KP, The "lifetime" contract news came from a tweet by Brady Quinn. I view it as internet noise. Harbaugh's present contract has a low buy out provision. If they do rework it to send of message that he is staying here, I suspect they would do something similar to what Michigan State did with Dantonio of providing automatic extensions for every year coached and a guarantee of an administrative position for x number of years after retirement plus some prohibitive buy out provision. I am more than satisfied with his performance so far. The program was a shell of its former form when he arrived. His recruiting has been excellent but we still have some problem areas that only time and new talent can correct. Michigan fans who expected an immediate return to elite status underestimate the magnitude of the rebuilding necessary to return the program to a sustainable quality program.
Harbaugh has not been as successful at Michigan as I thought he would be. Unless he is playing Florida that is. Probably the QB comment above is a big reason.
On the Gatorizing of the topic. I will say this to MCG, that if gets to far off topic talking about the Gators in this topic I have the ability, and will use it, to delete comments. That is as long as my fellow moderators agree with what I would do. It makes me very happy to see more activity here. I had so much fun for so long on Skybox but drifted to the sidelines. That may well change with what I am reading these days.
Bobda, thanks I was wondering what Lifetime really meant but if that was just internet chaff then I get it.
Today is the big day for the Scarlet and Gray, although we will be wearing white uniforms, go figure that one. This can not possibly be the last game of the regular season already?? :cry:
My original statement in this topic Bill until Florida was brought up: But beating Florida is relevant..... Harbaugh has beat us like a drum twice.... and those are two of his best wins as Michigan coach. UF was ranked #19 before the Cap One beating and #17 this season. He presently needs a win over Ohio State more than anything.... but a beatdown by the Buckeyes could happen instead. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/jim-harbaugh-is-still-the-man-at-michigan-but-can-he-be-the-conquering-hero/2017/11/22/284c4012-cfa3-11e7-a1a3-0d1e45a6de3d_story.html?utm_term=.8250852718ba
Winning the GAME over Michigan at the Big House was a memorable victory yesterday, but somehow, at least in my mind, the game did not seem to have the excitement and luster of other recent games? We looked very tentative in the first quarter and the Wolverines produced two TDs and led by 14 points early in the second quarter. We finally got on track and seemed to be more aggressive both on offense and defense. The injury to J.T. was a shock and my thoughts moved quickly back to the 2014 season, where he broke his ankle at Michigan as well. Haskins enters the game and was superb and notched three scores to win the game, making six consecutive wins over Michigan. Not a bad way to end the regular season after all!
In a pattern that continues and goes way back to when I was gainfully employed at the peak of my career in Detroit doing business with the Big Three... Michigan lost it's 13th out of 14 games to Ohio State. I know that really is getting on the nerves of my friends and family up there. This from CBS Sports: "The loss moves Harbaugh to 1-5 against his two biggest rivals, Michigan State and Ohio State, and Harbaugh is winless against the Buckeyes. He's also been abysmal in big-time games while in Ann Arbor. In Jim Harbaugh's first 3 seasons, @UMichFootball is now: - 0-3 against Ohio State - 1-2 against Michigan State - 0-4 vs. OSU, MSU at home - 0-6 as an underdog - 1-7 against Top 10 teams" And yes.... it could go on to say that Harbaugh has beaten the tar out of Florida twice.....
Dave, If Harbaugh's incoming class does not produce a solid QB, I wonder just how long the powers that be will tolerate their overpaid coach?
He has had good recruiting classes and should have a bunch of those guys on his team currently. His good excuse this year however is that he had to replace 17 of 22 starters. I don't think the stove is turned up appreciably though until next season if this trend continues.
How bad is Harbaugh? He lost almost 40 players and most of his starters off his team from last season. His best QB has a concussion. He is playing in perhaps the toughest conference, at least one of them. And he goes 8-3. I think this guy takes a lot of misplaced criticism.
I agree with George. I don't like Harbaugh, but I respect him as a head coach. If I was a Michigan alum (Perish the thought), I'd be happy to have him, despite the early problems beating MSU and OSU. I'm pretty sure that in time that will change. (Full disclosure: Because we open our 2018 season vs. Michigan, I'm trying to pull a Lou Holtz by showering the opponent with compliments, hoping to soften them up.)
I don't know a lot of Michigan fans, but the ones that I do know are both alumni and happy with Harbuagh. Their responses are very much like Bobda's, which is really odd because common sense and Michigan fans don't often go together. This is basically a media story. Just something to talk about. The only guy on this board is a fan of the team who couldn't beat Michigan if their life depended on it. I think his reason for wanting Harbaugh out is rather self evident.
One comment about Harbaugh. He was smart enough to hire JO'Co as his DC. I know it's him. I saw him on camera at the OSU game.
I have never like Jim Harbaugh, started when he was the UM QB when the refs stole a big victory from the Irish in Lou Holtz's first year. Never liked him as a Pro, never liked him as a coach. But I have to admit he was a very good college QB, will not be a HOF as a NFL QB but had a good career and clearly is a great football coach. He's been successful at Stanford and even though he's not beaten his rivals, I do think year 4 and 5 will turn that around. I just hope his return to ND stadium will be a painful loss to avenge that stolen victory in 1986. UM would be crazy to not support him though.
My thought FWIW re Harbaugh. In the NFL winning is (almost) everything. Yet, after taking the 49ers to a Super Bowl and NFL Championship game, SF was agreeable to letting him go. How big a pain in the ass must he be that an NFL franchise would be willing to let him go? Since he's been gone SF has really sucked. Working with him must be quite a pain. I'm just saying.
I think everybody who was not a UM fan said exactly what Gip just said, that he's a pain in the Ass and that he'll burnout in college. He might be just that, but he won at Stanford and he won at SF and while he's not gotten over the hump vs MSU and Ohio State. Last year it took a miracle game for MSU to win, and the crucial call late in the game giving Ohio State a 1st down allowed them to win and I don't think he was very happy with the refs on that one. Still don't like him. Maybe he needs to take the team to China for Spring Drills in 2018, the Vatican trip didn't seem to help!