[cardcrimson]

Right? I remember that in the moment watching that game with a bunch of Big Ten fans of various teams (the point being, none with an affinity for Stanford other than their friendship with me), and the universal opinion about Harbaugh going for two was "kind of a dick move, sure, but it's also kind of awesome that someone is putting 50 on SC--screw those guys." 

Being a bully is bad. But bullying the neighborhood bully is something different.

I didn't say bullying the bully was bad;
I didn't say running the ball later right down the throat of SC defense for the TD that exceeded 50 points was bad;
I didn't say you we should be able to take all the good of Harbs with none of the bad;
I didn't say that his "fight" and attitude was dime a dozen (to the contrary - his recipe was unique and just what Stanford needed).
I didn't say I was upset real time when watching (in fact, I chuckled in mild disbelief . . . but only mild).

All I said was that going for 2 was a dick move (it's so transparently and obviously an attempt to reach 50 point plateau . . . just because).  
And it was.
And it's part and parcel of why other coaches have no qualms about needling the guy when they can (as Saban did).

P.S.  IIRC, Harbaugh's post-game rationalizations on going for 2 were . . . awkward.  It was some BS along lines of "No, we weren't going for 50 or trying to run it up; we saw something we thought would work . . . And then later, "Of course, if we knew we were going to get another TD, then we would not have gone for 2."  Seriously, it was kooky words to that effect.  Would have been much better to just admit it:  "Yeah, i wanted to hang 50 on SC and make a statement!"  

FWIW, at a subsequent fundraising event, Harbaugh was asked specifically. His answer was that he wanted to hang 50 on those guys. . . .

[cardcrimson]

Right? I remember that in the moment watching that game with a bunch of Big Ten fans of various teams (the point being, none with an affinity for Stanford other than their friendship with me), and the universal opinion about Harbaugh going for two was "kind of a dick move, sure, but it's also kind of awesome that someone is putting 50 on SC--screw those guys." 

Being a bully is bad. But bullying the neighborhood bully is something different.

I didn't say bullying the bully was bad;
I didn't say running the ball later right down the throat of SC defense for the TD that exceeded 50 points was bad;
I didn't say you we should be able to take all the good of Harbs with none of the bad;
I didn't say that his "fight" and attitude was dime a dozen (to the contrary - his recipe was unique and just what Stanford needed).
I didn't say I was upset real time when watching (in fact, I chuckled in mild disbelief . . . but only mild).

All I said was that going for 2 was a dick move (it's so transparently and obviously an attempt to reach 50 point plateau . . . just because).  
And it was.
And it's part and parcel of why other coaches have no qualms about needling the guy when they can (as Saban did).

P.S.  IIRC, Harbaugh's post-game rationalizations on going for 2 were . . . awkward.  It was some BS along lines of "No, we weren't going for 50 or trying to run it up; we saw something we thought would work . . . And then later, "Of course, if we knew we were going to get another TD, then we would not have gone for 2."  Seriously, it was kooky words to that effect.  Would have been much better to just admit it:  "Yeah, i wanted to hang 50 on SC and make a statement!"  

FWIW, at a subsequent fundraising event, Harbaugh was asked specifically. His answer was that he wanted to hang 50 on those guys. . . .

[GoodGrief]

I think that your recollection is actually incorrect. I think in the press conference, Jim Harbaugh said quite plainly something like, “50 is a nice even number. “

And according to this write up by rule of tree, he used slightly more colorful language when explaining it to Toby Gerhart 
"I want to put 50 on these motherf***ers," Harbaugh replied.

https://www.ruleoftree.com/2014/9/4/6103...ane-7-year

[GoodGrief]

I think that your recollection is actually incorrect. I think in the press conference, Jim Harbaugh said quite plainly something like, “50 is a nice even number. “

And according to this write up by rule of tree, he used slightly more colorful language when explaining it to Toby Gerhart 
"I want to put 50 on these motherf***ers," Harbaugh replied.

https://www.ruleoftree.com/2014/9/4/6103...ane-7-year

[JohnR34231]

I think that your recollection is actually incorrect. I think in the press conference, Jim Harbaugh said quite plainly something like, “50 is a nice even number. “

And according to this write up by rule of tree, he used slightly more colorful language when explaining it to Toby Gerhart 
"I want to put 50 on these motherf***ers," Harbaugh replied.

https://www.ruleoftree.com/2014/9/4/6103...ane-7-year

I heard that too, except with a different expletive.

