Which was the best win of the Harbaugh era?
Since the ultimate goal is always stated as winning a National Championship, the most obvious answer would be the victory over Washington. For me, though, and I think probably for many others, it was beating OSU in 2021, which I believe made everything that followed possible. I doubt many of us were confident heading into that game, and I’m thinking the players and coaches had their doubts as well, after years of both heartbreak and humiliation in the greatest rivalry in sports. OSU had the stars, the smug, born on third base coach, and the confidence that comes from years of unbroken success. Michigan had it’s determination to face those doubts and finally get the job done or, as Harbaugh said, “die trying.” And they did. And it was glorious.
Everything about that day was perfect, including the way they did it, by running it down their throats, the snow falling as it happened, and the complete euphoria in the aftermath. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone as happy as Harbaugh was afterward, cutting short the on field interview with a delirious “we did it” before running off.
I’d rank the Alabama victory second, because it was Alabama and that created its own doubts, followed by the two other wins over OSU. The Washington win I rank only 5th. The work was done by that point. We knew Michigan was the better team. It was a great ride. I’m interested in what others think.
April 17th, 2024 at 10:38 AM ^
I'd reverse the order, but those 2 for sure. All the other big games kind of fade into the background after those.
April 17th, 2024 at 11:51 AM ^
Yeah I was debating going 2021 as the best, but man that rose bowl had everything
April 17th, 2024 at 12:25 PM ^
If i pick the best play, its Corum’s run against alabama, and then maybe Hutchinson’s play against OSU, either calling out and steamrolling the left tackle or his last sack.
For games, I pick 2021 OSU then Rose bowl.
The Rose Bowl was a literal dream come to life. Nearly the perfect movie script. Miracle come to life.
2021 OSU was like pornography. Every hand-off to Haskins in the 4th was like watching the bully in every TV show get his ass beat over and over.
I'm not Brian. I can't put in words like he can. But i still tear up thinking of that game.
Reserving my right to amend this answer in a decade to: hiring of Sherrone Moore.
So many good options. I think OSU 2023 may have been the best because (1) it put to rest the BS “you only beat us because you stole our signs” claims, (2) OSU was so adamant that they were going to shut down Michigan after incredibly (to them) losing two straight, but they couldn’t, and (3) it put us in the playoffs and on the road to the championship. Also, it left us the lasting memory of the Ryan Day penguin dance before the game.
I agree with this entirely. I think if Signgate hadn't happened, it would be a toss-up between 2021 OSU and the 2023 Rose Bowl, but because it did, it has to between 2023 Ohio State and the 2023 Rose Bowl.
The stakes in the 2023 game were incredible for a college football game and to be on the winning side...man.
The last one.
While this is all entirely subjective and there probably isn't one right answer, I'd say the best is probably 2023 OSU. Simply because of everything that was at stake. It was the last Michigan-OSU game that was truly winner-take-all. Every year following (unless they meet in the playoffs) is just for bragging rights and playoff seeding.
More than that, that game was a referendum on Harbaugh's entire program. What his legacy and the legacy of his team was going to be, what kind of man he was/is. The legacy and personal/professional reputation of every single member of that program, and those who came before them in the previous two years, were all on the line. Fair or unfair, that was the deal, and had Michigan lost, it would've stayed with them forever. They would've been remembered by everyone outside of Michigan fandom as nothing but a bunch of cheaters. It would've been a self-reinforcing echo chamber across the national landscape, people would've been writing about it for months on end, you'd hear about it on ESPN every day. All it would've been was Cheaters. Cheaters. Cheaters. And when you say something loud enough and long enough, eventually people start to believe you.
And you'd better believe Ryan Day would've used a win as a platform to vent all of his frustrations and say EVERYTHING he wanted to say about Michigan. It would've been a self-righteous, petty, condescending victory speech about how OSU is the vanguard of justice for college football, and how their victory is a victory for all that is good and true in college sports. It would've made his ND post-game look like tea time with Barney. And he'd remind people of it EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
But they won, and they shattered that narrative to everyone outside of Columbus and East Lansing. That win so exponentially important for as many reasons off the field as there were on the field.
Honorable Mentions
- 2021 OSU - Was probably the most euphoric win over OSU because they finally managed to do it. And it wasn't a fluke win. It was a dominant ass-kicking.
- 2022 OSU - Showed that 2021 was not an aberration. It was not a "blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while." It wasn't "well they were just due, had a bunch of seniors and got lucky." OSU's seemingly unbreakable psychological edge that they had for 20 years finally came crashing down.
- Rose Bowl - beat Nick Saban and the SEC in the playoff, at the Rose Bowl, while still many pundits out there saying "Yeah good for you, you beat OSU again. You can't handle the best of the SEC." Man, when you shut Paul Finebaum up, that's a good day. You couldn't have asked for a more nationally meaningful win in a better setting, and you may never have a game like that at the Rose Bowl ever again.
