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Jim Harbaugh is Running a Long Con at Michigan

Winless vs OSU and 50% vs Sparty? It has to be a joke.

NCAA Football: Maryland at Michigan Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Jim Harbaugh is an overpaid, lackluster showboat who can’t win the big games.

I’m not the originator of the “Harbs is overpaid” opinion. Paul Finebaum said Harbaugh is the “most overpaid coach in college football history.”

He gets $7.5 million bucks per year and holds a whopping $17.1 million buyout. And he can’t beat Urban Meyer. And that’s a truckload of money for a 50% win rate over Sparty. Not only that, the aggregate losses to Ohio State is 162 to 99.

Urban Meyer ran laps around Harbaugh.

NCAA Football: Michigan at Ohio State
“I’m kicking your ass again this year, Jimmy”
Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

What should be most disappointing to Wolverine fans is that Harbaugh has had some of the most loaded teams in Michigan history. That 2016 team was awesome. The 2017 team was awesome. He’s had the B1G’s first or second best teams, in terms of quality players at every position, since he arrived.

NCAA Football: Florida at Michigan Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

And he still can’t win the B1G. He can’t close the deal. In 2015, he lost to Sparty and then OSU. In 2016, the wheels came off at Iowa. And then he lost to OSU. IN 2017, it was Sparty again, then Penn State, then Wisconsin…and then OSU. In 2018 it was Notre Dame and then OSU.

NCAA Football: Michigan at Notre Dame Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Do you see a pattern?

Jim Harbaugh doesn’t have the temperament to win a B1G championship. Maybe this is self sabotage? Certainly, losing to Sparty two of four years may be the best long con against Michigan fans ever perpetrated.

In terms of IMPORTANT MICHIGAN GAMES, he’s an abysmal 2- 6…2-7 if you count losing to Notre Dame. That’s has to be a joke. You are paying this guy the second highest salary in college football...and he just can’t close the deal.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 25 Ohio State at Michigan
Kinda sums up Michigan’s efforts under Harbs
Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

But seriously…Jim Harbaugh is not an elite coach. Not by a mile. He’s never going to contend with Saban or Swinney or Riley or even Frost. He may get there occasionally, like a 17-year locust...but he won’t be in the hunt year in and year out.

He’s good, don’t get me wrong. But he gets all the face cards, when it comes to recruiting. If you gave Kirk Ferentz this many four stars, he’d rival Nick Saban…so why can’t Harbaugh do it?

Coach baiting is a favorite pass time here at OTE, but I don’t believe Harbaugh gets enough grief. He’s overpaid. Can’t win the important games. And he’s a flagrantly spoiled child during games.

Your Friend,

Townie

Poll

Jim Harbaugh

This poll is closed

  • 25%
    Is only getting warmed up. He’s a top 5 coach and worth every penny
    (159 votes)
  • 30%
    Will stay at Ann Arbor as long as he wants, by averaging 9 wins and living off his name recognition.
    (192 votes)
  • 14%
    Will continue to fight for 3rd in the B1G East
    (89 votes)
  • 8%
    Isn’t even a top 5 coach in the Big Ten.
    (56 votes)
  • 20%
    Fuck Michigan, anyways.
    (130 votes)
626 votes total Vote Now