Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh to blame for quarterback, rivalry woes

There’s no denying the record. Not when Michigan blew a 14-point lead and lost to Ohio State's backup quarterback, 31-20, Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor.

For the last two years, Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines have been good enough to beat Ohio State. In the last two years, they haven’t.

Saturday’s loss puts the Michigan coach’s record against his rivals at 1-5. And while that number deserves some context – the fluke play that cost U-M against Michigan State two years ago; the questionable replay that hurt the Wolverines in Columbus a year ago – it deserves plenty of scrutiny, too.

Because Harbaugh was hired to win these games. Maybe not every year. But certainly more than he has.

True, he’s endured some tough luck. Especially this year, when he lost his best two quarterbacks to injury.

That left him with senior John O’Korn, who showed again Saturday that Harbaugh’s offensive designs could be lethal if he had a quarterback capable of making basic throws.

More: John O'Korn tears up after 31-20 loss to Ohio State

“He missed a few,” Harbaugh said after Saturday's loss. “Got to hit them.”

From the opening series, the opportunities were there. Credit Harbaugh for drawing them up. Blame him, though, for his failure to develop O’Korn, who showed mobility and solid arm strength but could never relax in the pocket.

If nothing else, this should end the notion that the former NFL quarterback is a kind of quarterback whisperer. That was never fair anyway. No coach hits on every quarterback he recruits.

More: Harbaugh, on if lifetime contract rumor a distraction: 'Fake news'

Hitting on enough of them is the key to winning rivalry games. So is health.

Until this combination happens, Harbaugh will continue to struggle against Michigan State and Ohio State. Though those struggles could change as soon as next year.

Harbaugh better hope so, because he will be judged by how frequently he beats the Spartans and the Buckeyes. These games are the key to the Wolverines’ season, and critical to Harbaugh’s legacy.

It had to be painful for him to watch O’Korn miss so many open receivers Saturday. And frustrating to watch him keep misreading the defense.

Because the Buckeyes were vulnerable, even before their starting quarterback, J.T. Barrett, went down with a knee injury in the third quarter. Harbaugh knew it. So did the Wolverines.

More U-M news:

Report card: Wolverines can't capitalize vs. Ohio State

Urban Meyer 'so angry' that cameraman caused J.T. Barrett's injury

Overheard after U-M's 31-20 loss to Ohio State

Which is why a few of them struggled to hold back tears during the postgame news conference.

“Most bitter pill I’ve ever had to swallow,” said defensive end Chase Winovich. “Coming here four years and not beating these guys once. Their quarterback goes down and they still find a way to win.”

Winovich paused to gather himself several times as he talked to reporters after the game. He talked about how close his team had been. How they could taste it. How it was eventually ripped away.

The loss was even tougher for O’Korn, who felt responsible, and whose voice cracked as he sat on the dais.

More: U-M DE Chase Winovich says he's undecided about return

“Sucks,” he said. “I can’t imagine a worse feeling right now.”

Few things in sports are harder to watch than an athlete with talent but an inability to unlock it. It’s important to remember this when thinking about O’Korn. For whatever reason, he could never get out of his own way.

And while it’s easy to blame his coach for that, at some point, there’s only so much a coach can do. That’s not to let Harbaugh off the hook. Just to explain why players with similar talent often end up in such different places.

When he arrived in Ann Arbor three years ago, he sized up the roster, saw how thin it was at quarterback, and convinced O’Korn and Jake Rudock to transfer. One player ended up in the NFL. The other ended up in tears, blaming himself after another agonizing loss to the Buckeyes.

O'Korn, of course, was not supposed to be the starter. Wilton Speight was. And would’ve been had he not injured his neck at Purdue in September.

Speight, you’ll recall, was supposed to be the bridge between Rudock and Brandon Peters, so when he went down, Harbaugh was reluctant to give the job to Peters. He didn't think he was ready.

He was wrong. Peters was ready, as he proved until he got hurt in Wisconsin. Harbaugh made a mistake not playing him sooner.

Watching the Wolverines’ defense fly around and disrupt Ohio State, it’s fair to wonder what kind of difference Peters might have made had he been healthy. Yes, the Buckeyes’ scored the winning touchdown with their own backup, Dwayne Haskins. But, he was the backup, not the third string quarterback, which is what O’Korn had eventually become.

If we look back at the season that started so promisingly, the health of the most important position on the field tells the story. Yes, other problems with the offense must get fixed. The line needs to get stronger. Receivers need to make more plays.

Yet on Saturday, in a game that would’ve changed the perception of where this program is headed, everything was about the player behind the center. And the players who were not.

Ultimately, that falls on Harbaugh. It’s up to him to build continuity at the position and develop whomever he slides into that spot. With O’Korn, he could not.

With his system, and with the defensive talent he continues to recruit, U-M doesn't need a Heisman-caliber quarterback to contend for a conference title and a chance at the College Football Playoff.

But teams with title aspirations have to find a way to get the ball to open receivers. U-M could not on Saturday. Until it can consistently, the record in marquee will only get worse.

Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @shawnwindsor.