Jim Harbaugh-Urban Meyer controversy, LSU’s facilities upgrade, Last Chance U returns

Jim Harbaugh offended Ohio State football fans with his thoughts on Urban Meyer, but he simply told the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts.

You either love Jim Harbaugh or you hate him. There’s no middle ground for the Michigan football coach who has never been mistaken for a shrinking violet. Whether it was as a player or coach, Harbaugh has voiced his opinion and hasn’t been afraid of what his critics think. That should come as no surprise then after his latest eyebrow-raising comment about former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer ahead of Big Ten Media Days last weekend.

"“Urban Meyer’s had a winning record. Really phenomenal record everywhere he’s been,” Harbaugh said on The Athletic’s “The TK Show” podcast. “But also, controversy follows everywhere he’s been.”"

The above comments fueled Ohio State Twitter for days as they had fresh ammunition to remind Harbaugh any Michigan football fans that he has yet to beat rival Ohio State or win a Big Ten division title.

But show me the lie.

Ohio State fans aren’t upset about Harbaugh saying Meyer has a phenomenal record from his time at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State. They are mad because Harbaugh is right. Controversy does follow Meyer. That much is indisputable with as many of his Florida players were arrested and with the Zach Smith handling resulting in a three-game suspension and accelerating the timeline of Meyer’s exit.

It’s a sad reality that many Ohio State fans didn’t want to revisit or admit.

It’s okay. I too have a tough time dealing with reality and living in an alternate reality inside my own mind. In many ways, that’s college football fandom. It’s like a Christopher Nolan or David Lynch movie. What is real may not actually be real.

Harbaugh is not running from that fact. Ohio State owns Michigan. And credit Harbaugh for owning that 0-4 record vs. Meyer on his resume. It’s something he’s looking to change this year.

"“You welcome the accountability,” Harbaugh said. “All you can be judged on is your record — what your record is overall, what your record is in your conference, and what your record is in head-to-head matchups with other teams that you play. I think you’ll find that right now Ohio State is the only team that has a better record than us, has a better conference record than us, has the better overall head-to-head matchup with us."

While Harbaugh is drawn and quartered by Ohio State Twitter over this, he’s not wrong, but if he really wants to shut them up, it’s really quite simple. He just has to beat Meyer’s successor, Ryan Day, and get Ohio State their first win vs. Michigan since 2011.

LSU facilities get a major upgrade

LSU football players will be living the good life thanks to some serious upgrades to the locker room and players lounge. The lounge was paid for by former LSU great, Tyrann Mathieu, who is giving back to his old program. This is another example of colleges not being able to pay their players so they spend on everything else around the player. In the ongoing arms race that is college football facilities, this will only help attract the five-star recruits to play for the Tigers. But the facilities themselves won’t help them score vs. Alabama.

Last Chance U returns

Part 4 of the Netflix Original series Last Chance U premiered last Friday and it was a perfect pairing for the football-starved fan who is ready for the offseason to end. The series following the Independence Community College football program was a stark departure of last season when they were conference champions and won their first bowl game.

As great as things were for coach Jason Brown and Dream U last year, it was every bit as awful this season as the Pirates went a disappointing 2-8. Brown was fired after the year for insensitive comments when he compared himself to Hitler. You’re cringing reading that and that’s what I did the entire eight-episode season. I don’t even feel ashamed to say I was rooting for Brown’s demise. He is a flat-out jerk who constantly berated his players and coaches with a steady stream of “mother******s” and threats of being cut or fired.

He is more a dictator who uses fear and intimidation than a coach and teacher. His ego is out of control for someone who accomplished so little. I felt bad for the players and assistant coaches who had to play and work under his rule of terror. It’s unfortunate their experiences were tarnished because of Brown’s ego. I hope the show returns next summer, albeit at a different junior college program because it is a tremendous show that portrays an accurate look at junior college football and academics.

These players think they’re bound for the NFL and are determined to overcome the long, long odds in order to provide for their family, many of whom are in poverty. It’s easy to root for the players. It was easy to root against Brown. Here’s to hoping next season will be more fun to watch without Brown.