Every Fanbase Has Its Breaking Point

Even if Michigan wins this weekend, fans are close to throwing in the towel on the Harbaugh regime.

Two weeks into the 2020 season, Jim Harbaugh finds himself in the most precarious position of his tenure in Ann Arbor. There are seven games remaining on Michigan’s 2020 fall schedule and Harbaugh needs to win every single one of them. Unfortunately for Harbaugh, that means having to accomplish something he’s failed to accomplish since arriving in Ann Arbor back in 2015.

Before we get to Ohio State, let’s be clear about the tremendous challenge that Harbaugh is now facing. A road win this weekend in Bloomington against the undefeated 13th-ranked Hoosiers will do very little to temper the anger and frustration of the Wolverine fanbase following last Saturday's embarrassing loss to the Spartans in Ann Arbor. A loss this weekend will only serve as a further indictment of Harbaugh's subpar job performance through six seasons. That reality, unfortunate as it may be, will likely be the case for the remainder of the year - at least as far as the fans are concerned.

Of the seven games remaining on the fall schedule, only one game carries enough significance to win back the support of a frustrated fan base that is ready and willing to walk away. When the Wolverines travel to Columbus a little over a month from now on December 12, it will be Jim Harbaugh’s final opportunity to make the case that he’s the right man for the job by doing what he was brought here to do. Harbaugh will enter ‘The Game’ as an underdog with an 0-5 record against the Buckeyes, including the two worst losses in rivalry history in 2018 and 2019 where the Wolverines surrendered a combined 118 points defensively. What’s worse, the Buckeyes look poised for another run at a national title with a quarterback that is quickly becoming the Heisman favorite.

This precarious position that Harbaugh finds himself in isn’t the result of an impatient fanbase that expects far too much from a football program and its head coach. In fact, the Michigan fanbase has been extremely patient and understanding when it comes to Harbaugh’s job performance throughout the years. A poll was conducted over the summer asking Michigan fans whether or not they supported a contract extension for Jim Harbaugh beyond the 2021 season and 82% of fans who voted said ‘yes’. That’s an overwhelmingly positive response for a guy who has yet to beat Ohio State, who is .500 against his in-state rival, and posts a 1-4 bowl record. When that same poll question was asked following Michigan’s loss to Michigan State last weekend, the support for a contract extension beyond 2021 dropped to 29%.

The bottom line is this: Jim Harbaugh has underachieved in Ann Arbor, and every fanbase has its breaking point. After last Saturday, it appears that the vast majority of the Michigan fanbase has reached that point. While it’s still possible for Harbaugh to correct course and earn back some of that support, time (and patience) is clearly running out.