Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

Yeah, I liked having Chubb/Michel/Swift as a trio as well.  I think Zamir White is not quite there at this point, and perhaps the OL has regressed, and the passing game.

https://247sports.com/Article/Jim-Harbaugh-naming-potential-replacements-at-Michigan-Luke-Fickell-PJ-Fleck-Mario-Critsobal-Dave-Clawson-Bryan-Harsin-154457776/?fbclid=IwAR2yr6pTBlAvV-aymSXXLD5owRiTETJA3oLbtzimjqWjX6GhKAv0p4TRxaA

"Who could Michigan go after? This is the tricky part,” Thamel wrote. “As hiring a coach in the COVID-19 world is hard, just like just about anything in this world. Iowa State’s Matt Campbell would be a popular name. Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck won historically big at Western Michigan and could resuscitate Michigan’s haphazard recruiting operation. Oregon’s Mario Cristobal would be able to energize the recruiting as well.

“As would Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell, although it’s hard to think of a born-and-bred Buckeye willingly wearing maize and blue. Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson is a proven winner and would fit the school’s academic leanings. Boise State’s Bryan Harsin has won big, but he’s got no local ties.”

It seems every coach on the list, maybe aside from Cristobal, would take a step up in their job. However, Fleck is currently struggling with Minnesota at 1-2, but had a historic 2019. Campbell, as Thamel pointed out, is a popular name and a solid coach.

Fickell has Cincinnati on the doorstep of the College Football Playoff with his undefeated Bearcats and already turned down Michigan State prior to the 2020 season. Clawson and Harsin would definitely see job upgrades with the resources of Michigan in the Big Ten, should they be the replacement.

If Dooley can HC at UGA while Dye HCs at Auburn (each attended the other school), Fickell can HC at UM.  

Exactly. Very few schools would allow that stuff.

His problem is expectations.  I think UM fans expect to be "elite", and they are not recruiting at the elite level IMHO.

2018  22nd

2019  8th

2020  14th

If you want a very good program, those 247 rankings are just that, very good.  But not elite.

This is not good. Especially when you consider his first two full classes (2016/2017) were ranked 8th and 5th.  

22nd and 14th won't cut it.

Having said that- his classes ranked significantly higher than MSU or IU over those years. And neither one of those games were close at all. He got wiped out by teams with inferior talent.

No doubt losses this year have pushed this to the front burner, but I think losing to Ohio State year after year, if it happened, would have done the same thing, just at the end of next season.  Expectations.

Michigan fans and Big Donors thought JH would bring them UP in the world, significantly, to the level of Ohio State, which is ELITE, not pretty good.

No doubt losses this year have pushed this to the front burner, but I think losing to Ohio State year after year, if it happened, would have done the same thing, just at the end of next season.  Expectations.

Michigan fans and Big Donors thought JH would bring them UP in the world, significantly, to the level of Ohio State, which is ELITE, not pretty good.

cooler heads at the top understand beating a team like Ohio St., Clemson, or Bama is just unrealistic.  This keeps Jim around for another 5 -10 years if his only losses are to top 4 teams.

Fans on the other hand are not realistic and have no patience