Harbaugh's Losses By Year

YEAR	LOSSES
2021	1
2020	4
2019	4
2018	3
2017	5
2016	3
2015	3

Another year and another loss for our rival against its Little Brother. The more things change the more they stay the same for a substandard website to our north. 

Khaki boy is two defeats away from becoming the first head coach of That Team to start his tenure with at least three losses in seven straight seasons.

How far has the program fallen? The Wolverines entered this year with at least three losses in eight consecutive seasons.

If they drop two more games in 2021, it will be the first time in their program's history for the team to lose three games in nine straight years.  What do all of these streaks mean? They suck.

Harbaugh's Record in Big Games

OPPONENT	RECORD
OHIO STATE	0–5
TOP 10 TEAMS	2–14
BOWL GAMES	1–4
WISCONSIN	3–3
NOTRE DAME	1–1
MICHIGAN STATE	3–4
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 now has a losing record against Michigan State, is 2–14 against Top 10 teams and has accumulated 23 losses in seven seasons. He is also 11–17 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 to their beloved squad losing its 23rd game under Jimmy Harbaugh.

It was hazardous, but well worth the venture on mgoblog.com to read through the site's game recap. Now you don't have to read the 350 comments in the staff article. 

As always, the words are theirs. It was difficult, but spelling and grammatical errors were not corrected. 

Note: This used to be written as a reminder on how not to respond when your favorite team loses or struggles. Today? Let's just revel in their misery.

TURNING ON THE ONE WHO WEARS KHAKIS

MitchAtl85

Fire Jim Chokebaughez. 

The Cube

Michigan AD is treating Harbaugh’s second contract as if he’s a brand new coach. Man I wish every employer was as rewarding. 

Cam

I honestly cannot believe there are still people defending Harbaugh. This loss drops him to 3-9 against his rivals and 20-21 against P5 teams with a winning record. That’s ridiculous. 

There’s always some stupid fucking explanation for why it’s an anomaly.

[...]

It’s all bullshit. Good coaches win big games, and Jim Harbaugh doesn’t win big games.

mistersuits

The first time Michigan got penalized for illegal substitution I was yelling at the refs because they weren't giving time to substitute because I assumed there was no way the defense would try and substitute if the offense also wasn't.

The second time Michigan got penalized for illegal substitution I was yelling at the Michigan coaches for not calling a timeout.

The third time Michigan got penalized for illegal substitution I shook my head, got another beer, and remembered why we can't have nice things.

uminks

I know Harbaugh is going to get a few more years here as HC but I have no hope he will turn our program around to where we will beat OSU or even win a B1G championship. Eventually he will be here for 10 years, with a huge salary and really nothing to show for it.

Kstate_Wolverine

I pray to god we fire Harbaugh!!

Judge Smails

The bottom line: Harbaugh is 3-9 (and counting) against our rivals, and that will be on his tombstone, much like 2-10-1 for John Cooper.

M-Dog

Totally out-coached. 

And it started before the season even began when Mel Tucker figured out how to bring in an insane amount of talent directly from the portal to cover up MSU weaknesses, while Michigan sat on its hands.

The Harbaugh regime is always a step behind in the fast-moving world of college football.

Lakeyale13

I'm not mad at Harbaugh.  I'm not mad at Michigan.  I'm not mad at the team.  Take all the emotions out of the evaluation....simply.....Harbaugh has failed.  I think he has worked hard.  Tried his best no doubt.  Harbaugh was hired for one reason only....shift the balance of power in Michigan back to UM,  beat OSU, be in Playoff contention.  Just objectively, he has failed (barring a miracle next month against OSU).  Time to move on or be content being a "kind of a relevant" football team.

UMhockeyfan1701

Fraudbaugh gonna Fraudbaugh. They’ll go a hollow 10-2, end up in some crappy bowl where most of the players will sit out and watch our rivals play for titles. We’ll bitch about officiating and hoping better coaches leave so we may have a chance.

[...]

 Fraudbaugh is coming back next year because they’ll probably go 10-2 without winning anything that really matters and Wards Manual is too chicken shit to do anything about it. Put your energy in basketball and hockey and forget about this joke of a program. 

