Jim Harbaugh's 10 greatest wins with Michigan football as a player and coach

From his tenure as a decorated quarterback in the 1980s to present day as the Michigan football head coach, Jim Harbaugh has been front and center during some of the Wolverines’ most significant victories.

Rivalry battles, Big Ten conference clashes, postseason bowl games — there have been dozens of important victories experienced by Harbaugh over his 12 seasons combined as a player and coach at Michigan. Many have come in the past few seasons as the Wolverines have reclaimed the title of Big Ten champions.

We examine the ones that were the most meaningful up through the 2022 season, ranked in descending order from 10 to 1:

10. Oct. 26, 2019: Michigan 45, Notre Dame 14

No one knew what to expect from the Wolverines after their conference title hopes were dashed the week before in a loss at Penn State. The bitter denouement in that game was a buzzkill. Then the skies opened on a wet, windy and dreary evening in Ann Arbor, further dampening the mood around town. But Michigan battened down the hatches and then bulldozed the Fighting Irish, rushing for 303 yards during an evening when quarterback Shea Patterson attempted only 12 passes. The victory was a testament to the Wolverines’ grit and mental fortitude, two traits Harbaugh has imbued in his program.

9. Oct. 13, 2018: Michigan 38, Wisconsin 13

It was the victory that spawned the promotion of Michigan’s so-called revenge tour, and it lent legitimacy to a team aiming to emerge from the dark shadows of a five-loss season in 2017. Wisconsin entered Ann Arbor with an impressive streak, having 17 consecutive Big Ten regular-season games. But the Wolverines thwarted the Badgers at every turn, scoring 31 straight points during one stretch. The victory marked the first against a ranked opponent since 2016 and set up a collision course with Ohio State for the Big Ten East crown.

8. Jan. 1, 2016: Michigan 41, Florida 7

The only postseason victory of Harbaugh’s coaching tenure affirmed the Wolverines had regained their footing following their slippage during the dreadful Brady Hoke-Rich Rodriguez interregnum. The rout of the Gators in the Citrus Bowl also ratcheted up the expectations for Michigan in the coming seasons after Harbaugh’s squad accumulated 503 yards of total offense against a quality SEC opponent with 10 wins that season. If Harbaugh could finish off his first season like that, what else was in store?

7. Jan. 1, 1986: Michigan 27, Nebraska 23

Although Harbaugh doesn’t deserve much credit for beating the Cornhuskers, his fingerprints were still on a victory that earned Michigan the highest final ranking (No. 2) of the Bo Schembechler era. Harbaugh completed only six pass attempts for 63 yards, but his two rushing touchdowns contributed to a 24-point outburst in the third quarter. Despite his meager stats, Harbaugh ended the season as the second-most efficient passer in the country after leading the Wolverines to a 10-1-1 record.

6. Sept. 8, 1984: Michigan 22, Miami (Fla.) 14

Harbaugh’s debut as the Wolverines’ starting quarterback resulted in a victory over the reigning national champions, who were ranked No. 1 and led by new coach Jimmy Johnson. Once again, Harbaugh played a supporting role, completing 11 of 21 pass attempts for 163 yards and two interceptions. But he was far better than his counterpart Bernie Kosar, who was picked off six times. The win didn’t amount to much, however. Michigan stumbled the rest of the season, sputtering to a 6-6 record after Harbaugh broke his arm in an October loss to Michigan State.

5. Oct. 2, 2021: Michigan 38, Wisconsin 17

The game may have been a turning point for Harbaugh’s program. It certainly restored the confidence in a team still dogged by the doubt that surfaced during its 2020 downturn. Before Michigan stormed into Madison and blasted the Badgers, many were skeptical of the Wolverines’ chances. They hadn’t won in Camp Randall since 2001. They had also never triumphed under Harbaugh as betting underdogs, which they were in this game. But Michigan defied expectations, seizing control in the second half during a 25-point surge that set the stage for its season-long comeback story.

4. Dec. 4, 2021: Michigan 42, Iowa 3

Not long before this dominating performance, many of Michigan’s greatest detractors poked fun at the Wolverines and joked they needed a GPS to find Indianapolis. The site of the Big Ten title game, after all, had been unreachable during Harbaugh’s first six seasons as coach. But once he got there, he made sure he would leave a champion. The Wolverines hit the overmatched Hawkeyes with one haymaker after another during a relentless pummeling that ended with its first conference championship since 2004. The win over Iowa also guaranteed Michigan’s debut in the College Football Playoff and positioned Harbaugh to be named AP Coach of the Year.

3. Nov. 22, 1986: Michigan 26, Ohio State 24

Harbaugh upped the ante in the heated rivalry when he made an audacious declaration prior to “The Game.” "I guarantee you we'll beat Ohio State and be in Pasadena,” he said. The fighting words were delivered after Michigan had suffered a shocking defeat to Minnesota. Some wondered if they would give the Buckeyes extra motivation to hand the Wolverines a second straight loss. But Schembechler was unfazed by Harbaugh’s bold comment, downplaying its impact before the game. The quarterback then went out and delivered on his promise: Harbaugh completed 19 of 29 passes for 261 yards and Michigan prevailed 26-24 in Columbus, sending Michigan to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl just as Harbaugh predicted.

2. Nov. 26, 2022: Michigan 45, Ohio State 23

After Michigan snapped its eight-game losing streak to Ohio State the year before in Ann Arbor, the prevailing assumption was the Buckeyes would exact their revenge in Columbus. The Wolverines, after all, hadn’t won there since 2000 and their odds of stealing a victory in the Horseshoe had been reduced further following the knee injury that knocked star running back Blake Corum out of the previous game. But after falling behind by three points at halftime, Michigan unleashed an all-out assault on Ohio State. The Wolverines outscored the Buckeyes, 28-3, in the final two quarters, stunning the red-clad crowd and giving Harbaugh one of his most satisfying victories in his coaching career.

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1. Nov. 27, 2021: Michigan 42, Ohio State 27

Harbaugh’s tenure at Michigan, up until this snowy day, was marked by two questions: Will he ever beat Ohio State? More to the point, can he? The Buckeyes had been a thorn in Harbaugh’s side ever since he returned to Ann Arbor in 2015 to coach the Wolverines, losing all five games to his rivals. Had the 2020 matchup been played, it seemed certain Michigan would have suffered another embarrassing result against its nemesis and potentially jeopardized Harbaugh’s future at his alma mater. This was the context that preceded the most jubilant day of the Harbaugh era, when Michigan exorcised demons and stampeded past the hated Buckeyes. Hassan Haskins scored five rushing touchdowns and Aidan Hutchinson contributed three sacks as the Wolverines splintered Ohio State and kicked off a celebration for the ages. Fans spilled onto the snow-specked field to congratulate the victors. In the thick of the bacchanal was Harbaugh, who was now seen as a conquering hero.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jim Harbaugh's greatest wins with Michigan football