College football trick or treat: 10 biggest surprises and flops of 2019

Trick – Jim Harbaugh

It seems like we go through the same song and dance every year with the Wolverines. Michigan has been in the national championship conversation every year since Harbaugh has been hired. When hired, he was a big name that had brought Stanford football back to relevance and taken the 49ers to the Super Bowl. He made headlines for sleeping over at recruits’ houses, rapping with Lil Dicky, and wearing Khakis all the time. However, his pants may be the most memorable part of the Harbaugh era at Michigan.

Harbaugh has shown he can win at every level, but his best years at Stanford were with Andrew Luck, a generational talent at quarterback. He also happened to be coaching in the NFL at the perfect time to run the read-option, when most defenses were wildly unprepared (watch their playoff game against the Packers).  The Wolverines were 38-14 under Jim Harbaugh prior to 2019, and yet for some reason, a lot of major outlets projected Michigan as a contender this season.

However, a blowout loss to Wisconsin ended those hopes almost before they could even spring to life. Another loss to Penn State was the nail in the coffin of the Wolverines playoff hopes. The only thing left that could salvage this season is an upset of Ohio State in Ann Arbor. Their beat down of Notre Dame might buy Harbaugh some breathing room, but another loss to the Buckeyes might be the final nail in his coffin.