[JohnR34231]

I think that your recollection is actually incorrect. I think in the press conference, Jim Harbaugh said quite plainly something like, “50 is a nice even number. “

And according to this write up by rule of tree, he used slightly more colorful language when explaining it to Toby Gerhart 
"I want to put 50 on these motherf***ers," Harbaugh replied.

https://www.ruleoftree.com/2014/9/4/6103...ane-7-year

I heard that too, except with a different expletive.

[qwerty49]

LOL regardless of the exact wording, I think everyone here knows the sentiment behind Harbs' words.

He may have started fraying around the edges at the end, but he was absolutely the right guy at the right time to turn this program around, and I daresay no one here regrets that.

I don't follow Michigan at all, so I have no clue as to why he hasn't had more success there, other than maybe their expectations were sky-high.  It seems to me the recruiting there would have been relatively easy after a few years of running the admissions gauntlet here.  (Hey maybe Mike Eubanks was his secret weapon all along!)

[qwerty49]

LOL regardless of the exact wording, I think everyone here knows the sentiment behind Harbs' words.

He may have started fraying around the edges at the end, but he was absolutely the right guy at the right time to turn this program around, and I daresay no one here regrets that.

I don't follow Michigan at all, so I have no clue as to why he hasn't had more success there, other than maybe their expectations were sky-high.  It seems to me the recruiting there would have been relatively easy after a few years of running the admissions gauntlet here.  (Hey maybe Mike Eubanks was his secret weapon all along!)

[Phogge]

He hasn’t had a dynamic QB at Michigan. Patterson only OK.

[Phogge]

He hasn’t had a dynamic QB at Michigan. Patterson only OK.

[Leftcoast]

It was totally a dick move but after the remorselessly long, dry Harris/Teevens era and a lifetime of being on the wrong side of USC blowouts I bet EVERY Stanford fan watching spit up their beer and chuckled when Harbaugh went for two.  I sure did.  

We were finally out of the desert and a long-promised land beckoned.  Don't forget, for longtime Stanford fans THIS really is the land of milk and honey.

[Leftcoast]

It was totally a dick move but after the remorselessly long, dry Harris/Teevens era and a lifetime of being on the wrong side of USC blowouts I bet EVERY Stanford fan watching spit up their beer and chuckled when Harbaugh went for two.  I sure did.  

We were finally out of the desert and a long-promised land beckoned.  Don't forget, for longtime Stanford fans THIS really is the land of milk and honey.

[CowboyIndian]

He hasn’t had a dynamic QB at Michigan. Patterson only OK.

And whose fault is that?

[CowboyIndian]

He hasn’t had a dynamic QB at Michigan. Patterson only OK.

And whose fault is that?

[Phogge]

Michigan alumni who would not meet the asking price of Trevor Lawrence.

[Phogge]

Michigan alumni who would not meet the asking price of Trevor Lawrence.

[lex24]

Michigan alumni who would not meet the asking price of Trevor Lawrence.

Patterson was a 5 Star coming out of HS.  Never played up to the billing.

[lex24]

Michigan alumni who would not meet the asking price of Trevor Lawrence.

Patterson was a 5 Star coming out of HS.  Never played up to the billing.

[martyup]

Was it a dick move when we did all of that offensive line shifting in the 2011 Orange Bowl?  That was just for show IMO.  It was clearly choreographed and no apparent purpose other than entertainment.  But, I liked it.  To see it, check out this video at the 8:22 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XndGCPcS1zg

[martyup]

Was it a dick move when we did all of that offensive line shifting in the 2011 Orange Bowl?  That was just for show IMO.  It was clearly choreographed and no apparent purpose other than entertainment.  But, I liked it.  To see it, check out this video at the 8:22 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XndGCPcS1zg

[JohnR34231]

Michigan alumni who would not meet the asking price of Trevor Lawrence.

Patterson was a 5 Star coming out of HS.  Never played up to the billing.

Isn't he now the 6th most prolific passer in Michigan football history? He just passed Harbaugh according to the TV announcers.
So you would have to say he did pretty well.

[JohnR34231]

Michigan alumni who would not meet the asking price of Trevor Lawrence.

Patterson was a 5 Star coming out of HS.  Never played up to the billing.

Isn't he now the 6th most prolific passer in Michigan football history? He just passed Harbaugh according to the TV announcers.
So you would have to say he did pretty well.

