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Saturday thoughts: Jim Harbaugh and ‘the beginning,’ a peek ahead

Chris Balasby:Chris Balas•01/01/22•

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Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh
Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh led the Wolverines to the 2021 Big Ten title. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

MIAMI, Fla. — Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and his team didn’t bring their best game to Miami Friday, but would it have mattered? Georgia dominated both lines of scrimmage in a 34-11 win that could have been worse. 

As one friend texted, “it was like a great movie with a crappy ending,” and that pretty much sums it up. We’d have liked to see U-M’s best game — at the same time, and again, it probably wouldn’t have mattered. The Bulldogs were that good. 

RELATED

• Grading Michigan football in all facets of a 34-11 loss to Georgia

• Wolverine TV podcast: Instant reactions to Michigan football’s loss to Georgia

Still, head coach Jim Harbaugh exceeded expectations this year, and that’s something the fan base has been waiting to see. He won a few games as the underdog, one of them (Ohio State) substantially. His team and coaching staff won 12 games, will finish No. 3 and changed the culture. 

Senior wide receiver Ronnie Bell (who has said he’ll return and will captain next year’s squad) admitted recently last year’s team was a group that couldn’t even stand to be around each other at times. 

That all changed this year. They won like Michigan teams of old — the TEAM — and Harbaugh was the catalyst. 

“Great season,” Harbaugh told ESPN’s Marty Smith after the loss. “I’m really proud of our guys. The score was lopsided, but still, they were having fun fighting and I was right next to them. 

“But it wasn’t our night. They were the better team tonight.”

And probably would have been on every other night the two teams played (more on that in a minute). 

There’s a lot of good, young talent on this Michigan team, too, one of the reasons Harbaugh seems confident going forward. It took him a while, but he finally found the formula. 

“This is the start, as we just talked about in there [the Michigan locker room],” Harbaugh continued. “The team’s not going to be the same next year, but it’s the start. 

“In Michigan history, I believe it’s one of the best teams ever. I know it is right in there [pointing to his heart]. So … it’s a beginning. Onward.”

Some of the encouraging things we heard in the postgame on Harbaugh and more … 

(Read the rest HERE: SUNDAY THOUGHTS: THE BEGINNING AND MORE)

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