John U. Bacon evaluates the 'setback' for Michigan after accepting Jim Harbaugh suspension

Originally, the plan for Michigan was to fight the suspension head coach Jim Harbaugh was given by the Big Ten. After already missing the Penn State game, the folks in Ann Arbor wanted to find a way for Harbaugh to be on the sideline for Maryland and Ohio State. But the program announced on Thursday the suspension will stand after a settlement was reached.

While the general thought was that a win-win type of situation would come to fruition, John U. Bacon disagrees. In fact, he called Harbaugh taking the suspension a “setback” for Michigan in the process. Not because of what it could mean from a future punishment standpoint but the short-term impacts on the Wolverines.

“The NCAA investigation seems to have been accelerated,” Bacon said during Thursday’s episode of The Paul Finebaum Show. “If that’s the case, perhaps Michigan is cutting their losses and just getting the Big Ten out of the way for now. However, it’s not a small loss.

“If Michigan can beat Penn State without Jim Harbaugh, they can probably beat Maryland without Jim Harbaugh. But Ohio State is the kind of game that’s all hands on deck. It’s very difficult to imagine being at full power without your head coach. Jim Harbaugh has been in a lot of those battles. So, this is a setback for Michigan.”

It might be cliche in college football but it’s true with the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry — nothing matters more to the programs than beating each other. Every single year, Ryan Day lists out his goals for the season and No. 1 is always beating Michigan.

Both teams put a lot of effort — emotionally and physically — into beating one another. As Bacon mentions, Michigan will have to do so without their head coach on game day. He views it as a massive loss heading into the Nov. 25 showdown.

The overall 2-5 record against Ohio State is not anything Harbaugh wants to be bragging about. But winning the last two has taken Michigan to the next level, earning two Big Ten championships and appearances in the College Football Playoff. Harbaugh has been a huge part of the turnaround and why the Wolverines have won The Game.

Sherrone Moore will now get a chance as Michigan’s acting head coach against Ohio State. His career is off to a good start, with the win over Penn State. Everyone expects Maryland to be a bit of a breeze — Harbaugh or no Harbaugh.

Exactly how big of a setback the suspension winds up being will be decided just moments after the Ohio State game is decided.