Nearly nine years have passed since Jim Harbaugh became the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines football team. While his first six seasons saw him fall short of securing a top-five spot, his recent years have been more successful.
Saturday night’s Fiesta Bowl presented a critical opportunity for Harbaugh and his team to secure a spot in the National Championship game. Unfortunately, once again, they were unable to rise to the occasion on the national stage.
Entering the game as heavy favorites against Texas Christian University, the Wolverines were unable to capitalize on their advantage due to costly mistakes in the first half. Their offensive struggles in the red zone were particularly damaging early on.
The issues didn’t stop at poor red-zone performance. Michigan’s quarterback, J. J. McCarthy, threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns by TCU. The first occurred early in the first quarter, putting TCU ahead 7-0. The second, late in the third quarter, extended TCU’s lead to 34-16.
While these interceptions proved to be costly, they were not the sole reason for the Wolverines’ loss. A fumble at the half-yard line, with Michigan trailing by 11, handed TCU another devastating turnover.
Additionally, Harbaugh’s decision to attempt a trick play on a fourth down early in the game raised questions. All these mistakes on offense contributed to Michigan’s six-point loss, leaving TCU victorious in the Fiesta Bowl.
Now, Harbaugh must wait yet another year to attempt to bring a National Championship title back to Michigan.
