Sharp: Now U-M's Harbaugh can be a coach, not cult idol
SALT LAKE CITY – It gets a little easier now for Michigan.
No, seriously, it does.
The climb back to respectability isn't any less steep — especially following a sloppy seven-point, season-opening loss. But the Wolverines no longer are a national obsession. There won't be a covey of television cameras chronicling Jim Harbaugh's every move, as there was when he stepped off the team bus as it arrived at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
And reporters won't be hovering around him and his wife, Sarah, as there were when they stood outside the Michigan locker room conversing nearly an hour after the game, hoping he might offer a tiny peak beneath the cloak of secrecy, a glimpse at how he interacts with players and fellow coaches. But the couple kept to themselves. Nobody intruded.
Though certainly not pleased with the outcome against Utah, Harbaugh nonetheless looked relieved it was over.
He can just be a coach now, instead of the object of a cult.
Harbaugh already knew what he had. He knew the positional limitations, particularly at quarterback and running back. He knew the questions regarding his special teams. He knew about the lack of explosive playmakers on both sides of the ball. And now that everybody else sees it as well, it perhaps alleviates some of the pressure on him from certain circles.
Sharp: Hype dissipates; now Harbaugh must get to work
In some respects, a season ended against the Utes. But one began as well.
Any delusions of grandeur — a 10-win season and a top-10 ranking — are gone, replaced by more realistic objectives as Harbaugh continues placing his fingerprints on this team.
There's no reason why the Wolverines can't aspire to become a solid, efficient team as the 2015 campaign progresses. That still might result in only seven wins, considering the overall toughness of Michigan's schedule. But that wouldn't be a disastrous outcome if there is definitive evidence come November that they've improved in basic execution, such as offensive line blocking, receivers running correct routes and running backs hitting the holes.
"There were a lot of good things to build on," Harbaugh said. "Things to grow from in a lot of areas."
His stone-jawed serenity wasn't a calculated act. There was comfort in finally knowing what he has instead of merely thinking what might be there.
He was happy with how the team competed. That might sound like faint praise. But how many times last season did Michigan crumble in the second half under the growing weight of its mistakes? How many times did the Wolverines' demeanor on the field and on the sideline hint of impending doom?
"There wasn't a time when we started saying to ourselves, 'Oh, no, here we go again,' or started doubting ourselves," defensive tackle Chris Wormley said. "We kept battling. We didn't get down on ourselves when we fell behind by 14 (in the fourth quarter). You're never happy when you lose, but we never stopped playing hard."
Sharp: Biggest hole for Harbaugh's Michigan is at QB
Perhaps that's a little step forward. But there's plenty that requires cleaning up.
According to ESPN, the Wolverines had the highest percentage of passes intercepted (.055) in relation to attempts in the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2014. Their percentage through the first game of the 2015 season was even higher (.069).
The loss was deflating because the game was not as close as the score suggested. Though some might argue that Michigan was two plays away from winning, it could also be argued that Utah was two penalties away from winning by as much as three touchdowns.
A holding flag wiped out a huge gain by Utes quarterback Travis Wilson that would have put the ball in the Michigan defensive red zone. And that personal foul late hit on Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock on third and long as he ran out of bounds kept alive a drive that resulted in a Rudock touchdown pass to tight end Jake Butt on the next play.
But how the Wolverines lost Thursday might prove the best thing for them long-term.
Contact Drew Sharp: dsharp@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @drewsharp. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/drew-sharp/. Download our new Wolverines Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!
