Jim Harbaugh has the saddest bowl tribute to Bo Schembechler

Another holiday season, another bowl game disappointment from Jim Harbaugh. His Michigan Wolverines show once again they’re not a first-class program.

Jim Harbaugh really needs to cool it with tributes to Bo Schembechler.

It was not an easy matchup for the Michigan Wolverines when they pitted against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the VRBO Citrus Bowl down in Orlando. Alabama may have been without star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and not playing for a chance at a national championship for the first time since 2013. However, we expected a better coaching performance out of Harbaugh.

The Wolverines were 9-3 on the season entering their New Year’s Day affair with the Crimson Tide. Alabama was far from a perfect team, going 10-2 on the year with two division losses for the first time since 2010. The Crimson Tide were playing with a backup quarterback in Mac Jones on a stage that many felt Alabama was too good for. Yet, the result was the same for Harbaugh.

After taking a 16-14 lead into halftime at Camping World Stadium, the Wolverines would proceed to get shut out in the second half 21-0, losing their fourth game of the year to Alabama by the tune of 35-16.

Jones outperformed Michigan starting quarterback Shea Patterson by completing 16-of-25 passes for 327 yards, three touchdowns and no picks. No Michigan skill position player had 100 yards of offense and only tight end Nick Eubanks found the end zone.

Conversely, Alabama running back had 136 yards on 24 carries for two scores and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy had six catches for a ridiculous 204 yards and two big touchdowns. The Citrus Bowl had every reason for it to be a letdown game for Alabama, but the Crimson Tide played a complete four quarters, adding another chapter of postseason futility for Michigan under Harbaugh.

So how bad has it been for Harbaugh in December/January since taking over his alma mater’s program in 2015? Well, Harbaugh has now lost his last four bowl games, which ties him with Lloyd Carr for the second-longest postseason losing streak in Michigan history. Should he drop next year’s bowl game, he’ll tie Schembechler for the most all-time.

Sure, you can claim Harbaugh is about to join great Michigan company with his next bowl season defeat, but it’s the manner it’s happening of late that is the most troubling. This was the first time Michigan has lost by double figures in consecutive bowl games in school history. Harbaugh now falls to 0-10 as a straight-up underdog in his time leading the Wolverines football program.

So we have endured half a decade of Harbaugh in charge in Ann Arbor. All he has to show for it is no wins against the Ohio State Buckeyes, no Big Ten West division titles, no Big Ten Conference Championships, no College Football Playoff berths and no wins against teams that were betting favorites vs. the Wolverines. Michigan is such a second-class football program under Harbaugh.

If there was ever an opportunity for Michigan to beat a team like Alabama in a bowl game, the Citrus Bowl was it. The Crimson Tide could have shown indifference for this game and Michigan could have gained a 10-win season and plenty of momentum heading into the 2020 campaign. Instead, we got more of the same out of Harbaugh, the most overrated coach in college football.

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