Ad Disclosure
Jim Harbaugh’s best team at Michigan? Joel Klatt’s not quite sold
By Nick Schultz
Published:
All year, there’s been discussion about whether this year’s Michigan team is Jim Harbaugh’s best as head coach.
The No. 6-ranked Wolverines are 7-0 this year after beating Northwestern 33-7 Saturday afternoon. It’s the first time Michigan won its first 7 games since Harbaugh’s second season in Ann Arbor in 2016.
But is this year’s team more talented than that 2016 team, which finished 10-3 overall and 7-2 in the B1G? FOX analyst Joel Klatt isn’t so sure.
"Everybody asks me, 'Is this Jim Harbaugh's best team?' I'm not sure … The proof is in the pudding."@joelklatt recaps @UMichFootball's win over Northwestern and goes through what questions remain for the Wolverines pic.twitter.com/HRo2BXQJEd
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 23, 2021
The Wolverines have the top rushing offense in the B1G this year, to the tune of 246.5 yards per game on the ground heading into the matchup with Northwestern. They’re also the 2nd-best scoring offense in the league with 38.5 points per game, second only to rival Ohio State’s 48.5 points per contest.
To put it in perspective, the 2016 Michigan team averaged 213.3 rush yards per game and 40.3 points per game. That team lost to Ohio State in the last game of the season, though.
Would a victory over the Buckeyes this year change people’s minds? That’s another story for another time.
Nick Schultz is a columnist and breaking news writer for Saturday Tradition. A 2020 graduate of Loyola Chicago, he covered the Ramblers' 2018 Final Four run from beginning to end and has worked at NBC Sports Chicago. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickSchultz_7.