2. Michigan has work to do to win a national title
Jim Harbaugh said he wants to win a national championship and he was close this season. Michigan was really close and the Wolverines should be in a prime position to make another run.
However, they are going to have to figure out how to get past that last hurdle of big-time opponents from other leagues. The Harbaugh-led Wolverines have now dropped six bowl games in a row. They are 0-4 in the New Years’ Six and 0-2 in the playoff.
Each time, the defense has struggled and for as much as people want to talk about the physical nature of the Big Ten, the entire league has struggled in the playoff. The Big Ten has one win since Ohio State won the national title.
Ryan Day and Jim Harbaugh — the top two coaches in the league — are a combined 1-5 in College Football Playoff games. It’s not just a Michigan problem, it’s a Big Ten problem.
It reminds me a little of Nebraska back in the 1990s. The Huskers dominated the Big Eight but always got blown out by Florida State or Miami every year it seemed in the Orange Bowl.
Those teams were the modern SEC. Eventually, the Huskers found a way to beat them. Michigan has built a team to beat Ohio State and dominate the Big Ten.
Now, it’s time to figure out the next step and it’s not going to be easy. Hopefully, it’s all part of a progression but this program has to get better in bowl games.