After the Wolverines’ 56-27 loss against Ohio State, Jim Harbaugh is officially the only coach in the history of the rivalry to lose his first five games against the Buckeyes. On top of that, Michigan’s loss to Ohio State today was their 15th in 16 years.
With all that in mind, it’s pretty obvious to see that the two programs are on a different level in the landscape of college football. One might also think that it’s reasonable to wonder what the biggest differences between the two sides are right now.
A reporter after Michigan’s loss was curious about that, and so he posed the question to Jim Harbaugh.
“Is this a talent gap? Is it a preparation gap? Is it a coaching gap? What is the biggest difference between you and Ohio State at this point?” the reporter asked.
Harbaugh’s response? “I’ll answer your questions. Not your insults.” Ouch.
The whole exchange was pretty cringeworthy. Harbaugh’s face says it all.
Honestly, it’s not an unreasonable question to ask. And there were plenty of responses that Harbaugh could’ve gone to after being asked this question. He could’ve spelled things out and given some perspective to the rivalry and his situation.
Instead, he chose to be terse. Don’t get it twisted — Harbaugh has that right. Nobody in this situation is technically wrong by the way they played it. It just doesn’t do him any favors after such a bad loss and doesn’t move the conversation forward at all.
Harbaugh is obviously frustrated, and understandably so. The Wolverines will have to settle for another low tier bowl game while their rivals are probably headed back to the College Football Playoff. His seat is warming up and he’s very clearly feeling the pressure.
