Reports: Jim Harbaugh to Michigan is a Done Deal

((ht: csnbayarea.com))

So, it appears the Jim Harbaugh watch may already be over.

CSN Bay Area's Dave Feldman is reporting that the San Francisco 49ers head coach will be introduced at a press conference on Tuesday as the new head football coach at Michigan.

Confirmed: Harbaugh to Michigan! Press Conference Tues in Ann Arbor
— Dave Feldman (@FeldyCSN) December 28, 2014

CSN's story is RIGHT HERE

CBSSports.com had various tweets from all saying it's done RIGHT HERE

If so, that would put an end to the biggest fish potentially on the coaching carousel.

Of course Harbaugh still coaches the 49ers, who've already been eliminated from the NFC Playoffs. And the team plays their final game of the season Sunday afternoon vs. the Arizona Cardinals.

The move would mark a return to the college game for Harbaugh who was very successful at Stanford prior to taking the 49ers job. And it would also bring home the man Michigan supporters believe will be the one to revive the one-time powerhouse program that has lagged behind arch-rival Ohio State and pretty much everyone else in the Big 10 for quite a few years.

Mind you Harbaugh has not been let go by the Niners yet, though that is expected to happen Sunday night or Monday morning. By going from the NFL back to college, the Niners would not be entitled to any compensation, something they had hoped to get if he went looking for another NFL gig.

Multiple reports say the deal is official and is for close to what was reported last week. 6 years at roughly $48 million dollars which would make Harbaugh the highest paid coach in College Football. At least until the Alabama fans have a chance to boost Nick Saban's lifetime deal.

Morning Wrap: Les Miles: "I'm Not Leaving for Michigan"

We were pretty sure that Les Miles wasn't leaving LSU to go to Michigan this time after what he went through back in 2007. And with all the success he's had at LSU.

But it didn't stop people from asking--or at least raising the question.

Miles put a stop to it all Monday evening after reports began circulating the Wolverines reached out to him about the job.

The 61-year old Miles has won 103 games in 10 seasons in Baton Rouge and at this point there's no good reason for him to leave.

Michigan has not found a coach yet and speculation is they are waiting on San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh to leave his current job. There are few "big name" coaches out there and even fewer that would take the Wolverines job, once considered a plum, now just considered a fading program trying to relive past glory.

But this story is always a good excuse to roll out one of our favorite Les quotes of all time (there are many). It took place after ESPN had reported he would take the Michigan job in 2007. Which was not true.

And because we can say that we had to scramble that morning to cover this press conference, which took place the afternoon before the SEC Championship game. We left, like many others, laughing.

Morning Wrap: Butch Jones Gets Tennessee Contract Extension

We report news of Tennessee head coach Butch Jones getting a contract extension Monday morning for one reason: To give the Michigan fans a reality check. He's not taking your job.

Jones, who led the Volunteers to their 1st bowl bid since 2010 will get $3.6 million a year through 2020. Reports say there is money for his assistants to get raises as well.

The move coincides with a report from FootballScoop.com that Michigan approached Tennessee for approval to speak with Jones. A question that he apparently politely declined.

So the Vols, a team many think have a bright future in the mediocre SEC East have their coach locked up, a ton of young talent in place and future star in QB Josh Dobbs.

That adds up to the school potentially regaining the past glory it's fan base longs for and has wanted since the demise of Phillip Fulmer.

NJIT Upsets Michigan: Yeah, We Didn't Have That One, Either

((HT: BTN))

After Yale knocked off UConn yesterday, the HQ thought that this end of the college hoops season might be one of THOSE college basketball seasons.

We might be right...

NJIT (the New Jersey Institute of Technology) has been a traditional doormat since they promoted themselves up to Division I athletics. They've been around D1 since 2006-07 and, at one point, lost 51 in a row in their transitional phase. But the losing streak doesn't count in the stacks because of the classification.

As the only independent in D1, they have to take a lot of road game paychecks- one of them is the game at Crisler Arena against Michigan this afternoon. The end result comes up as one of the early season shockers.

Josh Lewin and Stephen Bardo have the recap


When you hit almost 60-percent from the floor and you're good from three-point, this is what you get sometimes...

Good for the Highlanders...

Here's how the voice of the Highlanders Matt Provence called the end of the game.

So, How Turbo-Fired Is Brady Hoke NOW???!!!

((HT: BTN))

Minnesota got the "Little Brown Jug" back from Michigan for the first time since 2005 with a win in Ann Arbor. For the first time in the 135-year history of the program, the Wolverines have three losses before the end of September.

