Michigan Football - 2025 Season.

[lineygoblue]

LAIR!!!!!!

You don't eat chicken unless it's deep fried and smothered in gravy....

And there's something wrong with that?

Add a cathead biscuit and mashed potatoes, and you've got a deal

[THE_WIZARD_]

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[Jeff Buchanan]

Spit balling here on Harbaugh's future but a review of the time line of events suggest what Harbaugh is asking for from the U. That he does not feel comfortable that he's got what he wants is what is holding him up freom signing the most recent contract offer:

• M received a NOA from the NCAA in January, '23 involving Level 1 and 2 recruiting rules violations during the 2022 time period. Harbaugh has maintained his innocence around his Level I charge, that he misled investigators. M self imposed a 3 game suspension for the 2023 season supposedly covering both Levels of NCAA violations that occurred in 2022
• The U did not issue any statements in support of Harbaugh. I think this was an issue for him.
• In October 2023, the NCAA notified the Big Ten and Michigan that it had received allegations the Wolverines were involved in a sign-stealing scheme and had allegedly sent representatives to games to scout future opponents.
• On November 10th, the BIG announced it was punishing the U, not JH, for unsportsmanlike conduct by suspending their head football coach for games against PSU, Maryland, and OSU.
• The U filed a TRO on the eve of the PSU game The judge ruled he would here oral arguments in a week, on the eve of the Maryland game.
• During the week that followed it is not clear what took place between the involved parties, although for all intent and purpose, the TRO was not granted and a mutual agreement was reached that the U would withdraw it's TRO. The BIG's suspensions held. What is pretty clear is that despite what many thought was a strong M case for injunctive relief, including U President Ono, the regents wanted to back down and accepted the penalties. That's what happened.

Again, in the end, the U failed to give strong support to Harbaugh. That had to be a bitter pill for him. He wants guarantees that the U will go to bat for him going forward including in the current NCAA investigation known as sign-gate. Negotiations over ways to guarantee that in a contract may be underway and it was noted on Friday last that Stephen Ross may be involved on Jim' side of this. That has to be one of the likely reasons, if not the most likely, he hasn't signed...... and won't sign until he feels comfortable the U, meaning administration and the regents, will be fully behind him in defending against, what I believe JH believes are wrongful allegations directed against him, that gave rise to the BIG's punishment.

I'm not anywhere close to believing he's going to get the "love" from the U, as I've defined it here, that he wants and he'll not stay at M unless he does. Michigan administrators have racked up a stunning history of shooting itself in the foot when it comes to M athletics. I wouldn't put it past them to fuck this one up as plain as it is that the U needs to be 100% behind it's Football program, including the best HC the program has had since Schembechler retired. I'm expecting them to add another mistake to their long list of them committed and involving M's football program. The underlying basis of that mistake will be insider politics.

[lineygoblue]

Jeff - How about this situation. Maybe Harbaugh and M decided to make a strategic retreat on the Big Ten thing, accept the "punishment", and then fall back to a more defensable position? By doing so they've totally disarmed the Big Ten, because they have agreed to wait go with whatever decision the NCAA makes. There will be no separate Big Ten investigation. So now, all Harbaugh and M has to do is focus on the (stupid) allegations of the NCAA, and fight just one opponent instead of two. And really, (haters opinions aside) the only thing Harbaugh is facing on the 2020 thing is that he 'lied' to investigators about his role in the situation. That was the sticking point before the "sign stealing" thing came to light. The NCAA wanted a confession, and a 6 game suspension, to which Harbaugh refused to cooperate with. That's NCAA battle #1.

Battle #2 comes from the "sign stealing" allegations. To me, this is a much tougher case for the NCAA to PROVE. They can come up with all sorts of circumstantial "evidence", but can they really PROVE that Harbaugh told Stalions that off campus scouting (illegal scouting) was fine with him? I think this will be a much tougher situation for the NCAA to prove, and make it stand up in court, where any such punishments are sure to end up.

So, maybe a strategic retreat to be determined in the future by the courts?

