Urban Meyer (Photo by Thomas Matty) and Jim Harbaugh
Michael James of The Tribe Sports has spent more than 20 years in sports journalism at The Detroit News, New York Daily News and ESPN. This column is republished with permission.
By Mike James
A rather strange sentiment emerged on social media following news Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer plans to retire after the Buckeyes’ Rose Bowl appearance against Washington on New Year’s Day:
Michigan fans were . . . happy.
Urban Meyer (Photo by Thomas Matty) and Jim Harbaugh
It seems, so desperate were they to get out from under the dominance Urban Meyer showed during his seven years in Columbus, where he not only went undefeated at 7-0 overall, but also 4-0 against Jim Harbaugh, that Wolverines fans simply do not care how they get the edge again.
Even if it means the concept that their only chance to start winning in this “rivalry” once more only comes because they don’t have to contend with Meyer.
Seems like quite a copout when you consider the competitive credo of To Be The Best, You Have To Beat The Best. So, now, without their nemesis in the way, Michigan fans believe the future may look bright for their team, which has lost 15 of the past 15 to the hated Buckeyes.
So, while Michigan equipment managers update that sign in the locker room – Those Who Stay Will Become Champions – to include “…now that Urban Meyer’s gone,” here are The Tribe Sports’ Top 10 Reasons Why Jim Harbaugh Couldn’t Beat Urban Meyer.
1. Urban Meyer Is a better mnotivator: You can see it on the sidelines, the determination, the ferocity. Meyer on the prowling the gridiron looks like an MMA fighter preparing to go five rounds in the Octagon. And his players are inspired by him. They, unlike Michigan, are always primed to go in The Game every time. It’s as though they grasp the importance of this game in a way that Michigan no longer does.
2. Meyer’s players revere – and fear – him: Be honest. Tell me you wouldn’t pee your pants if Urban Meyer focused on you in the heat of battle? His gaze melts steel. This guy’s intensity is truly frightening. His team’s are . so good because his players didn’t want to disappoint – and are afraid to upset – him.
3. Meyer is the better gambler: This one’s strange when you consider that Jim Harbaugh returned to Ann Arbor with the reputation of being an offensive genius. Maybe that’s the result of having had playmaking quarterbacks like Andrew Luck at Stanford and Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco. But when the chips are down – or, say, it’s Fourth-and-1 at midfield – Meyer trusts his team to get that yard. Harbaugh, checks the clock, weighs the percentages and after a timeout, will usually punt.
4. Meyer is less conservative: Meyer isn’t against a gadget play or two. His teams do dynamic things. Harbaugh’s playbook is paint-by-number – and he sticks to it. While Meyer’s team’s constantly innovate, taking advantage of the specific talents of individual players, Harbaugh has a style that he wants, puts players in it and stays with it – like three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust that former Wolverines coach Bo Schembechler was known for.
5. Meyer is willing to win at all costs: This one might upset Ohio State and Meyer fans, but not only has Meyer been willing to risk actually dying to coach and win, but he’s also been willing to bend or break the rules to do it. No matter what you want to believe, having more than 30 players arrested during his six years at Florida indicates he was willing to look past the rules. And you don’t get allegations of Meyer hiding failed drug tests involving his players if there’s not something to it. To date, you’ve never heard a whisper of Harbaugh engaging in cheating.
6. Meyer’s players know who he is: I don’t think there is any doubt that players respond more positively to a great head coach when there is no ambiguity about what he stands for. Like Nick Saban at Alabama, Dabo Swinney at Clemson, or Bear Bryant back in the day for the Crimson Tide, there is NO DOUBT as to who Meyer is and that is reflected in the product he puts on the field. Conversely, Harbaugh is a curiosity to many who have known him, a real different kind of person. This is reflected, I think, by the split personality of his teams. The offense, which he runs, is often slow to start and out of sorts. The record-setting defenses, which hammer away from the start, are run by coordinator Don Brown. At Ohio State, as with Saban and Swinney, you get the impression these men control everythingin their programs.
7. Meyer doesn’t accept defeat: Urban Meyer seems headed for a coronary even when Ohio State struggles and wins. The Man Hates Losing. And Meyer accepts no excuses. Harbaugh, on the other hand, obviously doesn’t like losing, but seems to take it much more in stride, easily admitting what his team didn’t do well to deserve the loss. Meyer might also make those same admissions, but you get the feeling somebody’s going to pay for it. With Meyer, losing has consequences.
8. Meyer is a better Xs and Os coach: After Ohio State dismantled Michigan, 62-39, in the latest showdown, some around the country wondered whether Urban Meyer was simply planning a Wolverines ambush all year long. It’s a fun thought, but ridiculous. What is clear is that Meyer likely had their weaknesses figured out long before they met. Indiana revealed Michigan’s vulnerability to crossing pattern – which Meyer exploited a week later. When Michigan adjusted, Ohio State simply threw other curveballs. Harbaugh was unprepared for being out-schemed.
9. Meyer gfets more out of players: Every year since Harbaugh returned to Michigan, it seems he has a special player, like Jabrill Peppers or a Donovan Peoples-Jones. Now, remember how almost every time Peppers got in the game on offense, he got the ball? If you could pick up that pattern from your couch, how could anybody else miss it? Ditto for Peoples-Jones, who is almost NEVER used as a decoy by the Wolverines. Like, why not try to fool people every once in awhile? Meyer seemingly always finds talent that comes out of nowhere, like freshman receiver Chris Olave. This kid had a grand total of 5 catches for 70 yards before this year’s game. Olave had two touchdowns and blocked a punt to set up another TD against the Wolverines. He’s a great example of what Meyer’s teams always seem to uncover that Harbaugh’s do not.
10. Meyer recognizes and rewards talent: Maybe one of the greatest differences between Harbaugh and Meyer is that Meyer recognizes dynamic raw talent and puts it on the field immediately, while traditionalist Harbaugh goes to war with the safest choices. Example: 6-foot-5 Joe Milton, a Michigan freshman QB who can run and throw the ball 85 yards? he might be starting at Ohio State. Harbaugh? He’ll fiddle with the lower risk, lower reward Dylan McCaffrey and Brandon Peters if Shea Patterson doesn’t return. Count on it. One more thing: Harbaugh will allow a struggling quarterback to lose a game. Meyer would pull that kid in a second to win the game.
