Former UM RB: Harbaugh On Hot Seat If He Doesn't Beat OSU
ANN ARBOR -- Jim Harbaugh will begin his third season on the Michigan sidelines tomorrow afternoon, but it's the final game of the season that has a former Wolverine talking about a potential hot seat for the highly hyped head coach.
Harbaugh came up short in his first two meetings with Ohio State, and if he isn't able to knock off the Buckeyes again this year former Michigan running back Jamie Morris says he might belong on the hot seat.
"Jim Harbaugh came in here with the expectation of beating Ohio State and he hasn't done it," Morris told 97.1 The Ticket and WWJ Newsroom 950 afternoon sports anchor Ryan Wooley. "Now he got close last year, but close doesn't cut it. He's got to beat Ohio State so that being said he needs to find a way.
"This is a year where he gets another opportunity, you get another opportunity year after year, but this is the year that Jim Harbaugh needs to climb the wall and get over it."
Michigan will host Ohio State on Nov. 25 at Michigan Stadium. The Buckeyes have dominated the rivalry in recent years with victories in 12 of the last 13 matchups, including last year's controversial overtime finish.
Harbaugh is 20-6 overall in his first two seasons as the Wolverines' head coach.
Morris, who played for Michigan from 1984-87, also mentioned the importance of starting off the season on the right foot with a victory over Florida in Saturday's season opener at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. He considered it a must-win for the Wolverines.
"A lot of things have got to happen for you to win a national championship, a lot of luck, a lot of things you planned, everything has to fall in the right place, and we won't know that for a long time to come," Morris said. "But winning this game is key because it sets the right tone for the season."
Kickoff for tomorrow's matchup is 3:30 p.m. Michigan enters the highly anticipated matchup favored by five points.