U-M should enjoy its revival, a year after hitting rock bottom under Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh dealt with far worse not long ago.
So, the Michigan head football coach appeared unbothered by the series of questions about the conspicuous absence of a dynamic passing attack in a game the Wolverines won by 26 last weekend.
“I was pleased with the way we played,” he said after a 33-7 victory over Northwestern. “We just left some meat on the bone.”
It was a minor quibble for a man who presided over a team that resembled a decaying carcass last fall, the worst period of Harbaugh’s tenure at U-M. Last weekend marked the one-year anniversary of the 2020 Big Ten season’s delayed start, with games in empty stadiums during the height of a global health pandemic. The Wolverines suffered along with everyone else, trying in vain to make the best of a bad situation. There were real problems then – far deeper and more widespread than the innocuous ones Harbaugh addressed after trouncing Northwestern.
“It wasn’t college football and it wasn’t us in general,” right tackle Andrew Stueber said. “It was a tough year.”
The 2-4 result caused Harbaugh to reevaluate his program. He made wholesale changes within his coaching staff and revamped the stale culture inside Schembechler Hall – emphasizing collaboration among players and coaches.
Now, as the Wolverines set their eyes on a top-10 showdown with rival Michigan State, they can reflect on how far they have come since those dark days.
“I am glad we’re out of it now,” Stueber said. “But I think it was a great moment to not take this team or football for granted. We’re all back.”
It felt that way while the Wolverines overpowered Northwestern
as they have traditionally done over the years. Call it a return to normalcy.
A mighty ground attack continued to bulldoze a path to the end zone. Michigan ran for 294 yards and four touchdowns, as Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins took turns denting Northwestern’s front until it collapsed during a 17-point onslaught in the third quarter. A reborn defense, under the direction of 34year-old wunderkind Mike Macdonald, smothered its latest adversary by rallying to the ball and dialing up the pressure. The Wildcats netted only 10 first downs and averaged 4.2 yards per play – a meager production rate that could have been worse if not for Evan Hull’s 75-yard sprint to the end zone on Northwestern’s lone scoring play.
Even the special teams did their part. Cornelius Johnson’s blocked punt early in the second half spawned another TD drive, as Michigan didn’t let up in its conquest of the reigning Big Ten West champions.
The 109,449 in attendance voiced their approval, cheering each big play.
It was their way of supporting a team that has already defied expectations this year and set Michigan back on a course more befitting of a program aiming to compete for championships.
When considering the context of last season, the team’s 7-0 start is nothing short of remarkable.
“But we don’t really dwell on the past,” defensive back Dax Hill said.
There is no reason to when the future looks so bright.
As the last week of October begins, Michigan is back in a position where its goals remain attainable and each game has significance.
Once again, the Wolverines are enjoying success rather than coping with failure, guarding against complacency instead of fighting off a sense of hopelessness.
Michigan has come a long way in a year.
That became more evident in the postgame news conference, when a reporter nagged Harbaugh about one of the few shortcomings in Michigan’s latest victory.
As Harbaugh listened to the question about the absence of a dynamic passing game, he contemplated his answer. Even after he offered up an initial response, he considered it some more.
But Harbaugh wasn’t about to indulge the worry – perhaps recognizing it as some football version of a “first-world problem.”
“I thought we did some good things,” he replied.
That was true in the game and throughout this fall. One year from the launch of their worst season under Harbaugh, the Wolverines have taken a great leap forward. The revival deserves appreciation from everyone who suffered through the downfall, including the Wolverines themselves.