominance in and out of the conference. The torch was handed to Ryan Day and instead of witnessing growing pains, Ohio State hasn’t waivered in controlling their rivals (Now if they can just figure out Clemson).
Do they Wolverines have a chance?
Anyone has a chance. Over his many seasons, Urban posted an 83-9 record in Columbus, but not one of those losses came at the hands of UM.
It almost (should have) happened in 2016 during the infamous game where controversy continues regarding the spot. At the end of the day, however, history is history and the loss remains in Michigan’s column, not in central Ohio.
So, how long will it last and how many more seasons will Harbaugh be allowed to coach in Ann Arbor? The fan base is beginning to lean in the hot seat direction, but that’s without taking into account the success Harbaugh has experienced in the conference. The Wolverines have, since Jim was brought on, become a top two or three program in the Big Ten and they have finished in the AP Postseason top 20 in four of Harbaugh’s five years.
Sure, getting manhandled by your favorite program’s biggest rival is a tough watch and it can’t go on forever, but firing a guy for not being able to defeat one school seems a bit silly when a majority of the boxes are checked in terms of wins.
And, if at some point in the near future, Jim is able to defeat the mighty Buckeyes, Harbaugh and company would become instant contenders for the ever-elusive college football playoff. If (when) that happens, all of this bickering will become a moot point and all of the outspoken doubters will go dormant until the next thing they find to complain about.
In conclusion, quit responding to every single Michigan twitter post (even those not about Michigan football) with something negative to say about the program and there record against OSU. We get it, move along.