Ranking all eight of Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan football teams

2. 2021

Michigan running back Hassan Haskins (25) celebrates scoring a touchdown against Ohio State during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021.
michigan happy

2021 was Jim Habraugh’s big break, and boy, did he need it. After finishing well below expectations in 2019 and 2020 — combining for an 11-8 overall record — Harbaugh was on the hot seat, and underperforming in 2021 would have likely gotten him fired. Harbaugh and his Wolverines proved that 2020 was a fluke with a massive bounce-back season.

The Wolverines started slow and looked up and down throughout the season. A loss at Michigan State was a setback that set up an even more significant comeback. Michigan saw key wins at Wisconsin and Nebraska before going on the road and taking down No. 23 Penn State, 21-17.

Michigan’s comeback win over Penn State felt like a turning point that kickstarted the new era of Michigan football. The following week, Michigan went on the road again and took down Maryland, 59-18, before returning home to host Ohio State.

‘The Game’ in 2021 was a colossal matchup: No. 5 Michigan (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) was set to host No. 2 Ohio State (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) for a bid to the Big Ten Championship game against No. 13 Iowa the following week. Despite starting his career 0-5 against the Buckeyes, Jim Habraugh finally got his signature win with a 42-27 dominant victory over OSU in Ann Arbor.

Harbaugh’s 15-point win over Ohio State in 2021 led Michigan to its first Big Ten Championship game ever; the Wolverines took down No. 13 Iowa (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) in the title game, 42-3, to earn the program’s first conference title since 2004. The Wolverines also became the Big Ten’s third team to appear in the College Football Playoff, though Michigan fell to the eventual National Champions (Georgia), 34-11.

FINAL RECORD: No. 3, 12-2 (9-1 Big Ten), won Big Ten Championship game vs. No. 13 Iowa, lost CFP semifinal vs. No. 3 Georgia.