Brady Hoke fired Al Borges after the collapse last season and hired Doug Nussmeier- and that hasn't gone well. Michigan was 12th in the Big Ten in scoring, ninth in total offense, 12th in passing, and sixth in rushing GOING INTO SATURDAY...

The team has lost to Notre Dame, Utah, and now Minnesota.

Here's the highlights (if you're a Minnesota fan, anyway)


The larger issue that really deserves everyone's attention is the shoddy handling of QB Shane Morris' obvious concussion. Morris had to be helped off the field by a lineman, was out for a handful of plays, and then was put back in.

And he shouldn't have when Morris was already 7-for-19 and was trailing 30-7
((HT: DrewCHallett))


Here's some truncated Hoke postgame where he claims he didn't hear the boos and the demand that he be fired
((HT: WXYZ-TV))


The HQ thinks that Hoke might last a while (in the sense of weeks, not seasons), and the firing of Charlie Weis probably didn't help Hoke and his Career Dissipation Light in Ann Arbor.

Has Brady Hoke Reached Turbo-Fired Status Yet...???

((HT: Pac-12 Network))

So, just how fired is Brady Hoke right now...???

We ask because after a 26-10 loss to UTAH... yes, UTAH!!!

Rich Rodriguez is 4-0 and Michigan is not...

Here's the big story from the Big House


So, the HQ guesses you could say both the weather and Utah stopped the Wolverines.

Michigan Fan Goes Berserk On Sports Talk Radio

((HT: Lost Lettermen/The Big Lead))

This is one of the better meltdowns in sports talk radio from the northern side of the Mason-Dixon Line this side of the "Paul Finebaum Show."

Here's the set-up...

Angry Michigan fan calls Ann Arbor station and goes off...


And all that took was a minute five...???

Well done...

ICYMI: Bill Snyder Faster Than Gatorade, North Carolina Faster Than Cincinnati...

((HT: Max Olson's Vine/WRALSportsfan.com))

Kansas State seemed to have no problems with Michigan and their freshman starting QB last night in Tempe- winning 31-14...

But the moment that some kept their eyes on was with 2:25 remaining when K-State head coach Bill Snyder outran his impromptu winner's shower...


Always coaching that Snyder...

And North Carolina but 16 on the board in a hurry and made very quick work of Cincinnati in Charlotte, 39-17
Tarheels coach Larry Fedora knew that, once his quarterback situation calmed down in the last half of the season, that everything would be fine...

CFB Recap: Breaks Go Ohio State's Way: Beat Michigan and Alabama Loses

Will it be enough to get one of the less impressive undefeated teams in the country in the title?

We don't know.

But it raises a heck of an argument.

Ohio State did what was necessary, got lucky and walked away Saturday afternoon with a 42-41 win over Michigan. The win puts them at 12-0 and probably #2 in the upcoming week's BCS poll.

But will it get them to the title game?

The game, which was pretty crazy unto itself, sort of got overshadowed by Saturday evenings craziness. But it had some strange twists and a whole lot of juvenile behavior which now seems to overshadow what should be a traditional college football rivalry.

The game kicked off with a fight on the field early in the 3rd quarter. OSU starting guard Marcus Hall and kick returner Dontre Wilson were tossed along with Michigan backup linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone. Punches allegedly were thrown and Hall in a moment of total class flipped off the Michigan crowd as he was escorted from the field.



The game itself was a back-and-forth game with a bunch of lead changes. Michigan scored with just over 30 seconds to go to close to one point. Michigan coach Brady Hoke, apparently feeling greedy, decided to go for the two point conversion, which ended with Tyvis Powell picking off Devin Gardner's pass.

The loss drops a mediocre Michigan team to 7-5, 3-5 in the mediocre Big 10. Ohio State is now 12-0, 8-0 in the conference and hasn't lost a game in now 2 years.

The Buckeyes square off with Michigan State this Saturday in the conference title game. The challenge is to be convincing in that game. If Ohio State wins, and wins comfortably, they should end up in the title game vs. FSU. Squeeze one out and the arguments over whether they are more worthy than the SEC champ will begin.

Here are your game highlights from ESPN:

Ohio Tries to be Funny By Banning M's This Weekend

((ht: sbnation.com))

Apparently, well, at least acc-rding t- a res-lution passed in the state -f "HI" (ohio), every-ne living there is str-ngly enc-uraged not to use the letter "M" when speaking...-r writing this weekend.

Why?

Because it's their bizarre way -f standing behind the -nly University that any-ne in the state -f HI is supposed to -r all-wed t- care about, "HI State".

The G-vern-r of -HI- even Tweeted ab-ut the res-luti-n, taking pride and -wnership of his pr-clamati-n.

