On Monday night, the Michigan Wolverines completed a dream 15-0 season and defeated the Washington Huskies 34-13 to win their first National Championship since 1997 and first undisputed title since 1948. Michigan won the title this year playing an old school style of football that is not the norm in todays modern game. Michigan assembled a team that was built to dominate in the trenches on both sides of the ball, run the ball down your throat and consistently be one of the most disciplined tackling teams on defense in the country. This year Michigan defeated Ohio State and won the Big Ten Championship for the third straight season, the previous 2 years ended in disappointing College Football Playoff semifinal defeats to Georgia in 2021 and TCU in 2022. This year Michigan was able to prevail vs Alabama 27-20 in the Rose Bowl to advance to the title game in Houston and they ultimately wouldn’t be denied. Harbaugh’s tenure at Michigan now could be coming to an end as he could potentially make a move back to the NFL where he coached the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014. Harbaugh arrived at his alma mater in Ann Arbor prior to the 2015 season and it by no means was a smooth road to get to college football’s mountain top.
The prodigal son returns home
When Harbaugh arrived at Michigan in 2015 to replace Brady Hoke, expectations were sky high. Harbaugh inherited a program and fan base at his alma mater that was hungry to once again be in the discussion of college football’s elites. Michigan had struggled for years to compete with rivals Ohio State and Michigan State and fans were fed up with the mediocrity, this amplified by the success Urban Meyer had with the rival Buckeyes who were just coming off a national championship victory. Harbaugh led the Wolverines to a 10-3 record in his first season, one key issue remained though, the Wolverines were defeated by rivals Michigan State and Ohio State. In 2016 the Wolverines once again finished the season 10-3, they were able to get a victory over Michigan State but once again lost the Buckeyes in heartbreaking double OT fashion, and then would suffer a disappointing loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl. When the Wolverines finished with an 8-5 record in 2017 with 4 losses in the Big Ten including Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Penn State, Harbaugh knew the pressure was on.
A change in philosophy as frustration begins to mount
Harbaugh knew the pressure was beginning to mount entering the 2018. The Wolverines revamped the offensive staff bringing in Jim McElwain, Sherrone Moore and Pep Hamilton to head up the offensive. Michigan was able to secure the commitment of star Ole Miss transfer QB Shea Patterson and there was a lot of excitement in Ann Arbor. Michigan deviated from Jim Harbaugh’s typical pro style offensive philosophy in favor of a spread offense with a lot more passing volume led by Patterson. Michigan once again finished the season 10-3 and while there was success with the new offensive scheme and they were able to get dominating wins over rivals Penn State and Michigan State, they once again failed to do what is a requirement for anybody at Michigan to be successful, defeat Ohio State. Michigan was shredded for 396 yards and 6 TDs by Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins in a 62-39 defeat which would be the final time Harbaugh would face coach Urban Meyer and then were shelled 41-15 by Florida in the Peach Bowl to once again finish the season on a losing note. Michigan would sing a similar song in 2019, offensive success with Patterson, a blowout loss to Ohio State, a blowout Citrus Bowl loss to Alabama and a 9-4 record to finish the season. Harbaugh’s seat was red hot and after a disaster of a 2020 Covid marred season that ended with a 2-4 record and cancellation of “The Game” vs Ohio State. Many had written Harbaugh’s tenure in Ann Arbor off as a failure.
Accountability, and a switch back to what works.
Prior to the 2021 season after the disaster that was 2020, Harbaugh took a 50% pay cut from Michigan to his base salary to show his commitment to the Wolverines to make sure he didn’t lose his dream job. One key move prior to the 2021 season was making Tight Ends coach Sherrone Moore the Offensive Line coach and Co-Offensive coordinator with Josh Gattis. The Wolverines stylistically shifted again in 2021 and Moore spearheaded the move to once again become a dominant physical run first team and play smashmouth football. Harbaugh knew his style and where he had success and wanted to go back this way and win games knowing they could be more physical than their competition, and 2021 was when it all came together for the Wolverines. On November 27, 2021, the demons were exercised, Michigan secured a convincing 42-27 win in snowy Ann Arbor to secure Harbaugh’s first win over the hated Buckeyes and Michigan’s first win in “The Game” since 2011. Michigan would dominate Iowa in the Big Ten Championship to secure the schools first birth in the College Football Playoff but ultimately be flattened by a juggernaut of a Georgia team to end the season. Entering 2022 expectations were high when QB JJ McCarthy stepped in and Moore took over as the full time Offensive Coordinator. The Wolverines would have an amazing season, a 12-0 regular capped off by a dominating 45-23 win in Columbus over Ohio State, a dominating Big Ten title win over Purdue but would once again fall short in the College Football Playoff suffering a 51-45 loss vs TCU in the Fiesta Bowl.
Team 144
Entering 2023 expectations were once again high but the fans wanted more, after 2 straight losses in the College Football Playoff semifinals questions were raised about if Michigan could get over that hump. Harbaugh started the season serving a 3 game suspension for recruiting violations during the 2020 dead period of recruiting during Covid. Harbaugh returned to the sidelines and Michigan once again looked like a juggernaut. The Connor Stalions sign stealing scandal broke in October and took the College Football world by storm. To this day no evidence has been presented directly linking Harbaugh to this scandal and these allegations but at the urging of other Big Ten coaches, the conference controversially suspended Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season. This only further motivated the Wolverines who were hungry to prove anybody questioning their success wrong and in the first game of Harbaugh’s suspension secured a smashmouth victory over Penn State and two weeks later would secure a third straight win over rival Ohio State to complete a 2nd straight 12-0 regular season. Michigan once again dominated the Big Ten championship game and entered the College Football Playoff 13-0 and as the number one seed, but it was time to finish a job. Michigan would get a thrilling win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl 27-20 in overtime and finally get over the CFP hump. Michigan embarrassed and exposed Alabama QB Jalen Milroe and their offensive line getting to Milroe early and often and shutting down Alabama’s passing attack. The Wolverines then went into Houston and did the same to Washington’s incredible offense led by QB Michael Penix and ran for two 40+ yard touchdowns on their first two series of the game to set the tone for the night.
A long anticipated championship
Jim Harbaugh has now accomplished what he came to his Alma mater to do, he has restored Michigan Football and brought a national championship back to Ann Arbor. Harbaugh will always now be revered at Michigan and many are speculating he may now return to the NFL. Harbaugh was very successful at the NFL level before with the San Francisco 49ers a tenure that included a Super Bowl loss in 2012 to his brother John and the Baltimore Ravens. Harbaugh hired well respected NFL agent Don Yee last week and now will be a name at the top of the list for every NFL opening. If Harbaugh does decide to go back to the league, he will leave behind a program in great shape at Michigan. He accomplished exactly what he set out to do and while it was never easy at Michigan and looked bleak at times, he led Michigan to a storybook championship run that will never be forgotten by fans and alumni of the Maize and Blue.
