Over/Under on Harbaugh's first season? Be Honest

Submitted by Wolfman on

Whether you stated it publicly or merely kept it to yourself, everyone on this site had an opinion of how many games we would win in Jim's first year. I was one under but was still met with more than a little skepticism when, after the announcement of his hiring, I predicted 9 wins. I can understand this because I did this fully expecting that Shane or Wilton would be our qb. I correctly picked the three losses during the regular season, but I thought, with luck, we could beat UT and one of either MSU or OSU seeing we had them both at home. I didn't think we would be pushed to our limit by IU or MN but, in retrospect, I'm glad we were for no other reason because these are the type of games that define the character of the team. Further, I think beating the teams you are supposed to beat, no matter how close, makes the statement we won't lose to inferior teams. I was also wrong about the way we would win these games. I thought, finally, given how highly rated our OL was coming in from high school, that our ground game would resemble what we saw in the bowl game against a damn fine FL front seven. I also thought it would by Derrick and Ty putting up big numbers during the season and whoever our qb was would basically be asked to complete safe, timely passes just to keep the D honest. What I saw that line do in the Citrus Bowl gives me great hope for next year though. Given the above, I was even more impressed with Jim's abilities to manufacture points with modest tweaks and understanding each week what he could expect from Jake. By season's end it looked like, in addition to an AA TE, we had an All Big QB and a more-than-impressive receiving corp. I am not going out on a limb by saying 98% of us are extremely happy with his first full campaign. There are always a few that hold ridiculous standards. There have been a number of threads related to the steps he took to ensure future success, and obviously he did well in this regard. I am just curious, and I am sure you all remember the "realistic" number of Ws you thought we would accomplish this season.

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Dr. Venture

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:09 PM ^

I guessed an 8-9 win season, with Utah, BYU, MSU, Penn State, and Ohio State being the toughest opponents they'd face this year. The fact that they played hard, and were in every game (minus the OSU game) made me happy. Watching them out play a great Florida defense gave me good vibes for the future.

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vulture

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:13 PM ^

against everybody as they just did vs. FL which would help the team win 9 games instead of the expected 8. In retrospect, if the O line did to everyone what it just did to FL then the team would be undefeated.

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Wendyk5

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:13 PM ^

I agreed with a friend who said after the Utah game, "I think this is going to be a project." I think we were both wrong. Not grossly wrong, but this isn't as much of a project as I thought it would be. 

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weasel3216

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:14 PM ^

I guessed 8-4 and a bowl win. I guessed our three losses correctly but thought we would lose another one to someone we shouldn't. I am happy I was wrong.

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reshp1

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:34 PM ^

My prediction was 8-4 and a bowl win, so off by one. I thought we'd struggle early and round into competence in all 3 phases. I think it's safe to say we exceeded the competent bar. Time to change my avatar.

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MichiganTeacher

January 2nd, 2016 at 8:22 PM ^

I predicted the same, 8-4, with a bowl win. I thought we'd lose to UT, BYU, MSU, and OSU. I still wonder what BYU would have been like if they hadn't been so injured - but I'm glad I was wrong in that case.

The thing I am especially pleased about is that we didn't lose any games where we thoroughly outclassed the competition. I hated how Carr's teams (and others before...) could be light years beyond an opponent in talent level and yet still find a way to lose. I looked at my prediction before the season and said, should I tack another L on there for the usual derp game? And then I thought, Nah, Harbaugh. So glad I was right about that. And very glad I was wrong about the overall wins total.

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GoBLUE_SemperFi

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:17 PM ^

Figuring that 9 would be 'acceptable'...maybe, but knowing that they had the talent on the roster to get to 11 (which they should have!).

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Bb011

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:18 PM ^

The over under realistically should have been set at 8. Before the season I said over with 9 wins. We exceeded that even so I'm quite happy. I did say we would go 1-1 against MSU and OSU though, and we really should have.

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RainbowSprings

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:21 PM ^

Felt stupid after we could only genrate 7 points total in the Spring Game. Was ready to lower the prediction after Rudock's 3 INTs in the Utah game. (Had no opinion as to a bowl win or loss.)

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lmgoblue1

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:21 PM ^

But I thought we would beat either OSU or Msu, lose to Utah and lose to somebody we shouldn't lose to. Close on all counts. Next year we win our division. 11-1 regular season.

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MgoBlueprint

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:25 PM ^

10-2 regular season. I thought we'd lose to sparty, beat Ohio, and lose a game we had no business losing.
I am still bitter about that sparty game. We were two plays from going 11-1 and another two plays from being 7-5.



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Michwolverinefreak

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:26 PM ^

I said 11-1 with no guess for the bowl game. I figured if Hoke could play OSU tough every year, Harbaugh would slaughter them. Loss to either Utah, BYU, or MSU, but just one of them.

