Jim Harbaugh and the Brutal Art of the Turnaround
Fans of Michigan football are used to a certain level of success. After all, the Wolverines have won more games than any other team in college football history. But there have been some lean years in Ann Arbor lately. Michigan has not won a Big Ten championship since 2004, and the Wolverines have not played in the College Football Playoff since the format was introduced in 2014.
Enter Jim Harbaugh. The former Michigan quarterback was hired as the head coach in 2015, and he was expected to turn the program around quickly. But Harbaugh's first few seasons in Ann Arbor were a struggle. The Wolverines went 10-3 in Harbaugh's first season, but they followed that up with a disappointing 9-4 record in 2016.
In 2017, Michigan finally seemed to turn the corner. The Wolverines went 10-3 and won the Big Ten East Division. But Michigan's season ended with a disappointing loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game.
2018 was another disappointing season for Michigan. The Wolverines went 10-3 again, but they did not accumulate enough wins in the regular season to qualify for the Big Ten Championship Game. They also lost to Ohio State in the regular season finale, a game that ended Harbaugh's 0-5 record against the Buckeyes.
Harbaugh is now entering his sixth season in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines are expected to be a contender for the Big Ten championship in 2019. But Harbaugh knows that there is still a lot of work to be done.
"We're not there yet," Harbaugh said. "But we're getting closer."
Harbaugh is a proven winner. He won a Super Bowl as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, and he has a winning record as a college head coach. But Harbaugh also knows that turning around a college football program is not easy. It takes time, patience, and hard work.
Michigan fans are hoping that Harbaugh can finally bring the Wolverines back to the top of the college football world. But they know that it will not be easy. Harbaugh is up for the challenge, but he knows that it will be a long and difficult road.
Here are some of the challenges that Harbaugh faces in turning around the Michigan football program:
- The competition in the Big Ten is fierce. The Big Ten is one of the best conferences in college football, and there are no easy wins. Michigan will have to play its best every week to compete for a Big Ten championship.
- Michigan has not been able to recruit at the same level as its rivals. In recent years, Michigan has not been able to recruit the same level of talent as its rivals, such as Ohio State and Penn State. This has put Michigan at a disadvantage on the field.
- Harbaugh has not been able to develop his quarterbacks. Harbaugh has not been able to develop his quarterbacks consistently. This has been a major problem for Michigan's offense, which has struggled to score points at times.
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