The Michigan Wolverines needed overtime but escaped with a win over Indiana so those pesky Jim Harbaugh to the NFL rumors will have to be put on hold, for now.
Winning on the road is a tough thing to do in college football. If you need any more proof of that just look at the results of the two primetime games on Friday night that saw No. 2 Clemson and No. 8 Washington State lose to double-digit underdogs. So when Michigan went to Bloomington, Indiana to take on the Hoosiers on Saturday afternoon, the Wolverines were prepared for a fight.
Indiana already proved to be a tough test for the Ohio State Buckeyes in the season opener so the Wolverines knew not to underestimate the Hoosiers. Things did get a lot closer than Jim Harbaugh and Michigan fans would have liked, however, as the Wolverines went to overtime. Indiana booted a field goal as time expired in regulation but got a touchdown on their first possession in overtime and stopped the Hoosiers short of the goal line on the ensuing possession.
This was a much-needed win for Michigan after they suffered their first loss of the year last weekend to Michigan State. The Wolverines still have Penn State (next week) and Ohio State (season finale) on the schedule, but at least, for one more week, those pesky Jim Harbaugh to the NFL rumors can be on the back-burner for a week.
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I love Harbaugh in the college game and would love to see him stay at Michigan for the next 15-20 years, but, the talk will always be there considering his success with the San Francisco 49ers, that included three straight trips to the NFC Championship Game and a Super Bowl appearance. Whether it’s to the Indianapolis Colts where he’d reunite with his Stanford quarterback, Andrew Luck, for a franchise he played for, or whether it’s a team like the Chicago Bears where he played and has a young quarterback in Mitchell Trubisky for him to develop, Harbaugh will have his options, should he seek them out.
This won’t alleviate any long-term concerns for the Michigan faithful who hope and pray Harbaugh will stay and win in Ann Arbor for a long time. However, the chatter surrounding his potential leap to the NFL should take a backseat for the remainder of the season.
Just be forewarned if Michigan loses to Penn State and Ohio State, that intensity could reach a new high.