[Mick]

Michigan alumni who would not meet the asking price of Trevor Lawrence.

Patterson was a 5 Star coming out of HS.  Never played up to the billing.

Isn't he now the 6th most prolific passer in Michigan football history? He just passed Harbaugh according to the TV announcers.
So you would have to say he did pretty well.

Harbaugh has gone 10-3 three times, 8-5 and this year was 9-4.  Has lost four of five bowl games.  Definitely not as good as Bo, not quite as good as Lloyd Carr, not even as good as Gary Moeller (who went 4-1 in bowl games).  But still, better than RichRod and Brady Hoke.

[Mick]

Michigan alumni who would not meet the asking price of Trevor Lawrence.

Patterson was a 5 Star coming out of HS.  Never played up to the billing.

Isn't he now the 6th most prolific passer in Michigan football history? He just passed Harbaugh according to the TV announcers.
So you would have to say he did pretty well.

Harbaugh has gone 10-3 three times, 8-5 and this year was 9-4.  Has lost four of five bowl games.  Definitely not as good as Bo, not quite as good as Lloyd Carr, not even as good as Gary Moeller (who went 4-1 in bowl games).  But still, better than RichRod and Brady Hoke.

[BostonCard]

So now we get to see what Dylan McCaffrey is capable of with Harvaugh coaching?

BC

[BostonCard]

So now we get to see what Dylan McCaffrey is capable of with Harvaugh coaching?

BC

[martyup]

Here is a cropped video of the 2010 Orange Bowl offensive line shifting performance.

https://ytcropper.com/cropped/Xn5e1212e0f14a6

[martyup]

Here is a cropped video of the 2010 Orange Bowl offensive line shifting performance.

https://ytcropper.com/cropped/Xn5e1212e0f14a6

[teejers1]

Michigan alumni who would not meet the asking price of Trevor Lawrence.

Patterson was a 5 Star coming out of HS.  Never played up to the billing.

Isn't he now the 6th most prolific passer in Michigan football history? He just passed Harbaugh according to the TV announcers.
So you would have to say he did pretty well.

Harbaugh has gone 10-3 three times, 8-5 and this year was 9-4.  Has lost four of five bowl games.  Definitely not as good as Bo, not quite as good as Lloyd Carr, not even as good as Gary Moeller (who went 4-1 in bowl games).  But still, better than RichRod and Brady Hoke.

I don't know this for a fact (haven't looked it up), but my instinct is that Harbaugh's Michigan teams have had tough bowl draws (e.g., traveling south to play a southern team . . . that's really good . . . like Alabama, Florida, etc.).  I mean, a far cry from a matchup with say . . . UNC or Pitt in El Paso (and btw, I literally had to look up who Stanford played in the last Sun Bowl because the game was so forgettable . . . and I was there!).

[teejers1]

Michigan alumni who would not meet the asking price of Trevor Lawrence.

Patterson was a 5 Star coming out of HS.  Never played up to the billing.

Isn't he now the 6th most prolific passer in Michigan football history? He just passed Harbaugh according to the TV announcers.
So you would have to say he did pretty well.

Harbaugh has gone 10-3 three times, 8-5 and this year was 9-4.  Has lost four of five bowl games.  Definitely not as good as Bo, not quite as good as Lloyd Carr, not even as good as Gary Moeller (who went 4-1 in bowl games).  But still, better than RichRod and Brady Hoke.

I don't know this for a fact (haven't looked it up), but my instinct is that Harbaugh's Michigan teams have had tough bowl draws (e.g., traveling south to play a southern team . . . that's really good . . . like Alabama, Florida, etc.).  I mean, a far cry from a matchup with say . . . UNC or Pitt in El Paso (and btw, I literally had to look up who Stanford played in the last Sun Bowl because the game was so forgettable . . . and I was there!).

[d4cohn]

Michigan alumni who would not meet the asking price of Trevor Lawrence.

Patterson was a 5 Star coming out of HS.  Never played up to the billing.

Isn't he now the 6th most prolific passer in Michigan football history? He just passed Harbaugh according to the TV announcers.
So you would have to say he did pretty well.

Harbaugh has gone 10-3 three times, 8-5 and this year was 9-4.  Has lost four of five bowl games.  Definitely not as good as Bo, not quite as good as Lloyd Carr, not even as good as Gary Moeller (who went 4-1 in bowl games).  But still, better than RichRod and Brady Hoke.