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MGoblu8

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:29 PM ^

I didn't believe Jim would leave the NFL, so I guess I didn't have any credibility anyway. I picked 7-8, up to 9, including the bowl game. I couldn't see us doubling our win total I just one year, but I am super happy to say that I know absolutely nothing.

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cezical

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:29 PM ^

I didnt predict any number of wins. The only thing i predicted was a fat L for osu the last week and the big ten east title. Confident we will get there next year :)

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Chitown Kev

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:30 PM ^

That we would lose to MSU but beat OSU and have a dumb-fuck loss.

We avoided (barely) the dumb-fuck loss and finished 10-3 with a resounding bitch-slapping of Florida in the bowl game.

Exceeded my expectations.

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Wolverine76

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:38 PM ^

I guessed 7-5 with a win over either MSU or ohio.  Given the pathetic way we ended 2014 I had little hope for a Harbaugh staple, power running which is the necessary foundation for all that follows.  Once he had to go with Rudock over Morris et al, I felt 7-5 was a good call.  But after shutting out BYU and Maryland on the road I figured 8-4.  Losing to Sparty ugh, but finding a way to win in Minnesota had me still at least 8-4 but it showed grit and character cHoke teams never had. When injuries to Glasgow and Ojemudia decimated the front 7 I still felt 8-4 but much tougher to get there  and the Indiana game bore that out. To me that was really Rudock's Rubicon Moment, when he justified Harbaugh's faith.  We probably shouldn't have won that game but Rudock put the team on his back and carried us over.   Bottom line, we played through adversity in a way that no cHoke team could, so "obliterating" (ESPN's dsecription) Florida on national TV was the perfect ending to a tough but ultimately extremely satisfying season.

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PrimeChronic

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:38 PM ^

I thought 10-2 with a bowl win but honestly he surpassed my expectations given that:

A pick six and/or a deep overthrow away from beating Utah in his first ever game coaching here.

The fucking punt away from beating state.

He really only "lost" the osu game imo. I know you are what your record says, but this team is less than 30 seconds of football away from being 12-1. He set the bar in year one at double digit wins and nearly exceeded even that with a 5-7 team.

 

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Moonlight Graham

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:39 PM ^

I'm on record for 9-4. I thought if we were 8-4 going into the bowl game we'd get an easier opponent and win. Turns out that probably would have been USC or Georgia. If 9-3 going in, I figured we'd lose to the stronger SEC matchup in the Outback or Citrus. So I'm much pleased. Not bad!



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Wolfman

January 2nd, 2016 at 8:06 PM ^

and that's honestly. When you consider Brady won 5 games his last season, w/no marked improvement anywhere than the D Line, I thought JH was  automatically 3 games better. Even in our first game, a loss, you knew we were a far better team than in the recent past.

The only issues I had a problem with this year were the penalties, many due to fals snaps. That will work itself out and so I have no problem believing those that thought 9-10 wins was reasonable. 11 might have been a stretch based on nothing more than the hire, but we could have gotten there obviously.

 

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Team 101

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:47 PM ^

I thought we would win 7-8. Thought we would lose to Ohio staee and the Utes. Thought psu minny nw and byu were toss ups. I thought it would take more time and after the Utah game wondered about the qb situation. Glad it is working out.



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JTrain

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:51 PM ^

I thought 9 wins.
I thought we'd struggle early. I knew the defense would be good but didn't expect the three shutouts.
I thought we'd split with our rivals. We were one muffed punt from doing so.

We will go into east landfill next year and punish them for their pride and arrogance.



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Mevo

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:55 PM ^

Most UM fans I know felt the win total this year would be in the 7-8 range.  It's important to point out that we won only 5 games last year and we would be starting a brand new QB.  I am thrilled we ended up with 10 wins and feel the future is very bright for the program.

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Blue Durham

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:56 PM ^

and dammit, we went 10-2. We until that thing that happened. I didn't predict the bowl because in August you just don't know what type of opponent it would be. Even after Utah, I felt pretty good about the prediction because I knew the Rudock would get better as the year went along, and fairly fast. I also felt pretty good about the prediction because I just thought that the offense under Hoke was just incredibly mismanaged. That was just as apparent in the 11-2 Sugar Bowl season as it was last year. There are a lot of people here that think that recruiting is all that matters; that if you get the players, you will win. I think coaching matters every bit as much, and the contrast of the last 2 seasons makes that point.

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samdrussBLUE

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:56 PM ^

Over. I thought we would be 9-4 with a bowl win and that we would beat one of MSU/OSU. So based on that, for me, we were right at expectations this year. Not great, but good. A very solid and foundational year.



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