UCLA Football: Jim Harbaugh's Michigan Exit Could Have Big Ramifications For Bruins' Big Ten Debut
When the UCLA Bruins decided to make the massive move to join the Big Ten Conference, it was seen as a strategic move to help build the program out even further. The football team hadn't found too much success playing in the Pac-12 Conference, but the appeal of the Big Ten was too much to pass up.
Playing in one of the biggest conferences that college football has to offer gives the Bruins some extra weight to throw around. Not only would they be playing in some of the biggest games each season, but they could offer potential recruits the chance to live in Southern California as well.
Being a member of the Big Ten Conference means that the competition would only increase, however. They would now be facing off against teams like Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State yearly.
But it seems that the Bruins may have caught a big break before they ever suit up as a member of the new conference. That would be former University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh leaving the Wolverines to take a job with the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL.
The Wolverines did find their new coach to replace Harbaugh, but it will be a tough task to replace the electric head coach. Harbaugh finally led the Wolverines to the promised land this past season, helping them win the College Football Playoff.
A Harbaugh-less Wolverines team will still will have a solid season but they could find it harder to bring players in. Much like Alabama without Nick Saban, Michigan may not be as convincing when it comes to bringing in talent.
This is where the Bruins must strike, and it will only benefit the overall success of the program.
Now with Harbaugh gone, Michigan stands to lose some of its fierceness in terms of recruitment. This alone will help the Bruins as they enter into the new conference.
The only downside of this for UCLA is that they aren't scheduled to take on Michigan until the 2026 season. By that point, the new coach could have a better system in place, which could spell trouble for others.
UCLA must take advantage over the first two seasons in the new conference to establish itself as a dominant presence. Along with them, the rival USC Trojans will be making the leap, which will only put more pressure on the Bruins to find success.
The Bruins don't want to be the team to fall behind early in their new tenure, otherwise, it will be more of the same for them. They didn't find much success within the Pac-12 and fell behind other teams such as USC, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Every game in the Big Ten will be a challenge for UCLA, so they will need to bring their A-game each time out. The Bruins will be dealing with Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles, just not the way that they likely envisioned when they first joined the Big Ten.