And the reas-n f-r this banning -f letters?

This week is their annual rivalry game with "Ichigan".

S-, while we respect traditi-n and understand that pe-ple often d- stupid things when it comes to f--tball rivalries, this -ne -ay be the silliest thing we've ever heard. It even t-ps "HI State cach Urban Eyer" banning media c-vering the team fr-- wearing blue shirts. -ade even m-re ridicul-us earlier this seas-n when he didn't tell any-ne he was d-ing it.

Having a little fun with THE rivalry. To*orrow, Ohio goes without a letter in the alphabet. #Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/eXzLhcS7z9
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) November 29, 2013

And the reas-n f-r this banning -f letters?

This week is their annual rivalry game with "Ichigan".


N-w, bef-re y-u say we have n- sense -f hu--r, we say t- y-u "read this st-ry....cl-sely. You'll see -ur sense of hu--r has never been better.

B1G Review: Michigan Shatters Records, NW Season Shattered...

((HT: BTN))

Kinda hidden in all the numbers yesterday was the day that Michigan QB Devin Gardner had playing pitch and catch...

584 yards of total offense with 503 of them in the air...
Jeremy Gallon caught 14 passes for 369 yards receiving...
Evidence below...


The HQ knew that Indiana could score points and rack up yards on their own, as they're now 3-4 and could handle Penn State earlier in the year, but much like a lot of other teams they can't stop anyone when it matters...

Michigan, by the way, is 6-1 after winning 63-47...

Brady Hoke was quoted as saying that all he cares about was winning the game... that is accurate these days in the current state of college football...

Elsewhere... Minnesota knocked off Northwestern, who only two (three?) weeks ago was the darling of everyone... Ohio State had issues early with Iowa before winning their 19th straight, and Illinois proved they can't stop anyone either in their 56-32 loss to Illinois...

ICYMI: Penn St Beats Michigan in 4 OT's

Four overtimes. It's the type of game that exhausts players, coaches and fans.

And after Saturday, both Sports writers and Penn State fans are calling it one of the greatest upsets ever.

We are just calling it a pretty good game.

Penn State (4-2) beat Michigan (5-1) Saturday 43-40 in 4....yes, 4 overtimes. The game ended after Michigan kicked a field goal in the top of the 4th OT, Penn State got a 2-yard TD run by Bill Belton to win it.

And the chaos ensued. The biggest win for the Nittany Lions in Bill O'Brien's 2-years at the helm. Yes, it was a very good win for an improving Penn State team over what was, but shouldn't be a ranked Michigan team. But what leaves us scratching our heads is the description of it being a huge upset.

It wasn't.

Penn State isn't as bad as the team that lost to a very good UCF squad. Michigan, hasn't been impressive, yet they were somehow undefeated. But they are Michigan, so if the record is over .500, they get ranked.

The other qualifier is this: They both play in the god awful Big 10. Yes, the Big 10. We aren't comparing the 10 to say, the MAC or Conference USA or even the AAC (the aaack). But of the power conferences, no they aren't very good.

Anyway, enough of that, your highlights from ESPN:

Michigan Almost Gets Zipped By Akron.

Terry Bowden almost, almost got his first signature win as the head coach of Akron.

Heck the Zips almost pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever in college football.

Michigan fans were having Appalachian State flashbacks.

Akron was leading Michigan 24-21 very late in the fourth quarter until Fitzgerald Toussaint scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:49 left in the game.


 The Zips were not done though. Akron quarterback Kyle Pohl drove the Zips inside the Michigan five yard line with 3 chances to win the game. On their third chance Pohl was hurried by Michigan linebacker Brennen Beyer and the pass fell incomplete.

 

And Michigan survived at the Big House 28-24.

"That's a tough one." Pohl said. That happened fast. It was a good call by Coach. We had what we wanted. If it was a half-second more, maybe I could squeeze it and make a better throw."

"This is embarrassing for the University of Michigan football team." Michigan Senior offensive lineman Taylor Lewan said.  "Yeah, we won the game. We're 3-0. That's great. It was embarrassing. It was embarrassing"

"We almost lost to Akron, no disrespect to Akron, but we almost lost after coming out and having a great win last week in front of the whole world, and we come out and almost blow it"  Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner said.

Akron almost pulled it off but calling it a moral victory won't console head coach Terry Bowden.

"It was a wonderful game to watch. I am sick for my players, for how long they played and how hard they played and how well they played, to not come away with a victory." Bowden said. " I have been fortunate in my lifetime to be a part of some big wins and that would have been the biggest. I am sorry for our players because they have worked so hard and been through so much. But I told them they had a chance to play the game of a lifetime and they tried."