OT: Michigan football

Harbaugh needs to go.

The program should quit pining for past glory and accept that it's just going to be good not great.

@"comet52" said: The program should quit pining for past glory and accept that it's just going to be good not great.

Here's the thing about Michigan: its a fairly prestigious academic institution. Way more so than Ohio State. Their standards for admissions are higher. They shouldn't be able to recruit at the levels of a Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama, etc for that reason. I think sometimes national expectations by the media exceed what they can actually consistently do. The program, as you mention, had more prestige back in the day but the powerhouse football schools were a smaller group then.

@"comet52" said: The program should quit pining for past glory and accept that it's just going to be good not great.

That could be said for the Big 10 as a whole.  Living in the past has been a Big 10 way of life for too long. It seems to be slowly evolving. I'm happy for it too.

I'm an adopted Gator fan but not a SEC fan. I became a Gator fan when I got to Florida in the late 80's. I like the Gators but hate the conference. 
I'll explain it like this. I was born and raised Big 10. I love the Big 10. If Ohio State is playing for a national championship I will root for them even though I hate them because I want the Big 10 to do good. I root for the Gators but I would never root for Alabama or LSU. Make sense?

I don’t understand how they were ranked 14?  With 3 losses.

@"Purplewhizz" said: I don’t understand how they were ranked 14?  With 3 losses.

SEC bias?  Yes, in my book.

Ohio State is always going to have the recruits in the region because of geography, so many great players have come from that area. 

Michigan  would have to find another Schembechler to really compete by coaching better than the Buckeyes.  I think that's been their thought as they've run through hc's in recent years and they thought Harbaugh would finally be the guy but it hasn't happened.  And to me it's how they are pining for the past in a way.

Also I've lived in both the Midwest and the Bay Area where Harbaugh had a lot of success, and my gut feeling is he's better suited to California.  

@"StickyBun" said: "Michigan: The Wolverines have dropped 16 straight road or neutral-site games against teams ranked No. 15 or higher in the AP poll, including all 10 under Harbaugh. The last time the Wolverines won such a game was Jan. 3, 2012 over then-No. 11 Virginia Tech."

Its extremely hard to be a fan of this football team. They continually and ultimately disappoint. How many guys did Alabama not play and they still just smoked the Wolverines. Sigh. It gets very old. A Vikings and Wolverines fan?? Did I do something wrong in another life?  :p 

All I can say is that it must have been damn egregious...

@"IDVikingfan" said:

@"Purplewhizz" said: I don’t understand how they were ranked 14?  With 3 losses.

SEC bias?  Yes, in my book.

Well, at least being a Cubs and Vikings fan isn't quite as bad as it used to be.

@"Purplewhizz" said:

@"IDVikingfan" said:

@"Purplewhizz" said: I don’t understand how they were ranked 14?  With 3 losses.

SEC bias?  Yes, in my book.

I was referring to Michigan

@"StickyBun" said:

@"comet52" said: The program should quit pining for past glory and accept that it's just going to be good not great.

Here's the thing about Michigan: its a fairly prestigious academic institution. Way more so than Ohio State. Their standards for admissions are higher. They shouldn't be able to recruit at the levels of a Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama, etc for that reason. I think sometimes national expectations by the media exceed what they can actually consistently do. The program, as you mention, had more prestige back in the day but the powerhouse football schools were a smaller group then.

As a fellow Vikings and Wolverines fan, I understand. I spent yesterday switching between Minnesota/Auburn and Michigan/Alabama. Eventually I settled into the Michigan/Alabama game because apparently a certain familiar pain is what I have become accustomed to.

I'm originally from Michigan (decided against attending Michigan in favor of a different engineering school, but still consider Wolverines sports a favorite). After stints in a couple of other states, I moved to Minnesota in '98 and immediately fell into the heartbreak Vikings season.

Thank goodness there is life outside of football. But, I understand!

Unfortunately, it's become a blue blood country club, politically correct, entitled culture at Michigan. Beyond that the game has passed Harbaugh by, and the  administration doesn't dare make the necessary change, due to marketing, PR challenges of admitting that Jimmy isn't God, and has topped out as a 9-10 win coach.

Most of all they fear making another face plant move ala Brady Hoke or Rich Rodriguez, while they are still raking in the dump trucks full of cash. They have a lazy slob at the athletic director's position who is afraid to make an informed decision, and actually put the work in to finding a solution to paying top 5 national money for a perennial top 20 team.

Meanwhile in Minnesota...