- National title game - I mean yes it was amazing, but it felt a little like beating Finland after beating the Soviets. But it was great from the standpoint of being able to take all the hate from the previous 2-3 months, all the criticism, and throw it right back in their faces. It was the ultimate "eff you" to everyone who had been screaming CHEATERS CHEATERS CHEATERS for three months, because there was nothing they could do it about it. They had to sit there and eat their shame sandwich with a side order of s**t.
but it felt a little like beating Finland after beating the Soviets
Classic!
This is exactly it for me as well for nearly the exact same reasons.
Ditto. This post wins.
I have argued before the the 2023 Michigan/Ohio State game was not just the one game on the line. For Ohio State they were, for themselves, making it about 2021 and 2022 again. And making Michigan put all 36 post covid wins up to that point up for grabs. Ohio State did not lose one game on that Saturday, they lost 3. And Michigan won 37.
The OSU '21 game was glorious because of the physical dominance and obvious turning of the tide. But, the NATTY game has been rewatched the most by me so far.
Alabama (all of the winning would feel hollow if we lost that one). Sucks we never beat Georgia.
Retiring Saban is one hell of a consolation prize.
Although I went with 2021 OSU as the best win, my favorite single moment was stopping Milroe on 4th down. I was surprised by the level of emotion that brought out in me.
April 17th, 2024 at 10:37 AM ^
What you call emotion, I call ejaculate.
I'd go with 2021 Ohio State since it was such a long time coming probably tied with the Rose Bowl.
I'm going to toss this out there. A weird one I realize. I think 2023 PSU was super important. Sure, Harbaugh wasn't on the sideline but winning that game at that time in that stadium with all the surrounding circumstances... They HAD to win that game or talking heads would have been questioning the legitimacy of his entire tenure. It also set the stage for a career-beginning win for their future HC.
Also HOW they won 2023 PSU. Here in PA, no one will even acknowledge that game. Completely dominated and humiliated. They just all bought new wrestling championship T-shirts to console themselves.
2021. Was there with family. I somewhat jokingly say best day of my life but it was amazing!!!
2021 OSU @ Michigan: As we walked into the stadium, I told my friends "I think they are soft and can't handle the cold."
My favorite: his victory over the vindictive Big Ten and NCAA, after being allowed to coach only 50% of the regular season and especially not against PSU and OSU, he went undefeated won the BT and the NC.
Best Win: Rose Bowl
Favorite Win: 2021 OSU
Honorable Mention: 2022 OSU, 2023 OSU
Head: 2021 OSU
Heart: 2023 OSU
April 17th, 2024 at 10:39 AM ^
I was just about to post the same. No one is saying that 2023 is the "best" win, but honestly I think it may be the most important and maybe by a long shot. Had they lost that game, the next 2 favorites don't happen for one, but most importantly, a lot of the other wins get questioned more by the sign gate folks. Do I give a shit about what other fans think? Of course not, but the narrative would have always been that UM couldn't beat them without "cheating". UM won the 2023 game without their head coach and with everyone rooting against them. I think that moves the 2023 game to the top of the list.
2021 OSU. The defining moment of my 41 years(at that time) as a season ticket holder. The 4 hour drive home in the snow through Ohio was glorious. Glorious. The memories are forever.
OSU 2021
OSU 2023
ALA 2024
WASH 2024
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OSU 2022
OSU 2016
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other games
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These top four victories each could be argued among the most important in the history of Michigan football. Incredible that we got four of these wins in three years. We just lived through a football fairy tale
I’m going to set aside the National Championship and the obvious Ohio State game rankings (2021, 2022, 2023 in that order).
So I have a dark horse candidate: 2015 Florida
Utter domination capping off a pretty confidence inspiring season. Made a team full of NFL talent quit. Jehu Chesson burning NFL corners. Harbaugh kept the foot on the gas the whole game (maybe for the last time in his Michigan career???)
Second choice: 2019 Notre Dame
Wiping the floor with the Irish will never be a bad thing
I’ll toss out a dark horse candidate in 2021 PSU. That game felt like a turning point in the Harbaugh era somehow. If we end up losing that one, does the team have what it takes to bum rush OSU and start this magical run? Cade and All saved that season in my opinion there in Happy Valley which set the stage for OSU and beyond.
Rose Bowl. The emotions felt during overtime and leading up to the final stop were indescribable. Beating OSU was getting over the hump. Winning a playoff game proved Michigan was ready for something greater
2021 OSU, 2023 PSU-circumstances/gravity, 2024 Alabama reinforced non cheating narrative and shut up the entire SEC.
Well I have no choice, I'll now have watch highlights of the 21-23' mich vs ohio state games, Rose Bowl, national championship, 23' penn state, 21' Wisconsin and 21' Iowa for the 1003rd time
for the 1003rd time
LOL at the number of times.
THIS TOPIC WILL NEVER GET OLD
lol just thinking about these series of games gives me/us so much joy.
I'm quite certain that in two decades I'll still be watching some of these games still. And easily the game that will be the most rewatches will be OSU 2021. By far. It was as perfect of a game as could be scripted. It will/has replaced OSU 1969 as the most defining game in Michigan football history
Wanna watch right now????????
FULL GAME: MICHIGAN vs OSU 2021
The 2021 OSU game is the obvious answer. Some that were kind of forgotten are 2016, 2018 and 2022 wins against Penn St. Those were absolute ass kickings in all facets of the game.
