After lowest point, Jim Harbaugh has led Michigan to arguably the program’s biggest heights

Winners of three outright Big Ten championships in a row, something never before achieved in program history.

Three wins in a row against rival Ohio State for the first time since 1995-97.

Three consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff.

Win or lose in the Rose Bowl matchup on New Year’s Day against Alabama, three top-five finishes in a row for the first time in the poll era.

Even without a national championship on the ledger, it’s possible to view this as the most accomplished three-year run in the modern era of Michigan football.

And it was all expected eight seasons ago, when Jim Harbaugh returned to the program after a highly successful run at Stanford and in the NFL. Harbaugh was viewed as the perfect fit across multiple levels: As someone who knew the program and, more importantly, knew how to win.

But it wasn’t easy. Even with the Rich Rodriguez era nearby in the rearview mirror, the 2020 season stood as perhaps the low point in modern program history: Michigan lost four of six games while struggling to field a complete team amid the coronavirus pandemic, leaving Harbaugh’s future in serious doubt and coaching reputation at an all-time low.

“If you did a poll of Michigan fans, I’m not sure if Harbaugh comes back,” said John Bacon, an author and journalist who has written extensively about the program. “People forget that pretty quickly.”

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates with defensive back Mike Sainristil (0) after winning the Big Ten championship game against Iowa at Lucas Oil Stadium.

In the wake of that season, Michigan hasn’t necessarily been reinvented but retooled and reimagined – younger, tougher, bruising, bullying and overflowing with confidence, the Wolverines have finally matched the expectations that came with Harbaugh’s arrival.

Three years after that low point, widespread coaching…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/lowest-point-jim-harbaugh-led-121737785.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2023-12-27 12:17:37

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