Michigan football: Urban Meyer shares opinion on Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines

For the first five years of Jim Harbaugh’s tenure as head coach of the Wolverines, Urban Meyer was at the helm in Columbus. After finishing 46-42 overall under the program’s previous two head coaches, Jim Harbaugh was tasked with a full overhaul — Michigan football felt close to being “back” a number of times, but at the end of every season, Meyer and his Ohio State Buckeyes would ruin the Wolverines’ season. With the 2023 campaign looming and Meyer out of the coaching picture, the ex-Buckeye head coach had a chance to chime in on what he thinks of the Maize and Blue heading into the new season.

Urban Meyer comments on Michigan football, Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines

During an episode of ‘The Herd’ with Colin Cowherd, ex-Ohio State coach Urban Meyer spoke about a number of pressing topics. Given that Meyer is one of the most notable figures in the recent history of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, it is only fitting that Cowherd asked him to share his thoughts on Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan football program heading into the new season.

“Well, I know his teams very well, and they’re tough,” Urban Meyer said. “You know, he grew up in a tough family, played for a tough coach. And you watch, the reason they beat Ohio State the last two years is they won the line of scrimmage. That game, the history of that game, whoever wins the line of scrimmage wins. So you remember about three years ago, his job was on the line? I think they redid his contract. They were really struggling and he’s done a great job. He’s got a really good football team.

“He’s got a quarterback coming back (JJ McCarthy), one of the few teams with the returning quarterback. So when I think of a Jim Harbaugh team, I think about you better line up and run the football and stop the run because that’s coming at you.”

Since Urban Meyer stepped down as head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, his successor, Ryan Day, is 1-2 against Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football. This decade, the Wolverines are 2-0 against their hated rival, boasting back-to-back blowout wins, most recently being a 45-23 victory in Columbus last November.

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