Jim Harbaugh is easy to criticize, but here’s one recent move I love

Jim Harbaugh was just minding his own business on Tuesday night when ESPN’s Joey Galloway laid into him during College Gameday on ESPN. He slammed Harbaugh for his antics, like calling Ohio State “Ohio” and referring to Michigan State as the Wolverines’ rival rather than the Buckeyes. I don’t take that stuff too seriously, but Galloway, a former Buckeye, clearly does.

Harbaugh has underachieved relative to expectations at Michigan, no doubt about it. And all it took was the realignment talk dying down for a bit for that to become a talking point with still 4 weeks until the regular season.

It’s easy to criticize Harbaugh coming off a 2-4 season, but something he did recently stood out to me as a smart move that seems to be flying under the radar: He named Cade McNamara the starting quarterback.

Yeah, it seems a little over-the-top to praise a coach for naming his starting QB, but I think it’s a wise move.

When there isn’t an incumbent starter, a lot of coaches drag out the competition during camp, or they don’t tell the media. Everyone in football likes being so secretive. Coaches don’t like to reveal anything, heaven forbid there is a chance a future opponent could gain some sort of competitive advantage. Candor is a thing of the past. “Coach-speak,” as those in the media call it, is prevalent.

But there is upside, too, and I think it far outweighs any sort of edge that Western Michigan will get before the opener.

For one, I like that McNamara is going to walk across campus as the QB1 for the next month. Let him get a feel for what it’s like to be the big man on campus, so to speak. Let him understand the pressure that comes with being the starting QB of Michigan. Remember, last year he started the season as the third-stringer behind Joe Milton and Dylan McCaffrey — and frankly, an afterthought when it came to who was Michigan’s QB of the future. He only got to start 1 game last season, and it was at the end of a COVID-riddled season in which many had already tuned out the Wolverines.

Plus, Michigan needs stability, especially at its most important position. Aidan Hutchinson said during Media Days that it’s good to have a clear leader heading into the season, saying, “I think it’s good to have a solidifying voice on the offensive side. We haven’t had that for a while. Cade is in there. He’s kind of the rock of the offense right now.” By naming McNamara the starter, Michigan avoids the uncertainty of last season, when Milton and McCaffrey battled all offseason, with McCaffrey ultimately announcing he was entering the transfer portal before the season.

Finally, McNamara has earned this opportunity and is absolutely the right choice. Reward him with the title. He was good last season in limited action in relief of Milton. The offense just clicked when he was in there, in sharp contrast to Milton. He was terrific off the bench in rescuing Michigan from an embarrassing loss to Rutgers, tossing 4 TDs and running for another in the comeback win.

If Harbaugh didn’t name McNamara after that strong finish to the season in favor of a true freshman or a transfer who wasn’t even on campus for spring ball, what message would that have sent?

Whether or not McNamara is the QB of the future is an entirely different discussion. He probably isn’t, as 5-star freshman J.J. McCarthy is lurking. But McNamara absolutely should be the QB of the present.

And it’s good that Harbaugh acknowledged that.

I found it interesting that during Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald’s session at Media Days, a reporter prefaced his question about the starting quarterback spot like this: “I know better than to ask who your starting quarterback is going to be until — I’m sure we won’t find out until the opener …”

Coaches have conditioned reporters to expect information at the last possible minute. Apparently, it’s a competitive advantage (even though everyone expects South Carolina transfer Ryan Hilinski to start) to withhold information.

And that’s what a lot of coaches generally do at Media Days. They may genuinely want to see the QB battle play out. But a lot of them know deep down what they’re going to do, and they keep it quiet. Maybe they don’t want the next opponent to know, or maybe they don’t want to upset the backups for fear of them transferring.

In contrast, Harbaugh came right out and said it: Cade McNamara is our guy. That confidence in McNamara is a great sign for Michigan.

Criticize Harbaugh when he deserves it, sure. But I loved this subtle move. Will it matter in a few months? Maybe not. But at the very least, it sets the right tone for this season.

Ryan O'Gara

Ryan O'Gara is the lead columnist for Saturday Tradition. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGara.