A tweet from Pat Forde directed me to an article which happens to call out guys like ... well, Forde, and how they've been covering Michigan.
It's Thamel so you know the length of the read. I found it worth the time.
CHICAGO ā We are living in the Golden Age of Harbaugh Infallibility, an era devoid of media skepticism, lauded through self-promotion and defined by the inevitability of Michigan football domination. Jim Harbaugh can say whatever he wants, wear whatever he wants and act however heād like with complete impunity, feeding his relentless attention addiction one tweet at a time.
That, of course, is not the reality surrounding Michigan football heading into 2017. Just the feel. The reality is that Michigan projects for a third consecutive third-place finish in the Big Ten East, its third consecutive loss to Ohio State and another season spent futilely chasing what Michigan feels is its rightful place atop the Big Ten. The reality of the Michigan program is that the Wolverines have lost three of their past four games, need to replace 17 starters and lost a program-record 11 picks to the NFL draft.
Harbaugh can hang out with Judge Judy, sleep at a recruitās house and call out opposing programs and athletic directors for NCAA misdeeds. He can attend WWE events, coach first base for the Tigers and take his team on an overseas field trip to Rome. We know all that. Weāve seen him tweet about it, heard about it on his YouTube channel and been subjected to breathless 24-hour coverage of his every move.
Now itās time for some actual wins to go viral, as 2017 is the year where Harbaughās biggest challenge will be Michiganās on-field production matching its coachās off-field profile. Hereās a reasonable standard that Harbaugh is unlikely to live up to in year three ā that of Penn Stateās James Franklin and Ohio Stateās Urban Meyer. Franklin won the Big Ten last season in his third year in State College, an impressive feat considering he took over a program decimated by NCAA sanctions. Ohio State won a national title in Meyerās third season there, and Meyer also took over a program weighed down by NCAA sanctions.
So whatās in store for Harbaugh in year three? In speaking about the maturation of his young roster, he offered a solid synopsis of what to look for in the program: āIt happens on the football field, in the most honest manner possible. The truth must be told when you step out on the football field. You can no longer bullcrap or e-mail somebody. Youāve got to go out there and actually prove it.ā
The prediction here is that the truth will be that Harbaugh settles for third in the Big Ten East again, and his off-field shenanigans are viewed more as annoying and distracting than quirky and endearing. Heading into the season, Michigan projects as the fourth-best team in the Big Ten, as Wisconsin returns more talent and has a much more favorable schedule. Itās hard to imagine Michigan unseating league favorite Ohio State with so much unproven talent. Meyer considers this as talented of a team as heās had at Ohio State, which is saying something.
There's at least this much, if not more on Michigan, at the end of this jump.
Jim Harbaugh's antics could wear thin at Michigan if team keeps coming up short
It's Thamel so you know the length of the read. I found it worth the time.
CHICAGO ā We are living in the Golden Age of Harbaugh Infallibility, an era devoid of media skepticism, lauded through self-promotion and defined by the inevitability of Michigan football domination. Jim Harbaugh can say whatever he wants, wear whatever he wants and act however heād like with complete impunity, feeding his relentless attention addiction one tweet at a time.
That, of course, is not the reality surrounding Michigan football heading into 2017. Just the feel. The reality is that Michigan projects for a third consecutive third-place finish in the Big Ten East, its third consecutive loss to Ohio State and another season spent futilely chasing what Michigan feels is its rightful place atop the Big Ten. The reality of the Michigan program is that the Wolverines have lost three of their past four games, need to replace 17 starters and lost a program-record 11 picks to the NFL draft.
Harbaugh can hang out with Judge Judy, sleep at a recruitās house and call out opposing programs and athletic directors for NCAA misdeeds. He can attend WWE events, coach first base for the Tigers and take his team on an overseas field trip to Rome. We know all that. Weāve seen him tweet about it, heard about it on his YouTube channel and been subjected to breathless 24-hour coverage of his every move.
Now itās time for some actual wins to go viral, as 2017 is the year where Harbaughās biggest challenge will be Michiganās on-field production matching its coachās off-field profile. Hereās a reasonable standard that Harbaugh is unlikely to live up to in year three ā that of Penn Stateās James Franklin and Ohio Stateās Urban Meyer. Franklin won the Big Ten last season in his third year in State College, an impressive feat considering he took over a program decimated by NCAA sanctions. Ohio State won a national title in Meyerās third season there, and Meyer also took over a program weighed down by NCAA sanctions.
So whatās in store for Harbaugh in year three? In speaking about the maturation of his young roster, he offered a solid synopsis of what to look for in the program: āIt happens on the football field, in the most honest manner possible. The truth must be told when you step out on the football field. You can no longer bullcrap or e-mail somebody. Youāve got to go out there and actually prove it.ā
The prediction here is that the truth will be that Harbaugh settles for third in the Big Ten East again, and his off-field shenanigans are viewed more as annoying and distracting than quirky and endearing. Heading into the season, Michigan projects as the fourth-best team in the Big Ten, as Wisconsin returns more talent and has a much more favorable schedule. Itās hard to imagine Michigan unseating league favorite Ohio State with so much unproven talent. Meyer considers this as talented of a team as heās had at Ohio State, which is saying something.
Jim Harbaugh's antics could wear thin at Michigan if team keeps coming up short
