| YEAR | LOSSES |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2015 | 3 |
Jim Harbuagh is the only coach in Michigan football history to start his tenure with at least three losses in six straight seasons. In 2020, the Wolverines ended the year with a 2–4 record and didn't play in its final two games.
What does a losing record and canceling the final two games of the season get Harbaugh? A four-year contract extension and more opportunities to get his ass handed to him by the Buckeyes.
Warde Manuel's "right man for the job" became the first head coach in Ann Arbor to start his tenure with at least three losses in six straight seasons.
How far has the program fallen? The Wolverines have lost at least three games in nine consecutive seasons. A program first.
Collllllllllllllllllllllecting Those Ls
Going back to last year's game against Ohio State, Harbaugh and Michigan lost six of their last eight games. The two wins were against a COVID riddled Minnesota team to start this season and a 3OT squeaker over mighty Rutgers. The losses? The Buckeyes beat the Wolverines 56-27, Alabama won 35-16 and Indiana ended a 24-game losing streak, Wisconsin embarrassed them in Ann Arbor and Penn State picked up its first win of the season against Harbaugh's mighty Michigan team.
2020 was the first time since 2010 that the Wolverines lost three consecutive conference games.
"Who has it better than us?" This year, ten teams in the B1G finished the season with a better record than Michigan. Included in that list are power houses Rutgers and Maryland.
| OPPONENT | RECORD |
|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 0–5 |
| TOP 10 TEAMS | 2–13 |
| BOWL GAMES | 1–4 |
| WISCONSIN | 2–3 |
| NOTRE DAME | 1–1 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 3–3 |
| PENN STATE | 3–3 |
Harbaugh, Their Hero
Remember when mgoblog celebrated the hiring of Jimmy Boy with "It's Happening"? Well, this is what has happened, The One Who Wears Khakis is a combined 1–9 against Ohio State and his bowl opponent. The lone win was in his first season against Florida in the prestigious Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. Since that great victory, the Wolverines have gone 0–9 when playing against the Buckeyes or in a bowl game. They have also been defeated by an average score of 36-26 in those contests.
The One Who Wears Khakis has a losing record against ranked opponents, is 2–11 against Top 10 teams and has accumulated 22 losses in six seasons. He is also 11–16 against ranked teams. To put that in perspective, Urban Meyer was 24–5 against ranked teams and 13–5 against Top 10 opponents as Ohio State's head coach over seven seasons.
So, let's find out how the fans of That Team responded as their beloved program extended Harbaugh's contract.
TURNING ON THE ONE WHO WEARS KHAKIS
After six years of Harbaugh, Michigan men are hitting the boards with the pitchforks and burning takes in full force.
No NFL team gave him an offer so we're stuck with a weird, quirky, catatonic failure, because we can't afford to fire him.
Well, here comes the battles with MSU, Maryland, and Rutgers for 4th place in the B1G East every year. Hail 9-4 on average for the next 4 years!!
Harbaugh will never get to 9 wins again as Michigan coach
Kill me. I became a fan in Rich Rod's first season. It has been absolutely nothing but pain.
It’s a shame I cant say what I really want to for fear of receiving a Twitter ban, but this ain’t good for the program.
None of this matters. We’ve entered the nihilism phase of Michigan football. Whatever they do is basically meaningless.
They will continue to lose to ranked teams, continue to lose a game every year they shouldn’t and continue to get boat raced by the Buckeyes.
None of it matters.
Michigan football is in a very "meh" spot right now.
Meh is the right answer.
They literally just negotiated a contract with the specific purpose of making it easier to fire him. All signs point to a 2021 coaching search.
I love my school and I love this team, it is just the head coach who I have seen for the last 6 years is not the right person for the job.
Yes, this board has as much enthusiasm for Jim as him team does.
It appears Jimmy has lost his players and the fans.
Wish that JH was still the coach. Now we just have the knockoff version.
Looks like my Saturdays just freed up for a good long while.
I recently happened upon the mgoblog poll for best Harbaugh gifs from 2017 or whatever, man was he a different person then. Miss that guy
It's not a gif from 2017, but this is a great picture from 2016:
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Season ends in failure. Fan base gets angry. Time passes, and for SOME reason people forget about what happened. Good recruiting class, hype, etc... repeat.
This is a spineless program. They can't stand up to JH.
JH has proven beyond a doubt what his ceiling is at Michigan. It's barely above average given the resources. That's not good enough.
Excuse me if I don't have faith in a head coach turning things around when he had to tell his players to clap when someone made a good catch.
Or the fact that our biggest rivals would happily raise the money themselves for us to keep him
Fire him and try again. This scared to make a move shit is one reason this program is a dumpster fire.
If so many fans aren't happy with Jim, why did Michigan give him an extension?
Michigan pulled their pants down because they can't stand up to Harbaugh.
Thanks, that makes sense.
Michigan football program has waved the white flag and has accepted mediocrity. The program has fallen once again.
Michigan football is in a very "meh" spot right now.
I expect nothing and I'm still let down.
OHIO ON THEIR MINDS
Discussing how Jimmy's pay should be structured, fans of Michigan have some suggestions.
Base salary - $4 million / 5 years
Finish top 3 in Big Ten East - $400 k
Beat OSU - $7 trillion
Should be an incentive in there for beating OSU. I would make it an extra million. He would never get it anyway.