Or, maybe Harbaugh just decides to take himself out of the equation so everyone can move on, and he heads to the NFL.

I'm not sure at this point where this goes.

[Cody_Russell]

Showing “love” by increasing NIL funds would be cool too. No reason M shouldn’t pay for WR Isaiah Bond for example.

Michigan national championship parade stream!:

https://www.fox2detroit.com/sports/michigan-wolverines-national-championship-stream-parade-celebration

[Jeff Buchanan]

Linesman, I think you give to much credit to the U's administration. A well thought out "strategic retreat" you surmise is what is going on at Michigan just isn't consistent with the chaotic blundering that seems to be the norm when making decisions that involve athletics.

What fans rightfully want to see regarding M football, for example, flys in the face of how entrenched academics at M view the value of the football program to the stature of the U itself and its role in educating the student body. The tension involved in characterizing the impact on outcomes those two sides have has existed for decades. Only the Schembechler/Canham years elevated M football to be the front porch of the university as a whole. When Canham left, Duderstadt reasserted the importance of academics and research at M. In the process he forced the football and basketball programs to the back of the bus. The academics want to keep it there and that place is threatened by the resurgence of Michigan football under Jim Harbaugh.

In the current environment, I think that tension is at play and will impact the outcome of the Harbaugh saga. It won't be pretty.

[UMStan White]

' the best HC the program has had since Schembechler retired.'

Bot Moellar and Carr had undefeated seasons with Carr winning a national championship hip, Its time these two are given their due respect

[lineygoblue]

Schembechler, Harbaugh, Carr and Moeller all belong at the same table.

[THE_WIZARD_]

M 2023 Season Summary:

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[edindetroit]

https://www.clickondetroit.com/sports/2024/01/14/jj-mccarthy-declares-for-nfl-after-3-seasons-with-michigan-football/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=snd&utm_content=wdiv&fbclid=IwAR0tgvlaxWdiph5dHlBeRBzZpsHNufqbcZZuMeVyQyKoLyWxPMUalwgCrCM

[Cody_Russell]

Best of luck to JJ and the others heading to the NFL. Rooting for them. They gave us the memories of a magical season.

2024 is going to be rough. Seems like all of the M players with NFL decisions opted to leave. Oh well, we have a championship to remember. Hopefully the culture is strong enough to keep Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Will Johnson, and Colston Loveland away from the transfer portal like Hunter Dickinson. Nervous about that…

Is there any chance M can bring back Cade McNamara? Weird idea, but I think QB Hunter Johnson went from Clemson to NW and then back to Clemson as an example. QB is a huge question going forward.

[lineygoblue]

Cade will remain with the Hawkeyes. He's their guy now. I think he's made clear that he burned that bridge.

As far as all the losses to the draft, M isn't finished in the portal yet. There's time to come up with a few people who could help.

Michigan's QB situation as of now is likely a tossup between Orji and Jadyn Davis. It is what it is.

[Hannibal]

The attrition is as expected. Big step back next year. 8-4 would be a good season. 7-5 is likely.

[lineygoblue]

The attrition is as expected. Big step back next year. 8-4 would be a good season. 7-5 is likely.

Yeah, and even 7-5 would mean that we've got Edwards in the backfield. Without him, we may even as low as 6-6.

We're going to have to endure a couple lean years, and be satisfied with maybe an upset or two against the big boys. If there are any bowl appearances it will be Florida or Nashville, at best.

Then there's the stupidity of the NCAA to be dealt with, and how M decides to deal with it. Will they grow some testicles and fight back, or scurry under a rock somewhere as usual? My guess is like Jeff said, ... they have the surrender flag at the ready. Especially if Harbaugh is gone.

But the last 3 seasons have been a lot of fun. I'll never forget those kids.

Edit: "Big Boys" of 2024 Big Ten = OSU, Oregon, USC, and maybe even UCLA. Washington is in the same boat as Michigan. Penn State can be counted on to under achieve as long as Franklin is there. Dark horse = Wisconsin.

[hack]

Hey Stan remember you bet me a six-pack we couldn't get Harbaugh? Congrats to us! Fun to look back now...