Michigan Minus Jim Harbaugh vs. Ohio State Saturday Will Be At A Huge Disadvantage, Period | Glenn Guilbeau
I have been a little shocked at the question over the last week.
"How important is it that a head coach be at the game on game day, if he gets to coach the team at practice all week?"
Uh, Duh!
It is hugely important.
And Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will be hugely missed when the No. 3 Wolverines (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) host No. 2 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) on Saturday (Noon, FOX) in the game of the year.
Big Ten Suspension Same As It Was - 3 Regular Season Games
Michigan and Harbaugh on Thursday gave up their day in court Friday to argue the Big Ten's three-game, regular season suspension of Harbaugh. Harbaugh and his attorney and Michigan's counsel suddenly realized what most of us knew. They have no case. And their case keeps getting worse.
"America's Team," as Harbaugh idiotically referred to the victim Wolverines last week saw assistant coach Chris Partridge fired Friday for trying to hide evidence involved in the systemic sign stealing scheme. Now, that's America, Jim - Richard Nixon's America.
So the Wolverines surrendered to the Big Ten's and the NCAA's belief on Thursday that Harbaugh's program heavily engaged in a complex, illegal, systemic scouting and sign stealing scheme over the last three seasons.
Jim Harbaugh coaches Michigan at Michigan State this season. (Photo by Adam Ruff/Getty Images)
Harbaugh was not missed so much last week when Michigan handled No. 10 Penn State, 24-15, without much stress. Offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Sherrone Moore handled it fine. He also called 32 straight running plays to end the game. How hard could that be?
Michigan probably could have used Harbaugh against Maryland Saturday. The Wolverines had to sweat out a 31-24 win over an average team (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten). They were favored by three touchdowns.
Michigan Will Clearly Need Jim Harbaugh vs. Ohio State
Plus, Michigan is more used to playing and winning without its head coach than any other team in the nation. Because the guy is frequently in trouble or about to be. Harbaugh served a wishful-thinking, Michigan-imposed suspension for the first three games of the season in an effort by Michigan to decrease incoming NCAA sanctions for Harbaugh's recruiting violations in 2020. He visited prospects when he wasn't supposed to during COVID, and lied about it to NCAA investigators, which is really stupid.
But Michigan minus Harbaugh against Ohio State? Incredibly significant, even with him being able to coach the team from this Sunday to next Friday.
Yes, a head coach and his coordinators put in the game plan and prepare the team to that plan all week at practice. But we're talking about practice.
"We're talking about practice?," as Allen Iverson so perfectly and dismissively asked when he was an NBA star with the Philadelphia 76ers just after their 2001-02 playoff exit. "Practice? We're talking about practice?"
Yes, practice is important. And if everything goes according to plan, the head coach does not have to do a lot on game day - against an easy opponent. And that is all Michigan played this year before Penn State last week. The Nittany Lions were their first ranked foe.
Jim Harbaugh's Mere Presence Worth Points For Wolverines
But things rarely go according to plan in the Michigan-Ohio State game. When things go wrong, everyone looks at a head coach with the presence, knowledge, attitude and immense talent of a Harbaugh. He has not called the offensive plays since the 2018 season, but he is heavily involved in everything.
One of the main things that a head coach does on game day is make sure the team plays like it practiced. Yes. But practice gets less important late in a regular season, like now. Nobody really changes at this point. They may add a few wrinkles of strategy for a huge game, but for the most part, everything's in.
The difference between bad coaches and average coaches, average coaches and good coaches and good coaches and great coaches is precisely what happens on game day in close games. The best coaches make adjustments during the game and particularly at halftime. The best coaches throw out the game plan.
So, the best coaches have thrown out everything they did from Sunday through Friday, or close to it, on occasion.
When Joe Brady was running LSU's offense in the 2019 season under not so involved head coach Ed Orgeron, he often shelved just about everything they worked on the previous week. Quarterback Joe Burrow said that, because the defense often played LSU's offense differently than Brady prepared for during the week.
So, what if Ohio State throws something completely unexpected at Michigan on game day? Who you gonna call? Can't call Harbaugh. Sure, Michigan interim coach Sherrone Moore and Michigan's other assistants are very experienced running the show. Yeah, during easy games! And they are used to having Harbaugh right there.
So, don't ask if it makes a difference.
Where Would Alabama Be Without Nick Saban On Game Days?
Can you imagine Alabama playing Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 2 without Nick Saban? Oh, but he directed practice all week. Hey, if given the choice, at this point in the season, I would rather Saban on game day than all those practice.
"We're talking about practice?"
Saban, much like Harbaugh, is bold, and has the guts to make major drastic changes during a game.
Nick Saban in prime game day form for Alabama this season. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Let's pretend Saban suddenly grew ill the night before Alabama played Georgia in the national championship game back on January 8, 2018, and he couldn't be at the game. Would an interim coach had benched starting quarterback Jalen Hurts at halftime while down 13-0 for largely inexperienced Tua Tagovailoa? I don't think so, unless somehow Saban got word to him. Alabama won, 26-23, in overtime on a walk-off Tagovailoa TD pass.
Jim Harbaugh Lives In Ohio State Coach Ryan Day's Head
Now, there are some head coaches whose absence on game day might have actually helped a team. The previously mentioned Orgeron, former Ohio State coach John Cooper, former LSU coach Les Miles are a few. And there are other coaches who were great Sunday through Friday, but tightened up on Saturdays.
That's not Jim Harbaugh.
And consider this. Think of the relief in the soul of Ohio State coach Ryan Day when he looks across the sideline on Nov. 25 and does not see his blood nemesis Harbaugh, who just owns him lately.
Day will probably look up into the press box to make sure Harbaugh is not there, then around the stadium. Then he'll look right behind him. Because Harbaugh lives in Day's head. But next Saturday, the closest Harbaugh can be physically will be in another building watching the game on TV, if he's not in a disguise borrowed from Connor Stalions.
Still, next Saturday will be Day's chance to break his two-game losing skid against Michigan and Harbaugh.
And without Harbaugh, that's worth about a touchdown or 10 points.
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