When Jim Harbaugh left the NFL to return to the University of Michigan, it was THE STORY. Anticipation is one thing, though, getting his team to perform at a high level on the field another. Harbaugh inherits a program that had losing Big Ten records the past two seasons and been repeatedly destroyed by Michigan State and Ohio State. The Buckeyes and Spartans represent the last two Big Ten football champions. Ohio State is the defending national champion. Advertisement So while optimism rules in Ann Arbor because of Harbaugh, a dose of reality has been presented as the preseason college football magazines have started to be released. Athlon’s predicts Ohio State will repeat as national champion and not lose a game in the process. It has Michigan State at 10-2 and ranked sixth nationally. Michigan? The national publication has the Wolverines going 7-5 and 4-4 in the Big Ten, finishing fourth behind OSU, MSU and Penn State in the East Division – and 34th nationally. Realistic? Certainly. Yet, wouldn’t that be disappointing considering the hype surrounding Harbaugh? Brady Hoke’s first two seasons were better than that. Other publications view Michigan similarly in comparison to Ohio State and MSU. Lindy’s has the Buckeyes winning the national title and MSU sixth nationally and placing second in the East. It does put Michigan 29th nationally and finishing third, ahead of Penn State, in the division. The Sporting News College Football Yearbook has Ohio State No.1, MSU No. 8 and Michigan not ranked in the Top 25. Again, it has the East Division as going 1-2-3 with OSU, MSU and Michigan. …
Continue Reading: Pat Caputo – Timing may not be right for Jim Harbaugh to have immediate impact at Michigan
