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Crickets...

It's been a month since Michigan played football and we still don't know what the future of the program looks like.

The video above was published on November 27 — and nothing has changed.

Check that, Michigan did lose to an 0-5 Penn State team since then and also canceled three games in a row to close out the season.

That's one of the worst four-week stretches Michigan fans can remember and unfortunately, nothing has happened since then to make them feel any better because they're in complete limbo. 

The silence from all parties involved in Jim Harbaugh's potential contract extension is just all so strange. We the media got a chance to talk to both Warde Manuel and Harbaugh when the Ohio State game was cancelled, but that wasn't the appropriate "forum" to discuss the future of the football program.

Apparently that forum doesn't actually exist because we still don't know what's going on and haven't been able to speak to them again.

It's now been one month since Michigan played any football, but apparently the "end of the season" still isn't here because that's when Manuel said he and Harbaugh would iron everything out. They did reportedly meet for several hours, but apparently there were A LOT of wrinkles to get through. Now, Harbaugh is reportedly in California and off the grid while spending time with his family for the holidays. I'm not knocking him for that at all, as coaching is an absolute grind, but the lack of direction, miscommunication and overall silence from both Manuel and Harbaugh is just weird. There's no other way to put it.

Today is Monday, Dec. 28. If we don't hear anything today or tomorrow, I don't think we will until after Jan. 3, which is when the NFL season ends. Washington will play at Philadelphia at 8:20 pm that Sunday night. When that game is over, we can officially put a bow on the NFL's regular season. The very next day is when job offers and official word can become public. If there's a team interested in Harbaugh, which we've heard is the case, that's when we'll know about it.

To me, that is the only reason we haven't heard anything from Harbaugh or Manuel — Jim simply doesn't have enough information to actually make a decision right now and can't get it until the NFL season is over.

I know Harbaugh has gone on record a few times and said that he intends to and wants to be Michigan's coach next year, but what else can he possibly say in a public forum? And it's not like coaches haven't said one thing and then done the exact opposite days later. Plus, technically what he's saying is true — right now. As of right now, he's still U-M's coach and will continue to perform the duties of the job until he's not. He's also not lying when he says he plans to be here next year, because right now that's his only option. Other than walking away on his own, which we all know isn't going to happen.

So here we all are. Still. We're all waiting to see what happens. I'm writing the same story in a different way for about the third or fourth time. New reports are coming out daily about what's going on and what we think might happen. Don Brown has been fired but that's it so far. What does that mean? Anything? Everything? Nothing? 

We probably won't have to wait too long to find out. After all, what's another week?