Joel Klatt on Michigan winning a B1G title: 'There are no more excuses'
Joel Klatt is calling his shot now. If Michigan doesn’t beat Ohio State and win a B1G title, things are going to get ugly in Ann Arbor.
That’s not exactly a groundbreaking take. It’s actually the argument people have been making for about three seasons now. Yet, Jim Harbaugh is still comfortably the head coach at Michigan without much talk about being on the hot seat.
Harbaugh’s most important year may very well be this one, though. This is the first time in seven seasons Urban Meyer won’t be coaching Ohio State, Michigan has as much talent as anyone in the country, and Josh Gattis is calling the offense while Don Brown is controlling the defense.
It’s a pretty good situation in Ann Arbor.
And that’s what makes 2019 so interesting for Michigan. The expectations are so high and everything has set up perfectly for the Wolverines to take the title. If it doesn’t happen, will the maize and blue faithful start turning on Harbaugh?
Klatt thinks so. That’s what he told Colin Cowherd in a recent interview during The Herd.
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“I agree,” Klatt said after Cowherd said Michigan has to win the B1G this year. “And it’s actually why I’ve put them ahead of Ohio State, at least in my poll. You have to contextualize this just a little bit further, it’s not just that Urban Meyer is gone, this is the first time that we’ve seen this in college football history. A team and a program lose a guy that won 90 percent of his games at the school, and a first-round draft choice at quarterback in Dwayne Haskins, and the defensive coordinator…
“So, if Michigan does not beat Ohio State this year, there’s no more excuses…This is their best offensive line that he’s had. They’ve got the best corps of wide receivers, I think, in the conference. Shea Patterson now has an offensive coordinator in Josh Gattis that suits him more. And you still have Don Brown as your defensive coordinator. There are no excuses for Michigan. They have to win the B1G and compete for a playoff spot this year, or it’s gonna get messy in Ann Arbor.”
Below is the full clip from Klatt talking about Michigan. While the Wolverines open the season up on Saturday, it sounds like it’s really coming down to that one game in November.
“If Michigan doesn’t beat Ohio State this year, there are no more excuses… They have to win the Big Ten and compete for a playoff spot or it’s going to get ugly in Ann Arbor." — @JoelKlatt pic.twitter.com/62YM1iTyZI
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 28, 2019