I don't know this for a fact (haven't looked it up), but my instinct is that Harbaugh's Michigan teams have had tough bowl draws (e.g., traveling south to play a southern team . . . that's really good . . . like Alabama, Florida, etc.).  I mean, a far cry from a matchup with say . . . UNC or Pitt in El Paso (and btw, I literally had to look up who Stanford played in the last Sun Bowl because the game was so forgettable . . . and I was there!).

We did also play TCU in San Antonio, which, as we saw with Utah-Texas, gives a big home-field advantage to the Big 12 school.

[d4cohn]

Michigan alumni who would not meet the asking price of Trevor Lawrence.

Patterson was a 5 Star coming out of HS.  Never played up to the billing.

Isn't he now the 6th most prolific passer in Michigan football history? He just passed Harbaugh according to the TV announcers.
So you would have to say he did pretty well.

Harbaugh has gone 10-3 three times, 8-5 and this year was 9-4.  Has lost four of five bowl games.  Definitely not as good as Bo, not quite as good as Lloyd Carr, not even as good as Gary Moeller (who went 4-1 in bowl games).  But still, better than RichRod and Brady Hoke.

I don't know this for a fact (haven't looked it up), but my instinct is that Harbaugh's Michigan teams have had tough bowl draws (e.g., traveling south to play a southern team . . . that's really good . . . like Alabama, Florida, etc.).  I mean, a far cry from a matchup with say . . . UNC or Pitt in El Paso (and btw, I literally had to look up who Stanford played in the last Sun Bowl because the game was so forgettable . . . and I was there!).

We did also play TCU in San Antonio, which, as we saw with Utah-Texas, gives a big home-field advantage to the Big 12 school.

[teejers1]

Patterson was a 5 Star coming out of HS.  Never played up to the billing.

Isn't he now the 6th most prolific passer in Michigan football history? He just passed Harbaugh according to the TV announcers.
So you would have to say he did pretty well.

Harbaugh has gone 10-3 three times, 8-5 and this year was 9-4.  Has lost four of five bowl games.  Definitely not as good as Bo, not quite as good as Lloyd Carr, not even as good as Gary Moeller (who went 4-1 in bowl games).  But still, better than RichRod and Brady Hoke.

I don't know this for a fact (haven't looked it up), but my instinct is that Harbaugh's Michigan teams have had tough bowl draws (e.g., traveling south to play a southern team . . . that's really good . . . like Alabama, Florida, etc.).  I mean, a far cry from a matchup with say . . . UNC or Pitt in El Paso (and btw, I literally had to look up who Stanford played in the last Sun Bowl because the game was so forgettable . . . and I was there!).

We did also play TCU in San Antonio, which, as we saw with Utah-Texas, gives a big home-field advantage to the Big 12 school.

Agreed.  And TCU was a good team and would have been a tough opponent in any venue (but Alamo Bowl, especially so).

[teejers1]

Patterson was a 5 Star coming out of HS.  Never played up to the billing.

Isn't he now the 6th most prolific passer in Michigan football history? He just passed Harbaugh according to the TV announcers.
So you would have to say he did pretty well.

Harbaugh has gone 10-3 three times, 8-5 and this year was 9-4.  Has lost four of five bowl games.  Definitely not as good as Bo, not quite as good as Lloyd Carr, not even as good as Gary Moeller (who went 4-1 in bowl games).  But still, better than RichRod and Brady Hoke.

I don't know this for a fact (haven't looked it up), but my instinct is that Harbaugh's Michigan teams have had tough bowl draws (e.g., traveling south to play a southern team . . . that's really good . . . like Alabama, Florida, etc.).  I mean, a far cry from a matchup with say . . . UNC or Pitt in El Paso (and btw, I literally had to look up who Stanford played in the last Sun Bowl because the game was so forgettable . . . and I was there!).

We did also play TCU in San Antonio, which, as we saw with Utah-Texas, gives a big home-field advantage to the Big 12 school.

Agreed.  And TCU was a good team and would have been a tough opponent in any venue (but Alamo Bowl, especially so).

[Phogge]

LOL, the Great Michigan Passing Tradition. Patterson never won the big one. Leach and others did but they did it with running and great defense.

[Phogge]

LOL, the Great Michigan Passing Tradition. Patterson never won the big one. Leach and others did but they did it with running and great defense.