Michigan Football: Harbaugh haters vs Harbaugh supporters

The current state of the Michigan football program is divided between those who believe Jim Harbaugh can do no wrong and those who believe he should have been relieved of his duties. 

Coming off an unforgivable 2-4 covid riddled season and his present record against his main rivals, Jim Harbaugh is on thin ice with most Michigan football fans nowadays.

He even somehow was able to gain an extension by Warde Manuel following last year’s putrid showing. It has left many in the college football world scratching their heads as to why he was given the deal given the awkward timing.

To the ones who won’t back the coach anymore it made them even more furious as to how he can run his alma mater any worse than he already has.

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This group of people has been clamoring for a fresh, new face to take over the reins into the next era. With that not happening heading into the unknown future, their voice only grows larger as the days pass, especially with another mediocre campaign potentially on the horizon.

The only way to turn the fortunes for these folks would be to win immediately. That is asking a steep price with such an underachieving roster set to return to action in September. Plus they will mention that the recruiting aspect of it has been rather ordinary at best and the prospects are not getting properly developed under his tutelage like they are at other places.

On the other side of things is the crew that is behind Harbaugh. There are those that will still praise him for what he has accomplished under such aggressive circumstances thus far. Some realize that you can’t please everyone and accept the results of a task that is becoming ultra-competitive at every football-crazed school.

Those herd of humans can be so overly optimistic that they almost seem to be out of touch with reality sometimes.

These supporters will look back to where the program was under Brady Hoke and Rich Rodriguez and argue that it is in a better place than it was a decade ago.

Perhaps if certain misfortunes like MSU in 2015 and Ohio State in 2016 had different outcomes, then Harbaugh wouldn’t be in such a polarizing spot that he stands today.

Either way you see it Jim Harbaugh is going to be the coach for the 2021 season and afterward is a complete uncertainty.

Anything less than a seven or eight-win season for Michigan football should not be tolerated. He’ll have to win at least nine or 10 games to earn back some dwindling trust, but more importantly, show progress against the Buckeyes and close the widening gap between the two.