Michigan avoids total disaster vs. Army in spite of Jim Harbaugh’s bone-headed decisions

Jim Harbaugh is showing signs he doesn’t know exactly what he’s doing as a college football coach in 2019. He’s coaching like it’s 1987.

That gust of wind in the midwest was Michigan fans breathing a sigh of relief after beating Army in double overtime. A win is a win, but this one was ugly and Jim Harbaugh should take it as a wake-up call.

Harbaugh has been one of the best college football coaches for most of his time in college. He won at San Diego, he won big at Stanford and he’s winning, albeit not championships at Michigan. However, during the game vs. Army, Harbaugh is coaching like it’s 1987 and he doesn’t have a grasp on reality.

Army had their way with Michigan during regulation. The Wolverines normally have one of the league’s best offensive lines but it didn’t look like it vs. the Black Knights. The Army defensive performance was incredible, but the Michigan offensive performance was dreadful.

And this comes from a Chicago Bears fan who watched that nightmare on Thursday Night Football. So I am a bit of an expert when it comes to terrible offense and play-calling.

Michigan had a pair of mind-numbing bad calls, both on fourth down, that could have sunk their battleship before going to overtime.

Harbaugh bypassed a 36-yard field goal attempt that would have given Michigan a three-point lead with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Michigan needed two yards but got stuffed behind the line of scrimmage. It was as if Army knew exactly what play they were going to run and were ready for it.

https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1170408807522013185

Michigan’s offense was more one-dimensional than Army’s who runs the ball darn near every single play. Let that sink in. Michigan just keeps running into the backs of the interior offensive linemen and expecting the results to be different. That’s the definition of insanity. Michigan is lacking an identity and finding it in the middle of a Big Ten conference schedule is going to result in even uglier growing pains than what was on display vs. Army.

Harbaugh didn’t learn his lesson and rolled the dice on another fourth down and 2 from the Army 43. This was far too out for a field goal try this time around, but instead of punting and trying to pin Army deep in their own territory, Michigan elected to go for it.

Predictably, Michigan was stopped short of the line to gain.

Michigan was playing with fire. Army drove the field and attempted a 50-yard field goal as time expired on the ensuing possession. The kick sailed wide right. It was that close to a massive upset in the Big House.

Harbaugh had to have a moment in his head where he said to himself, “Boy, that was a close one. Let’s play our game and quit shooting ourselves in the foot.”

Look, Harbaugh is not about to get fired for losing to Army. But this much is clear, Harbaugh has to get with the times and adapt his offense. It’s 2019. If he can’t tailor the offense to the present-day game, he’s going to find himself in a position Les Miles found himself in during the 2016 season.

The “Michigan Man” was coaching in 2016 like it was the late ’80s with a ground control, power running game, but failed to take advantage of spread offenses and hurry-up offenses. LSU fired Miles two games into the 2016 season.

If Harbaugh continues to live in the past, he will suffer a similar fate.

Let’s be real. If Michigan needs double overtime to escape Army in the Big House, how are they ever going to beat Ohio State?!