ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - NOVEMBER 30: Head Coach Ryan Day (R) of the Ohio State Buckeyes shakes hands with Head Coach Jim Harbaugh (L) of the Michigan Wolverines after a college football game at Michigan Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Ann Arbor, MI. The Ohio State Buckeyes won the game 56-27 over the Michigan Wolverines. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)As Michigan reportedly nears a contract extension with controversial head coach Jim Harbaugh, one opponent might be happier than the Wolverines themselves.
That would be the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Apparently, the Ohio State Football Twitter account liked a Bleacher Report tweet that said Harbaugh was close to finalizing a five-year, $4 million deal to stay at Michigan. Bleacher Report mentioned that the Buckeyes account interacted with their post.
Then, Ohio State had the last laugh.
https://t.co/Sj5qia6bT8 pic.twitter.com/ryLKhJmYdx
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) January 8, 2021
The Trey Sermon meme lives on.
It comes as no surprise for Ohio State to react like this. The Buckeyes have had Harbaugh’s number since he arrived in Ann Arbor in 2015. Against Urban Meyer, in his first rivalry game with the Wolverines, Harbaugh’s team got demolished 42-13.
Michigan bounced back slightly in 2016, taking the Buckeyes to two overtimes on their way to a 30-27 loss. Since then, it hasn’t been particularly close.
Still, the Wolverines seem to think that Harbaugh can turn things around. Although his new deal would be a massive pay-cut, he’ll get the chance for revenge against Ohio State and ideally to compete for a Big Ten Championship. The Wolverines haven’t had a share of the conference title since 2004, when they split with Iowa.
First, Harbaugh will have to bounce back from a dismal 2020. Michigan went 2-4 in the shortened season, but lost some of their worst games of the Harbaugh-era. Most notably, the Wolverines fell to in-state rival Michigan State, causing many faithful fans to call for Harbaugh’s job.
But it looks like 57-year-old will be back in 2021. Maybe then, he can lead Michigan from the depths of the Big Ten to a rivalry win over Ohio State.