GoBlueNavyNuke

We laugh at Nebraska and Scott Frost, on how close they seem to come to breaking through but ultimately fall short.  Well, Harbaugh and Michigan come closer but still fall harder. 

 

Harbaugh deserves every ration of shit everyone gives him. Beat a fucking rival, man. He owes the team an apology for his level of suck in this game. – Blucifer

 

BLAME IT ON THE REFS

The Homie J

Michigan football continues to get screwed in new and unimaginable fashions and I just don't care. 

[...]

People can blame Harbaugh, but I can't say I've ever seen a coach with as little cosmic luck get screwed so many different ways.  I can't even evaluate him as a coach because I don't know how you factor in a guy having so many blown calls go against him.  Good coaches have to overcome refs from time to time, but when has a guy had to overcome the refs in so many big games?  It's simply farcial at this point

Sopwith

Very, very disappointed with the staff, and FWIW with a league/sport that cannot get through to replay officials "IF IT'S CLOSE, YOU STAY WITH THE CALL ON THE FIELD. IF YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT MORE THAN TWICE FROM MULTIPLE ANGLES, THAT MEANS IT'S CLOSE."

Double-D

I always thought the rules were simple enough for me to understand.

Indisputable evidence meant you did not change the call.  That concept was fucked up the ass today 100% against Michigan.

To me that is unexplainable in regards to fair play. 

GBBlue

I welcome all analyses, and surely we made mistakes, as did our opposition. But it's been since the bad-spot game that we've been screwed out of so many points by the refs. Just brutal. 

[...]

For all our flaws -- and don't get me started on tempo -- we deserved to win. The calls were that bad.

CaliforniaNobody

Refs should be fucking ashamed. I don't give a fuck that we had chances to win. The missed and blown calls were the worst I've seen since JT was short and were inexcusable, and without a doubt the reason we lost. Are we OSU tier if we win? Ofc not. But we deserved this win and would have it if the professional refs were able to do their jobs properly. 

Gohokego

It sucks to lose a game like this but you really can't dismiss the calls that all went msu's way.  The td that was taken off the board is insane.  The lack of pass interference on sainristal in the end zone and cj on 4th down and msu getting the same call on dj turner. The holding on cj when you don't call the same on msu in big td runs by walker. 

Did UM make mistakes to hurt themselves yes but so did MSU. To have every review and big call go msu's way make it really hard.  

njvictor

I can’t stand the fans who won’t acknowledge how astronomically fucked we got fucked by the refs in this game. It was so blatantly obvious. OSU 2016 levels. Maybe worse

umchicago

I dont think there was any angle I saw showing the shin 100% touching the ground. it was an assumption by the piss poor replay guy.

The refs simply fucked us.– Double-D

OHIO ON THEIR MIND

Amaznbluedoc

What program fires a coach who puts up crazy winning percentages but who can’t  beat a rival or win the big game?  A sh—— little town in ohio and while they went through a small rough patch, they seemed to get back on track quickly.

Morelmushrooms

At this point, we will need to beat OSU many more than 1 time to negate the chip on my shoulder.

MFanToledo

Alot of excuse makers. The same people that believe we can beat OSU by running the ball every game instead of having a game changing QB

Kstate_Wolverine

I'd like to beat OSU more often than Purdue does.

JBLPSYCHED

If we lost handily to OSU again--more likely than upsetting them--it won't matter what happens between now and then. Or in the bowl game for that matter. It's not fair but losing to MSU and OSU (in a game that isn't close) is going to be the end for Harbaugh. He may not leave or get fired but the fan base will truly give up on him if that happens, leaving Warde with little choice but to move on.

Wendyk5

I'm absolutely not content losing to Ohio State year after year. That's my one big issue with Harbaugh.

MGoCarolinaBlue

Losing to OSU year after year has nothing to do with what Michigan is doing and everything to do with the historically unprecedented strength of OSU at the moment

You all can bitch and moan about it all you want but it's a fact, and hiring another coach doesn't change it and is more likely to make things much worse

ERdocLSA2004

Only if we beat OSU.  Losing to our rivals while beating all the sub .500 teams on our schedule isn’t a good season.  If that’s your idea of a good season, you may want to be an SMU, Cincy, or UCF fan.