This is similar to my post a few months back, base salary = $0, beat OSU $8M.
The last commenter is correct. Harbaugh will likely be coaching for free as he continues to lose to Ohio State over the next four seasons.
Yep, and a huge party is being planned this weekend in downtown Columbus
Please check on your UM friends. Make sure they haven’t died from drinking all the alcohol in the world. OSU fans are loving this as much as being in the CFB Championship.
The entire state of Ohio just got a massive, collective erection.
HARBAUGH IS COOPER?
This might be interesting.
We have our John Cooper locked in for 5 more years.
Good times.
If Harbaugh truly was like Cooper and only lost in The Game, I would give him a decade too in hopes that OSU couldn't sustain that level of success. But he's not only losing to OSU. He's getting beat by terrible teams at home.
I can understand being a good team and losing to the death machine of OSU. I will not stand for losing half of our games to MSU and getting blown out at home by winless Penn State
Yeah, Cooper generally had a lot more success than Harbaugh has had.
This is exactly where I am.
OSU is a juggxrnaught. It sucks but it is a reality. But when you look at the other games . . .
After six seasons, Harbaugh is winless in The Game. Good ol' Coop had one tie in the same times span. Cooper also won in his seventh season. Does anybody think Captain Khaki will beat Ohio State in 2021?
FAN FIGHT OVER THE CORRECT COACH
Wolverine fans are putting on their AD hats. What would they do?
The "right" direction is finding the "right" coach, not just getting rid of what you have, especially because no one seems to know what the "right" coach is.
Ah yes, the ol "careful what you wish for" bit.
This dude can't win here.
It's time to move on. Don't be afraid to take a chance on someone else.
I'm ready to move on gung ho, go get me Jimbo Fisher.
Anyone lower than that probably only solidifies 2nd behind OSU.
Jimbo or bust? That's an interesting take. Who else is out there for them?
Right coach is in Ames. Campbell will get scooped up by another program while we try to get back to 3rd place big ten east.
I'm sorry, where is Campbell going? The Texas job - the only viable upgrade for Campbell this year - has been filled. So Campbell (and Fickell, FWIW) are staying put this year.
Warde was never going to fire a former QB, pro player, successful college and NFL coach who is 49-22 at Michigan to hire a Matt Campbell whose highlight reel consists of a year or two at Iowa State.
Matt Campbell has actually been to a conference championship game, beaten teams of superior talent, and has won a NY6 bowl.
Matt Campbell beat Oklahoma in Norman in his second year. Harbaugh doesn't have a single win close to that good in six years and with about 5x as many opportunities to notch one
Yeah, I don't get the infatuation with Campbell on this site. Harbaugh gets a mulligan for 2020 (as should every coach). I'm willing to ride out this contract extension, even if it's a clean 9-10 wins a year.
Alternative theory of events within the Michigan AD: Harbaugh waited for an NFL offer that didn't come, Warde spoke to Campbell, Campbell declined, Warde and Harbaugh spoke, Harbaugh said "meh, fuck it, I guess I'll do it you cheap bastards."
SPECULATION ON HARBAUGH'S BUYOUT
The buyout should be $50.00.
Buyout should be an Arby's coupon.
Kevin Harrish, is this you?
THE DELUSIONAL
Amazingly, there are some fans to the north that are pleased with today's announcement.
good. let's roll. my prediction is that we will see a more fiery version of JH and that this year will go down as an anomaly. given his career coaching record, this season is far outside the norm.
I'm with you. Shit goes bad sometimes, but I am hopeful he will get it together and we will be rolling soon.
Hate to break it to these two piss and blue supporters, but four losses is close to the average for Harbaugh since his arrival. To be exact, their savior has 22 losses over six seasons...3.7 Ls per year.
Mark my words. Good things are coming for Michigan Football, good things are coming for Jim Harbaugh. I applaud this.
Agreed, by this time next year, Michigan will have Matt Campbell and Harbaugh will be ass deep in retirement. Good things coming, indeed
I always wondered how anyone can not simply enjoy what good comes instead of always complaining and wanting something better.
I am actually glad Harbaugh is returning at Michigan. He has only been here for six years has has done no worse than Bo, Mo, or Loyd. He is much better than RR or Hoke.
What good times has this Michigan fan been experiencing? No worse than Bo or Mo? Whatever these guys are smoking, or taking, sign me up.
What if the AD did their due dilligence and there was nobody better available?
Then this was the best option.
Is Campbell an upgrade? Matt Campbell is Rich Rod all over.
Harbaugh is a better option than Campbell? See, these people are delusional.
A MORE DIGNIFIED FAN BASE
They are Michigan men. They have intelligence. They have class.
Looking forward to having a coaching search after next year
Feel free to suck a fuck.
i think the proper response is "how exactly does one suck a fuck?"
don't ask, just upvote and hope that it works out ok
We all suck.
Balls
Not going to touch that conversation, it speaks for itself.
Yes, this board has as much enthusiasm for Jim as him team does.
Is this the right time to say, Those who stay will be champions?
Nope. However, it is the right time to say...it's a
Sad day for Michigan football.
Give me an O...Give me a No...Oh no, Harbaugh is the first UM coach to start his career with at least 3 losses in six straight seasons. For that accomplishment, he was signed to an extension.
