Michigan football: is the Jim Harbaugh suspension really that bad?

Today, it was reported that long-time Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh is facing a four-game suspension following allegations of tampering with recruits from a few years back. While losing Harbaugh for a third of the new season is not good for the Maize and Blue, is it really as bad as the national media thinks?

Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh facing suspension — is it really all that bad?

Frankly, the Jim Harbaugh suspension is not that bad. Sure, it is not ideal for the Wolverines as they chase another Big Ten title and more in 2023, but it should not significantly impact the outcome of the season for Michigan football.

The Wolverines’ first four games of the season are against ECU, Bowling Green, UNLV, and Rutgers — all four of which are home games for Michigan football. The Wolverines should cover the spread easily in Harbaugh’s absence before hitting the road for their first true test of the year, a Week 5 matchup in Lincoln, NE. In fact, I would argue that the worst part of all of this for Michigan football and Jim Harbaugh is the negative publicity bound to come from the national media.

That said, Michigan football is still in good shape regardless of the Jim Harbaugh suspension. The Wolverines will be back at full strength and ready to roll by mid-season and will have their head coach at the helm for massive matchups at Michigan State, at Penn State, and against Ohio State.

This suspension largely feels like a publicity stunt by the NCAA (in my opinion) and should not be seen as an indicator of where the program truly stands right now. For Michigan football, it’s time to accept the reality that Harbaugh will likely be gone for four games and move on with the program’s bigger goals — winning the Big Ten and national titles this fall.

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