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Why Ohio State fans should be concerned if Jim Harbaugh is fired

By Ryan Stano

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)
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) /
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Ohio State has enjoyed complete dominance over TTUN in the best rivalry in college football. But if Jim Harbaugh gets fired, Buckeye fans should be concerned with the consequences.

Ohio State has dominated its rivalry game with TTUN for the last 20 years. In fact, they have only lost twice in that timespan. Jim Harbaugh was brought in to end the misery for Michigan. That hasn’t happened. In fact, he has only added to it.

Harbaugh was lauded as a great hire for a program that was a shadow of what it used to be. Back-to-back hires of Brady Hoke and Rich Rodriguez had produced horrendous results. Those horrendous results include their record against the Buckeyes.

Those two coaches combined to win one game against Ohio State in seven years. That is still one more win than Harbaugh has over his rival in five years. It doesn’t look like he is going to win this year either with Ohio State being the overwhelming force they are now.

Buckeye fans have enjoyed this time period with Harbaugh. He has consistently proved that he can’t win big games. This is one of the reasons why he may end up getting fired at the end of the season. Ohio State fans should be very concerned if that does happen.

Replacing Harbaugh with a competent coach would make winning the final game of the season much harder for Ohio State. Harbaugh has rebuilt Michigan to a respectable program again, but not one that can compete at the highest level as the Buckeyes do.

One good thing is head coaches who have a proven record of doing so is extremely short. Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops, and Chris Peterson are the only ones that come to mind that are currently available. Meyer wouldn’t touch that job with a ten-foot pole. Stoops is unlikely to come out of retirement, as is Peterson.

That would leave TTUN with someone like P.J. Fleck or Luke Fickell. Fickell wouldn’t do that being a lifelong Buckeye. Fleck just signed a massive deal with Minnesota. Fleck would actually be a good hire for them, and that would be concerning for Ohio State fans.

This isn’t something that fans need to worry about right now though. Even though Michigan might lose four or five games this year, Michigan loves Harbaugh. Harbaugh might only leave on his own volition, and it’s unclear when he would do so.

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Even if he does get fired or leaves, Ryan Day has Ohio State at an elite level. It would be hard for a coach to bring TTUN even close to them.

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