It's either the 2021 OSU game or the Alabama Rose Bowl. Those were the 2 that were program changers to me.
Been watching since 1972 my son had a feeling about the 2021 game and we flew from California . It was his first time at the Big House the fans willed that team to win, the performance by Haskins and Hutchison. That was a great OSU team beaten beaten beaten. The 2022 game, and the two payoff games may round out the too 4 for me
1 - 2021 OSU by far. It was essentially the beginning of the dominant three year run that showed that Harbaugh still was a great coach. It was a catalyst, IMO, for the three year run that showed Michigan fans there was hope for UM to reach the top of CFB.
2 - 2022 OSU. It showed that 2021 wasn’t the fluke win as buckeye fans believed it was.
3 - 2024 Rose Bowl vs Alabama. One of the other knocks on Harbaugh was that he couldn’t win a bowl game(or cfp semifinal, or against top SEC teams), and this win showed that he could. IMO, it was a closer win than it should have been but Michigan was also feeling the high pressure stakes of that game and played flat through a big stretch of it.
April 17th, 2024 at 11:40 AM ^
In person you could see we were better than Alabama especially defense.
If it hadn't been for some uncharacteristic special teams miscues, the game wouldn't have been as close as it was. We were the better team.
Best Win: The championship game.
Most Satisfying Win: 2022 OSU. OSU was fully loaded. Weather was perfect. They were at home. They still lost by 20+.
Most Meaningful Win: 2021 OSU. I don't know if I ever cried after a game, but I sure did that evening.
Obvious ones are obvious, so I'll just toss another into the hat: 2023 MSU.
That one was about more than sports. The last meeting ended with violent crimes the media bent over backwards to "both sides" and. . . FFS was Tucker ever suspended at all for it? I was sickened by the corruption. Since the NCAA was going to do nothing about MSU, and the B1G was going to do nothing about MSU, and the media was coddling them with everything they could muster, and the legal system negotiated punishment down to almost nothing, it was up to Michigan to teach them a lesson the only way they could. I didn't want just a win; I wanted humiliations galore. If they care about beating Michigan so much that they'll resort to becoming a mob, make them eat the fucking football.
So they did. Michigan went to East Lansing and started scoring. And scoring. And scoring. 21-0, 28-0, 35-0. And they put in Ja'Den McBurrows and German Green, and the last play was Green with a TFL. By the end of the game, MSU had put up more Hitlers than points. Michigan 49, Fuck-around-and-find-outs zero. And then Sainristil wouldn't let the camera cut away and pulled McBurrows in front of it.
And they were still both-sidesing, but it didn't matter anymore. MSU had been reduced to a brittle, trampled, shattered husk.
It's a tossup for me between 2021 and 2023 OSU, but I think 2023 gets the edge. 2021 is so memorable/ euphoric for me , just something about the environment and it having been so long. But 2023 was maybe the "biggest" and the one I was more invested in than any in my lifetime - if Michigan loses that game the cheater narrative would continue into eternity and, while bullshit, would de-legitimize the prior 2 years in the the eyes of some (people may still claim this, but nobody outside of Columbus or EL will take seriously). That game felt like complete vindication, and like 3 years of losses for OSU all over again at the same time.
I love these kinds of questions because there's really no wrong answer.
For me it's a tossup between The Game 2021 and the 2024 Rose Bowl win over 'Bama. The former was a program-changing win on the level of The Game 1969. Without that 2021 win, none of the big wins that came afterwards happen. On the other hand, the latter was the de facto national championship game. That win over 'Bama proved that we can beat the best of the best on the biggest stage possible and got us over a hump that had been a persistent problem for decades.
I would give the edge to the 'Bama win, but only because I was there and I'm biased. But like I said, there's no wrong answer. 😀
The TRO hearing before the Penn St game. Oh, wait.
I agree with the OP
The joy in going from OSU's bitch to OSU's dominator was greater than the joy in going from a perceived Top 5 team expected to lose to Bama to the National Champion.
Not that there's anything wrong with the latter.
April 17th, 2024 at 10:15 AM ^
OSU in 21 should be my top, but the Washington game was so glorious. I watched it with my daughter and wife. I think I'll always cherish that game because I got to watch a national championship with my kid. And all the good feelings of 3 osu victories in a row were fresh in my blood watching that game. The Rose Bowl was an awesome ending, but very stressful during. But the Washington game felt amazing throughout.
April 17th, 2024 at 10:15 AM ^
Harbaugh got us a lot of good wins.
Now I'm a little upset about the "let's throw him under the bus" thread the other day. Someone who did this much for the program doesn't deserve that treatment, just because it's politically expedient.
Jim Harbaugh will forever go down as one of the greatest Wolverines ever. Nothing can tarnish his legacy. Fifty years from now, no one will remember Cheeseburgergate, or whatever bullshit we had to tell the dying and discredited NCAA to get them to shut the fuck up, or the annoyed tweets of Tom Mars. But everyone will remember what Harbaugh accomplished at Michigan.