The Michigan Wolverines’ hopes of finally winning the Big Ten under Jim Harbaugh took a serious hit in Madison on Saturday afternoon. Michigan was pummeled by Wisconsin, giving up 35 unanswered points before the Wolverines closed the gap to make the final a slightly more respectable 35-14.
On, WWW-isconsin!
U̶S̶F̶
C̶e̶n̶t̶r̶a̶l̶ ̶M̶i̶c̶h̶i̶g̶a̶n̶
N̶o̶.̶ ̶1̶1̶ ̶M̶i̶c̶h̶i̶g̶a̶n̶#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/3FLL6PyNvS
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) September 21, 2019
Jonathan Taylor had a huge day on the ground for Wisconsin, running for 203 yards and two touchdowns as Don Brown’s defense had no answer for the talented running back.
Jim Harbaugh at Stanford vs. Jim Harbaugh at Michigan
Stanford
• Overall Record: 29-21
• vs. Ranked Opponents: 6-6
• Bowl Record: 1-1
• vs. Top-10 Teams: 2-2
Michigan
• Overall Record: 40-15
• vs. Ranked Opponents: 8-11
• Bowl Record: 1-3
• vs. Top-10 Teams: 1-9 pic.twitter.com/EnKFuq6zTE
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) September 21, 2019
The loss continues a discouraging trend for Michigan football under Jim Harbaugh. While the Wolverines have been a good team under their former quarterback, they haven’t been a great team. They have yet to win a game as an underdog, and their record against the best teams in the country is discouraging.
Jim Harbaugh is the second highest paid college coach in America behind Nick Saban.
In 13 seasons, Nick Saban's Alabama teams have lost 21 games.
In 5 seasons, Jim Harbaugh's Michigan teams have lost 15 games.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 21, 2019
Under Harbaugh, the Wolverines have yet to finish better than 10-3 in a season. This was supposed to be the year that finally changed with Penn State and Ohio State both rebuilding, and Michigan was a popular pick to make the College Football Playoff over the summer. This loss puts the team’s CFP hopes on life support as Michigan is expected to take a tumble in the rankings. The Wolverines were ranked No. 7 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, and they had slipped to No. 11 before Saturday’s loss in Madison.
A stadium full of Wisconsin fans casually singing "Build Me Up Buttercup" without a care in the world because they're kicking your ass so bad, has to be the low point of Michigan football history pic.twitter.com/aMlYvZtSRC
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) September 21, 2019
To add insult to injury, Wisconsin fans serenaded Michigan to a rousing rendition of “Build Me Up Buttercup” after the Badgers took a 21-0 lead in the second quarter.
In the second half, Michigan quarterback Dylan McCaffrey was forced to leave the game after seemingly sustaining a concussion on a vicious hit, and tight end Sean McKeon had to be helped off the field after becoming the first player to score on Wisconsin this season.
Michigan fans are taking the Wisconsin loss well. https://t.co/YKFdnUDetL
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 21, 2019
Michigan fans are frustrated with the team’s inability to take the next step under Harbaugh, and that has led to growing questions about the coach’s future in Ann Arbor. While Harbaugh is certainly not in danger of being fired at the moment, his seat is heating up given his salary and the school’s massive expectations.
