Jim Harbaugh Deflects Once Again After Demoralizing Michigan State Loss
After Michigan's 27-24 loss to Michigan State over the week, U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh addresses the media with the same platitudes on Monday, and his explanation for the Wolverines' defeat does not match what was visible on the field. This is what makes Harbaugh's response so concerning.
"Same mindset, same approach," Harbaugh said. "What happened on Saturday, anything that happened in the past, that window's now closed. There's nothing you can go back and do about what happened on Saturday. Next Saturday is still days away, so you have some control over that, and that's what you do today. You get back at the work of making sure that doesn't happen again, try to have a better result the next time we play."
While it is true that Harbaugh can't go back and change the outcome of Michigan's deflating loss to the Spartans, Harbaugh can identify what went wrong so that it doesn't occur again. That is a key element, one that has been sorely lacking from previous Michigan losses, and it is an approach that Harbaugh continues to leave out of his plan to fix the current Wolverines.
"We have to put ourselves in the best possible position," Harbaugh said. "Always willing and ready to adjust when necessary."
By leaving Vincent Gray in the game to try covering MSU wide receiver Ricky White, a true freshman who went off for eight catches, 196 yards and one touchdown, Harbaugh did not put Michigan in "the best possible position." By allowing running back Hassan Haskins to throw the ball from the five-yard line with Joe Milton on the bench, Harbaugh did not put Michigan in "the best possible position." By taking over four minutes to score when down by 10 points at the end of the game, Harbaugh did not put Michigan in "the best possible position."
While coaching mistakes do happen, they have been occurring on Michigan sidelines with regularity ever since the conclusion of the 2016 season. Ever since J.T. Barrett was not ruled short and Ohio State picked up a 30-27 win, the Wolverines have floundered around mediocrity.
Before the Barrett play, Harbaugh was 20-4 in Ann Arbor. Ever since then, Coach Harbaugh has led U-M to a 28-14 record, which is good enough for a .633 winning percentage. Games like that are crucially important to keeping a squad together and morale high. Ever since that play, though, it seems as if Harbaugh has had a difficult time rallying the troops, and press conferences that lack fire and passion, such as Monday's demure example, do not help matters.
Still, Harbaugh claims that his team was locked in on Saturday against MSU, continuing to deflect from the on-field performance.
"I know how important it was to us and how hard our guys played and the way they did hustle," Harbaugh said, "I guess I don't know what it looked like on the sidelines, but what it looked like on the field was our guys were playing really hard; a lot of hustle."
Eventually, Harbaugh needs to assess the situation with a dose of honesty. When he was brought to Ann Arbor, the program needed a stark facelift after the Brady Hoke era sputtered out. With Harbaugh at Michigan, the Wolverines were expected to compete for championships and Harbaugh was even dubbed as "the savior" of Michigan's program.
Now nearly six years later, Harbaugh needs some saving to occur if he wants to regain his once unquestioned position at the top of the Michigan program.
Still, Harbaugh deflects from that assessment.
"I'm part of a team," Harbaugh said. "I didn't consider myself to be a savior then or now. Part of a team. I think, I'm not going to go back over the last five and a half years, but I love coaching this team...the current team, past teams we've had. I think we forge on."
If Michigan forges on just as it has done since the Barrett play four years ago, Harbaugh will have more uncomfortable press conferences to sit through.
Maybe at that time he will have more answers.
What do you think of Michigan's effort on Saturday? Is the blame more on the coaches or the players? Let us know!
