Jim Harbaugh is a Historic Failure Against Ohio State and There's No End in Sight
By Kyle Koster
Make all the excuses you want for him. Contort reality in the direction most favorable to your plea for patience. But as a prominent internet troll says: "facts don't care about your feelings."
And here are the facts.
Jim Harbaugh is 0-5 against Ohio State during his tenure in Ann Arbor. The Michigan Wolverines have won nothing of any importance. They are clearly improved from the Brady Hoke-Rich Rodriguez years but are much closer to Lloyd Carr mediocrity than a national contender.
The media-appointed savior of Michigan football has not brought the program even to the brink of salvation. The gulf between where the Wolverines are and the promised land is as wide as the talent disparity with the Buckeyes. Harbaugh has created headlines and buzz. He hasn't won big games.
Michigan hasn't won a conference championship since 2004. The Wolverines haven't reached the Big Ten Championship game since its inception. It is not as if Harbaugh inherited a ready-made success story.
Harbaugh is a favorite son and it's long been my belief that he can coach this team as long as he wants to coach it. The powers that be are far more concerned about what's behind Door No. 2 than Harbaugh being a long-term failure. So the typical rules don't apply here.
But here's the question: When does a program and fanbase with a over-inflated sense of self in the form of deep-seeded pride make it known that what is going on is not acceptable? Because it should not be OK to a school that still believes it's an elite football side to have the rival wipe the floor with its hopes and dreams each and every year.
Harbaugh's team made mental mistakes on Saturday. He made bad coaching decisions -- the most obvious being kicking a field goal shortly before the half. At a certain point there has to be some accountability. So what does that accountability look like?
Don't think it's time for that discussion yet? Well, you're living in a state of denial.
Ohio State is laughing at you. The laughter is deafening. Because, to them, you are a laughingstock.
Nothing about the last two years has suggested these two programs deserve to be on the same field. It's time for Michigan to ask itself how much more of this it can take. Harbaugh has had no answer and looks like he doesn't have a clue.
How proud is Michigan? Do the Wolverines have the stomach to do something about getting kicked in the butt each and every November? Only time will tell.