Washington - Before and After

Before

This is not an effort to fire Jim Harbaugh.

My prediction is that Washington will win.  Washington's first game was tougher than Michigan's.  Their defense was stout, their offense bad, and they had three interceptions.  Now they have serious wide receiver problems.

Michigan plays Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Northwestern in crossover games.  The Nebraska game stacks up as the must-watch game of the season.  I am confident Michigan will win that one and I want to see it.  The rest of them, including NIU, I don't know.

This one looks like a Jim Harbaugh classic in terms of face time.  Look for a lot of dull runs, timeouts, and commercials.  Heaven forbid Kirk Herbstreit narrates.

Maybe Washington's problems create a primetime win.  Ronnie Bell did appear to make major strides in his career as a football player--after all, he is rather new at it--and he will be sorely missed.  It is just that, in the past, he has disappeared for entire games.  At the same time, he makes spectacular, game-winning plays.  Slowly, he has put together Michigan stats with a high yards per catch average.

Washington has strong linebackers and what I suspect is a upper-division Big Ten defense.  Harbaugh is so happy with the tandem of running backs that he has pledged to add Donovan Edwards to it.  

How bad is Washington's offense?  Pac 12 flair may be the difference in the game.  Michigan's offense comes from an occasional call from space, the booth, or wherever that creates a big play.  I don't see Harbaugh calling it, or winning it.

During and After the Game

I hate Jim Harbaugh.

Michigan's best team under Harbaugh was his first.  Reeling from the decay under Brady Hoke, the team was talented and very eager.  The coach was able to snag Jake Ruddock and he was Michigan's best quarterback since Denard Robinson.

Since then the program has been an enigma.  All the coaches have come and gone except Harbaugh and his son.  We don't see him at basketball games with the eldest Harbaugh anymore.  John is still in Baltimore exerting his influence too.  The biggest question has been, what is wrong with him?

Now, finally, we have a more complete picture.  I'm going to do it my way and middle-of-the-pack is just fine.  The hell with the students, fans, alumni, and the once-proud history:  It is all about me.

Now we know.  No wonder top recruits don't want to play for Michigan.  While not unusual these days, it explains the transfers out.  It reveals and casts a pall on the constant hiring, firing, explanations, and lies.  No one agrees with Jim Harbaugh. 

The only thing that is constant is he is in power and he alone controls the purse-strings.  It is the absolute worst of college sports because it doesn't represent the whole.  I wish he would just leave because that alone will be proof-positive that the University of Michigan and the football team can get along just fine without him.  Just please, make it a finite time block.  Seven, eight, nine years...  It has to end sometime.

It is all about Jim Harbaugh.  And now, because they beat Washington, he will insist he is right.  Maybe he is even a God.  I feel really badly for all those maize-wearing fans scrunching in and paying for it too.  

I can hardly wait to watch the games against Northern Illinois, Rutgers, and Maryland...  What a waste.

When a win isn't a win at all.