Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Michigan lost a big game under Jim Harbaugh.
I feel like I’ve watched the same Michigan football game for the last few years since Jim Harbaugh came to Ann Arbor. It’s not a rerun but it is the same result happening over and over for the Wolverines.
After almost coming back from down 21-0 to a dropped game-tying touchdown pass on fourth down in the final two minutes, this was a familiar type of letdown.
Michigan is really capable and looks impressive and at times imposing against inferior opponents. Michigan is great against Rutgers and Illinois but rarely competitive against better teams with top-end talent. That’s what happened when Michigan went into Happy Valley and had Penn State hand them another loss on primetime television.
It was expected. No one was surprised when Penn State raced out to a big lead in the first quarter. Shea Patterson looked shell-shocked. Michigan’s offense had no answer for the stout Nittany Lions defense. Harbaugh was supposed to be that answer. We’ve seen this episode before. These are the episodes you skip on Netflix.
Instead, the answer is Michigan just isn’t a Big Ten challenger until further notice. We can’t be fooled into thinking the Wolverines are back or legit or a threat to Ohio State. Forget that nonsense. Ohio State is in another league compared to Michigan. Penn State might be too, although they did let Michigan back into the second half and were a dropped pass in the end zone on fourth down away from potentially going to overtime.
That said, no one should expect Michigan to win a big game with Harbaugh running the show. He’s proven time and again he can’t win a big game in Ann Arbor.
Following the loss to Penn State, Harbaugh is 1-10 vs. Top 10 teams, 1-7 on the road vs. ranked teams, 0-8 as an underdog and it could get even worse with Ohio State looming. Harbaugh has yet to beat the rival Buckeyes in four tries.
Michigan was the media’s pick to win the Big Ten this year but that may be one of the more regrettable things the media has done this year, which says a lot.
When you’re a blueblood program like Michigan, that’s obviously not good enough. Then again, this is the same old thing being said about the program for years. The years change, the players come and go, but the results stay the same. Michigan can’t beat a good team and it’ll eventually be Harbaugh’s undoing.
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