National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with the 3-Point Stance looking at reasons why Jim Harbaugh should stay, players like Sean Clifford leaving college football under-appreciated and second year coaches facing big seasons.
Why Jim Harbaugh Needs to Stay at Michigan
— Jim Harbaugh, as always, came out and half denied rumors of heading off to the NFL. Meanwhile rumors about him landing in Carolina or Denver or Indy continue to swirl. And while my man Kyle Golik made a great case for why he should leave here’s why I think he should stay.
1. The job isn’t finished
Beating Ohio State is great. Making the playoff is great. These are things we didn’t think would happen a few years ago but it’s not the ultimate goal. He came to Michigan to win the whole damn thing and he hasn’t yet.
2. These NFL jobs stink
Indy and that owner? Denver and that Russ salary? Carolina and Sam Darnold? Yuck. Of course Harbaugh isn’t going to be handed a great situation as these teams are moving on for a reason, but these jobs all stink. Wait it out a year and be in play for San Diego or Dallas or someplace else.
3. Job security
You own Michigan in every way. You left to interview for the Vikings job last year on Signing Day, didn’t get it and were welcomed back without question. You can do whatever you want in Ann Arbor and they will pay you NFL money to boot.
4. A national title is possible
I mentioned finishing the job but what about USC and UCLA coming into the Big Ten? Isn’t that an issue? Nope. The expanded playoff is coming and the Big Ten is now easily the No. 2 conference in college football. Three teams can make the playoff each season and that’s more chances to win it all.
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5. You rule the Big Ten
I can’t emphasize this enough. To any Michigan Man the ultimate feeling is beating Ohio State and owning the Big Ten for the entire off season. As a former Michigan player and now as the coach, bask in the glory of owning Buckeyes fans for the entire year until next season’s game. And yes, he could easily beat them again. Harbaugh will not get this feeling in the NFL.
Underappreciated Departing Players
— Sean Clifford got me thinking. What players have I been critical of or at least under-appreciated over the years and will possibly miss now that they are leaving? These dudes.
1. QB Sean Clifford, Penn State
Clifford remains massively underrated both nationally and even within the Big Ten. A four-year starter for the Nittany Lions, he finished his career as the school record holder in yards and touchdowns and capped his career with a Rose Bowl victory. Pretty darn good if you ask me.
2. QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
The UCLA record holder for most career touchdowns, DTR mastered Chip Kelly’s offense. Even though his first and second years got off to a rocky start, he emerged as one of the best signal callers in the Pac-12 by his junior season and continued to get better through his senior and fifth season. It didn’t finish pretty in the bowl game but he was fun to watch.
3. RB Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota
The Gophers have produced their share of great running backs, but Ibrahim was a cut above the rest in terms of pure production. A rugged back with burst, he rushed for more than 100 yards in 19 consecutive games, the most of any player since 2000.
4. WR Zay Flowers, BC
One of the most consistent receivers in the country over the past few seasons, Flowers is as good a route runner as there is in the game. He led the ACC in receiving touchdowns this year and back in 2020, finishing his career with 200 catches, over 3,000 yards, and 31 total touchdowns.
5. DB Chris Smith, Georgia
On a team of stud defenders, people rarely discuss how important Smith is. His versatility has given Dan Lanning and Will Muschamp the freedom to have creative coverages, as he can play nearly every position in the defensive backfield. He’s a jack of all trades in the best way.
Second-Year Coaches Under Fire
— And finally, even in year two these coaches will be under some serious scrutiny at least from the fan bases.
1. Billy Napier, Florida
Things got off to a great start with an upset over Utah in The Swamp at the beginning of the season. But after an up-and-down second half of the season, as well as the mess of a QB room, Napier has a lot of work to do this year.
2. Brent Pry, Virginia Tech
The former Penn State DC did not have a great opening season in Blacksburg, starting out with a loss to Old Dominion and finishing the season 3-8. After the Justin Fuente debacle, most people thought it couldn’t get worse. Well, it did.
3. Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Venables’ debut as a head coach did not go as planned, finishing with a losing record for the first time in nearly a quarter century. The Sooners’ defense never turned the corner, and they have a lot of work to do now to get back to the top of the Big XII in their final season in the conference.
4. Mario Cristobal, Miami
Yes, he’s killing it on the recruiting trail. But the culture in the Hurricanes’ locker room is in flux and Josh Gattis simply did not produce anything with the offense. So while they’re recruiting at an elite level, if the results on the field aren’t there in year two, it’s going to get ugly.
5. Tony Elliott, Virginia
3-7 overall isn’t a great start and the questions about how he ran the offense at Clemson his last year linger. He’s been up against it handling a horrible tragedy which led to two cancelled games and he will get plenty of time, but it was a bad season on the field.
