Jim Harbaugh Got It Right

Although his method for determining his staring quarterback didn't sit well with some, the first two weeks proved that Jim Harbaugh absolutely made the right decision.

When it comes to being a head coach at the collegiate level, it is an essential part of the job description to make difficult and often times consequential decisions. That's exactly what Jim Harbaugh was faced with when it came to his top two quarterbacks this past off season - a difficult and consequential decision. 

With what he described as two 'championship-level' quarterbacks, Harbaugh held true to his word that there would be a legitimate quarterback competition during the off-season. Although he acknowledged that veteran quarterback Cade McNamara was performing well during camp, Harbaugh was also highly complimentary of sophomore quarterback JJ McCarthy. On one side, Harbaugh had an experienced QB in McNamara who could probably lead the Wolverines team to another 10+ win season. On the other side, Harbaugh had younger, more inexperienced QB in McCarthy who might be the most gifted quarterback to come through Ann Arbor in well over two decades.  

Decisions, decisions.

Rather than playing the safe route with Cade or rolling the dice right out of the gate with JJ, Harbaugh decided to give both of his quarterbacks an equal opportunity to make their case through the first two weeks of the season. Though some have accused Harbaugh of essentially turning his back on a veteran QB who helped Michigan achieve so much in 2021, the reality is that he gave McNamara every opportunity in the world to retain his position as QB1 - and even extended that opportunity beyond fall camp.  

In short, he did everything he could do to provide Cade McNamara with a legitimate chance to keep his starting job. The harsh reality is that the other guy competing for the same position is just flat-out better, and the first two weeks of the season have made that crystal clear. The clarity that we all have at this moment is a luxury that we wouldn't have had if Harbaugh made a decision to go with one guy or the other during fall camp. 

Just two weeks into the 2022 season, the quarterback controversy is officially over and the Michigan Wolverines (2-0) have a clear QB1. Put simply, Jim Harbaugh got it right.