If you’d have said Michigan would be in position to win a Big Ten title back in August, you’d have been labeled a Harbaugh Happy Homer. The author knows this, because he lived it.
Because of it, these are strange bedfellows this college football makes. Michigan will be relegated to “rooting” for arch enemy Ohio State to defeat Michigan State at home so the Wolverines have that one-game shot at winning the Big Ten East and playing Iowa for a title.
The bottom line has been the theme of the New Michigan all season under Jim Harbaugh and staff, and that’s stingy red zone defense. In goal to go situations, Michigan has let by only four touchdowns all season. Penn State got such opportunities thrice and came away with three field goals.
It was a goal line stand against Minnesota after some garbage clock management skills and then another in a shootout against Indiana in overtime last week to help preserve their opportunity.
Michigan wouldn’t make it easy on themselves. Jake Rudock, who has to be the starting quarterback on any fictitious All Improved In Season Team, got fast and loose with the football on a strip sack and threw a pick. Michigan was marred by penalties all day, many of them of the (ahem) sketchy variety. One enough to get Jim Harbaugh to de-clothe himself of coat, headset, and hat.
On defense, Michigan’s incredibly improved defensive line neutered any passing game Penn State would have, and James Franklin was out-coached the likes of which keep you up at night.
As it stands, the Wolverines are very possibly (likely?) looking at a Big Ten title shot having to go through Ann Arbor against their most bitter of rivals, they of the defending college football champion variety.
To be here after only a year is staggering. It goes to show just how important coaching in sports is, particularly college ones, where the managing of young personalities adds a very different element than the world of professional sports. Michigan’s coach would know.
It also speaks to how quickly a culture can be changed. “It’s a process” is true, but when it’s an excuse for losing, it’s a means of trying to buy time more often than not.
All season long, Michigan has been a different team in the stuff that gets overlooked, and that’s the stuff that wins games. Consistently, every game, they’ve been more willing to worry about their blocks down field. They’ve had a different motor. They’ve looked confident, consistent, and fundamentally sound. These are the same guys who looked DOA last season under the Brady Hoke regime as verbal dirt was being shoveled onto the grave of that tenure.
This is precisely why Maize and Blue nation went half nuts when Harbaugh accepted their proposal without having to even go down on bended knee that long. This was what would happen the second he said “yes.” It would have been more than forgiven if it took time to get there, but Harbaugh is too good to go through any sort of normal ascension process.
The days of yore in Ann Arbor have returned, not a moment too soon … other than for everyone else.
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