Michigan Football, the 2020 Abbreviated COVID Season

[Jeff Buchanan]

.........So let's be clear -- maybe we all agree that Harbaugh is not an elite coach, and probably some of us here who watch closer had our suspicions over the last two years. But in no way is it an accurate reflection of reality to say that "The elite characterization was imagined and largely undeserved attribute assigned to Jim Harbaugh by the M fan base." That's just wrong, and these are a small sample of the many links, from sites and voices ranging quality to clickbait, that illustrate how when he arrived here he was seen as an elite coach by far more than just Michigan fans.

Point taken. Frankly, I don't think the media, that entity looking for clicks, is a great source for the truth or accurate descriptions of it. But, yeah, the media dumped on Harbaugh after the Wisconsin game. No surprise there ..... I tend to just sort of ignore it and with what I think is good cause.

Another issue you and I are dealing with here is the definition of elite. In my terms and as I described the expectations of fans being too high, I'm looking at it as elite = the capacity to beat all of M's rivals and get to not only the BTCG but get into the CFP and compete for the NC. Nick Saban is an elite CFB coach because he is delivering on that term as it applies to him. So is Dabo, probably ufm, Kirby Smart and we'll see about day.

Harbaugh, IMO, is not that and his record both before and during his tenure at M demonstrates he should have never been anointed as such. Once that happened and became his defining characterization, anything short of achieving those things for M football indicates to overly expectant M fans, he's a failure.

I think there is room for fair disagreement on assigning the term elite to Jim Harbaugh here.

[hack]

It's a word, and therefore has a specific meaning. It was very widely applied to Jim Harbaugh before he got here.

[Tom W]

Goals are great, provided you have a clue on how to reach them.

The goal hasn't changed. Winning the conference is all that can be done- With that you've got a pretty good shot at getting to the playoff.

We've just forgotten how to read the maps. Bo always claimed that he started in the trenches. Build up both lines and the rest will come together. Maybe that's outdated, but It seems to work for Wisconsin.

[hack]

Sure. And, again, not to make too much of this stuff, but I think it was after a '99 game that Lloyd talked about taking a run at the national championship, in a post-game interview on the field. I think it was Penn State. That was the first time I ever heard a Michigan coach define the program's goals as anything beyond winning the conference and going to the Rose Bowl. My involvement in organized sports ended in high school, so who am I to say, but players and coaches talk very specifically about the importance of setting specific goals that are attainable and repeating them often. I'd say get to the CCG is reasonable.

[lineygoblue]

Goals are great, provided you have a clue on how to reach them.

The goal hasn't changed. Winning the conference is all that can be done- With that you've got a pretty good shot at getting to the playoff.

We've just forgotten how to read the maps. Bo always claimed that he started in the trenches. Build up both lines and the rest will come together. Maybe that's outdated, but It seems to work for Wisconsin.

^^^ This ^^^

[Jeff Buchanan]

Just to be sure ....... for you, Hack, and Tom, since Harbaugh has not yet achieved that goal - getting to the CCG - in his 4 years and change as M football's HC and since trends indicate he won't get there this season, we should be initiating a coaching search now, I suppose to facilitate, his firing after a loss to osu in November.

Am I correct?

[iam416]

Please don't fire HARBAUGH!!!!

[lineygoblue]

Just to be sure ....... for you, Hack, and Tom, since Harbaugh has not yet achieved that goal - getting to the CCG - in his 4 years and change as M football's HC and since trends indicate he won't get there this season, we should be initiating a coaching search now, I suppose to facilitate, his firing after a loss to osu in November.

Am I correct?

[Tom W]

To be honest, I would expect that the athletic department has at least given thought to the idea of replacing Harbaugh already. Maybe it's extending them too much credit, but isn't it their job to know what's going on with their program, the other programs in the conference, the school administrations and the donors who aren't ambivalent about placing conditions before the pen hits their checkbook?

They should have better answers than any of us to any of the questions that we banter around with here. Those answers at subject to change, of course, but they're going to be pretty solid by Thanksgiving. If they go on a roll and come into the Game at 10-1 then Harbaugh will have shown that he has salvaged a season that seemed lost in September. Losing to an udefeated ohio and missing out on the CCG isn't going to matter. We're STILL almost there.

If you haven't stopped reading after that preposterous scenario, the more expected outcome is a scad of losses in any combination to Iowa, Penn State, Sparty and Notre Dame and maybe even wildcard losses to Maryland or Indiana. In that case, I would expect that Warde and Jimmy will have a nice little talk. Harbaugh won't get fired, but will depart for "personal reasons".

A "coaching search" might happen, but it will just be a bunch of overpaid consultants- the University of Michigan does that as well as anybody. The list of candidates will have already been formed and revised several times over.

We'll know if Harbaugh is going to be back by the time we get to Scio Church on November 30th.

[Hannibal]

If this season plays out like I expect, then Harbaugh will be coaching for his job against OSU.

[WingsFan]

Hes not going anywhere unless he want to bolt to the NFL next year

[Hannibal]

Even if he goes 5-7 with three more blowout losses?

[iam416]

If they lose this week, and I consider that a very big "if", then he's probably going to be 6-5/7-4 going into the Ohio State game.

Personally, I don't think there's anyway M shitcans HARBAUGH!!!! after this season.

[WingsFan]

He's not getting fired (this year) - end of story

[Hannibal]

You guys could be right. We'll see. If he doesn't make a bowl game or goes 6-6, then he has officially become Brady Hoke 2.0 and there's no reason to keep him.