Can defiant Jim Harbaugh get Michigan football back on track?

Jim Harbaugh was defiant earlier this week when asked about the prospects about coaching in the NFL and hopefully, that inspires Michigan football.

Unless you are a Michigan football fan living under rock, you have heard the rumors about Jim Harbaugh. The rumors that he might get fired or that he might leave for the NFL.

Those kinds of things have been a constant for the Michigan football program since Harbaugh arrived and with his team sitting at 1-2, Harbaugh bristled as the question about the NFL.

"“I don’t really have anything to really say to that, because I don’t have an interest in listening to that kind of stuff,” Harbaugh said on Monday. “I think you know me by now, I always like letting the action speak for what you have to say. I’ve been here five and a half, six years, and experienced that no matter what I say, the next day, something else is said or comes up.”"

It wasn’t the denial that I really cared about, but it was the way he did it. Harbaugh basically said, I’ve proven I’m staying and people will write what they want. So be it.

A year ago, he had a similar ordeal as Michigan football struggled and rumors swirled of him bolting for the NFL, which has been a common tactic of opponents in recruiting.

Last year, he came out defiantly and said he wasn’t going anywhere, that he planned on building something at Michigan. Soon after, the Wolverines turned things around, notching impressive wins over Iowa and Notre Dame.

Now, Michigan and Harbaugh are in a similar situation, only worse. The Wolverines have lost two straight games, in which they didn’t hold the lead for a single second.

Can Michigan football snap out of it?

However, there was the bad loss at Wisconsin in 2019, the game in which Michigan football was down 35-0. That was a pretty low point, but not as low as losing back-to-back games to Michigan State and Indiana.

At this point, it’d be impossible not to have heard the calls for Harbaugh’s head. Some big names like Joel Klatt are defending him, while others such as Urban Meyer say there are “troubling” things happening in Ann Arbor.

But one thing is clear, Jim isn’t the same guy he was when he walked in the door as Michigan football coach. He was known for his intensity and his enthusiasm and that was supposed to be infectious.

Only, the past two weeks and really for the past few years, we haven’t seen that Michigan team very often, at least not as often as we should.

Back in 2018 was the closest outside of the 2016 team. The Wolverines bullied some opponents and even though they lost to Ohio State, that team had a swagger.

Now that’s gone. You don’t hear any talk of attacking each game with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind, because that fire isn’t there.

Where’s the Harbaugh that yells and screams and throws things? Where’s the guy who went for two when he didn’t need to against Pete Carroll and USC or back slapped Jim Schwartz?

Has Michigan made Harbaugh soft? Or has he just given in to mediocrity?

It’s almost unbelieve to think that, but with the lack of adjustments and really the lack of urgency surrounding the program, it’s a question worth asking.

My hope is that Harbaugh’s response will sort of light a fire as it did in 2019, that Michigan football will use this Wisconsin game as a chance to right the ship.

But another loss, which would be the third in the row, would be devastating, especially if the team looks the way it did the last two weeks.

During that time I haven’t recognized this Michigan football team and the truth is, it’s hard to recognize Harbaugh, which is a big part of the problem.