The humiliating 20-point loss comes later in the season to OSU.– Ham

ONE LINERS

JFra

Michigan, making (opponents’) dreams come true for the last 20 odd years. 

Blucifer

Those who stay will be deflated. 

taistreetsmyhero

If God exists He/She/They hates Michigan football

GoBlueGoWings

You knew Lucy would do it but why against MSU

The Cube

Out coaching Harbaugh isn’t difficult because he is not a great coach. 

BigBirdBlue

Basketball school!

TobyFlenderson

Right now, Michigan is Iowa, with cooler helmets.

 

Fuck!– MGoGrendel

REALITY BITES

MGlobules

I don't see M as the Loins. Not the same brand of legendary ineptitude. It's not like we got off at the wrong stop in purgatory. This was definitely our own appropriately designated place in hell. 

Monkey House

I feel for those of you that still have feelings about this program. 

Reno Drew

It sucks because we're once again not even going to see the big 10 championship game but OSU will likely destroy us anyhow.

uferfan

Outscored 23-3 to end the game SMH.

uminks

Michigan or MSU are not top 10 teams.  I think OSU will show us that we are not. I see them beating MSU like a drum!

crg

Technically Top 10 - but neither team would stay close to teams such as osu, Bama, Georgia, etc.

stephenrjking

No, we wouldn't. I've said from the start of the year that this team will not win a national title, partly to calibrate expectations, and that is part of the reason why. We are not on the same level as Bama or Georgia or (tragically, alas) OSU.

Eschstreetalum

We are 7 years into our third rebuild. We have way better players than Moo U. But we are the same story for every year since Tressel came to Columbus: just wait til next year and the refs aren’t fair.  

We are the best or near best of the Big Ten’s second tier and that’s the ceiling for this program. Brian said it last year- the only thing left is to plumb the abyss.  

Perkis-Size Me

 I don’t know too many Michigan fans who are satisfied with not just losing to OSU every year, but being embarrassed by them every year, and then watching MSU out coach and outclass Michigan at least every other year. But hey it’s fine because the next guy could be worse. As far as the expectations for this program are concerned, this is as bad as it gets. They’re shitting the bed in all of their defining moments. 

JamesBondHerpesMeds

What was Michigan's record against those programs the twenty years preceding Harbaugh?

Here are some examples:

- Bo schembechler had a 5-12 bowl record

- from 1980-1989, Michigan had a 14-18 record against all ranked teams (not just top ten)

- The combined coaches from 1995-2015 had a 6-14 record against Ohio State

We have lots of data suggesting that Michigan has been a good, but not great, program since 1980. Why Harbaugh should be expected to suddenly turn Michigan into something it's not necessarily been primed to do for forty years feels like a lot to ask.

DMill2782

We are the Pacers. It's perfect. Put up a decent/solid record and never win anything of significance. 

pescadero

No Harbaugh team since he had been at Michigan has handled tempo well on offense or defense.

ERdocLSA2004

People around here seem to think all W/L are created equal.  I don’t care how bad NW is, I would’ve rather laid an egg against them than lost to MSU.  Rivalries matter to fans, to recruits, to fans of the game, etc.  

JFra

They were up 30-14 and had state 4th and 4 more than halfway through the third and promptly collapsed into what can only be considered a singularity of ineptitude. They had gotten past some blown calls and then they did literally what they always do: Lose a big game. 

Casanova

I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.

Michigan fans are the most tortured fans anywhere. 

mpbear14

We are headed for 9-4 and we’ll probably need a break or two to get there. 

UMxWolverines

Jesus Christ, are you Harbaugh? Continue to think the number of yards matters when we're kicking four fucking field goals. 

I remember all the "we outgained ND" posts in 2014 when we lost...31-0. This fanbase is full of losers. 

OldSchoolWolverine

It’s only a matter of which SEC team whips us in the bowl game

dougr188

Michigan is a tier 2 Big Ten team. OSU, MSU, PSU, and Wisconsin have proven this to us year after year.

 

M pooped their pants, again.– Chase_The_Dragon