Jim Harbaugh returning to NFL: Here’s his history in the Ohio State vs. Michigan rivalry
Jim Harbaugh is leaving Michigan.
The former Michigan coach has been named as the next head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers after leading the Wolverines to their first national championship since 1997.
Harbaugh spent four years as a Michigan quarterback from 1983-86, and nine seasons as the Wolverines' head football coach from 2015-23.
Here's what you need to know about Harbaugh's relationship with Ohio State as he leaves for the NFL.
Michigan coaching records vs. Ohio State
Harbaugh is the fourth-straight Michigan coach to leave the program with a losing record against Ohio State.
Here's a list of Michigan coaches' records against Ohio State.
Gustave Ferbert (1897-99): 1-0
Langdon "Biff" Lea (1900): 0-1
Fielding H. Yost (1901-1923,1925-1926): 16-3-1
George Little (1924): 1-0
Elton E. Wieman (1927-28): 1-1
Harry Kipke (1929-37): 3-6
Herbert O. "Fritz" Crisler (1938-47): 7-2-1
Bennie Oosterbaan (1948-58): 5-5-1
Chalmers "Bump" Elliott (1959-1968): 3-7
Glenn "Bo" Schembechler (1969-1989): 11-9-1
Gary Moeller (1990-94): 3-1-1
Lloyd Carr (1995-2007): 6-7
Rich Rodriguez (2008-10): 0-3
Bady Hoke (2011-14): 1-3
Jim Harbaugh (2015-23): 3-5
Jim Harbaugh never lost to Ohio State as a Michigan quarterback
As Michigan's starting quarterback, Harbaugh never lost to Ohio State.
Harbaugh's first start against OSU came in 1985. He led Michigan to a 27-17 win against the Buckeyes, completing 16 of 19 pass attempts for 230 yards and three touchdowns.
In 1986, Harbaugh led Michigan to a 26-24 win in Columbus against Ohio State, completing 19 of 29 pass attempts for 261 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. He finished third in 1986 Heisman Trophy voting behind Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde and Temple running back Paul Palmer.
Jim Harbaugh guaranteed a Michigan win vs. Ohio State in 1986
Ahead of his final start against Ohio State, Harbaugh did not shy away from sharing what he thought Michigan would do to its rival without being directly asked.
After saying the 10 previous games "mean nothing to us right now" after losing to Minnesota 20-17 Nov. 15, Harbaugh called the Ohio State game as the defining point of the Michigan season. That's when he said the Wolverines would end the 1986 season with a win.
“We’re going to play in the Rose Bowl this year, I guarantee it," Harbaugh said. "We’ll beat Ohio State, we’ll be in Pasadena on January 1.”
Harbaugh explained that "nobody thinks we can win in Columbus," explaining that this Michigan team "has the type of character that they play the best when their backs are against the wall."
But then he doubled-down.
“I guarantee we’ll beat Ohio State this Saturday," Harbaugh said. "We’ll be in Pasadena on January 1. There’s no doubt in my mind about that.”
Harbaugh and Michigan secured a trip to the Rose Bowl with a 26-24 win against Ohio State and won the Big Ten.
While Harbaugh said later on he doesn't know where the confidence came from to guarantee a victory, it's a practice that has been repeated by players such as running back Karan Higdon, who guaranteed a victory in 2015 before Ohio State's 42-13 win in Ann Arbor.
Jim Harbaugh record in Ohio State vs. Michigan
Harbaugh's success against Ohio State as Michigan's football coach did not come immediately.
Harbaugh lost his first five meetings against Ohio State. In those games, OSU outscored Michigan 221-126, including multi-touchdown losses in 2015, 2018 and 2019.
After Ohio State and Michigan did not face each other in 2021, the Wolverines hit their stride against the Buckeyes.
Harbaugh led Michigan to two wins in 2021 and 2022, outscoring the Buckeyes 87-50.
Michigan continued its winning streak in 2023 with a 30-24 win Nov. 25 where Harbaugh was suspended and offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore served as acting head coach.
2015: No. 8 Ohio State 42, No. 10 Michigan 13
2016: No. 2 Ohio State 30, No. 3 Michigan 27; 2OT
2017: No. 9 Ohio State 31, Michigan 20
2018: No. 10 Ohio State 62, No. 4 Michigan 39
2019: No. 1 Ohio State 56, No. 13 Michigan 27
2021: No. 5 Michigan 42, No. 2 Ohio State 27
2022: No. 3 Michigan 45, No. 2 Ohio State 23
Jim Harbaugh and 'The Spot' in Ohio State vs. Michigan 2016
Harbaugh's first edition of "The Game" at Ohio Stadium was a memorable one.
In Ohio State's 30-27 double-overtime win against Michigan in Columbus to end the 2016 regular season, Harbaugh used his postgame press conference to express his bitter disappointment with the officiating in the loss.
On a fourth-and-1 play in the second overtime period, Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett ran the football over the left guard. The play ended in a first down that led to a 15-yard game-winning touchdown by Curtis Samuel on the very next play.
While video upheld the call on the field, Harbaugh was adamant that Barrett did not get the first down, holding up his hands twice to show how far short he thought the Ohio State quarterback was.
"It wasn't a first down," he said. "I thought there were some outrageous calls, including one that blatantly ended the game. They had a good camera angle on it, the ball doesn't make it to the line, gave them a first down."
Jim Harbaugh makes 'third base' comment seemingly targeting Ryan Day
After Michigan football's 2021 win against Ohio State — the program's first since 2011 — Harbaugh made a comment that many OSU fans saw as an attack on Ryan Day.
"Sometimes people are standing on third base, think they hit a triple, but they didn't," Harbaugh said, a comment that seemed to target Day about taking over the program from Urban Meyer.
Ahead of the 2022 season, Harbaugh was asked at Big Ten media days to explain the comment further, to which he said "I have no comment about that at this time." He later called the comment "good-hearted rivalry talk" and "kind of irrelevant."
In August 2020, it was reported that Day told his Ohio State team he wanted to "hang 100" on Michigan after an apparent disagreement with Harbaugh on a teleconference with other Big Ten coaches, something Day declined to confirm when asked.
In November 2022, Harbaugh explained the comment on the "Stoney and Jansen" radio show on Detroit radio station WXYT-FM 97.1 The Ticket, Harbaugh called his "third base" comment a "counter punch" to Day's comments, "kind of like a Sugar Ray Robinson (match)."
"The fact is, I think Ryan Day is a great coach," Harbaugh said. "I think he is a tremendous football coach. Truth be known, that's how I feel. You can see it week after week with his team. He's as good a coach as there is in football."
Why Jim Harbaugh did not coach Ohio State vs. Michigan 2023
Harbaugh was suspended for the final three games of the 2023 regular season in accordance with the Big Ten Sportsmanship policy as Michigan was continuing to be investigated for sign stealing.
Connor Stallions, a recruiting staff member, was identified as a person of interest by the NCAA as someone who violated NCAA rules by obtaining signals from other teams through in-person scouting and technology.
Harbaugh, according to the Big Ten, was never directly linked, but was punished to represent the program.
Jim Harbaugh deflects question about respect for Ryan Day
When asked directly about his respect for Day and the Ohio State coaching staff ahead of the 2023 edition of "The Game," Harbaugh, who was suspended for the game, deflected his answer.
"It's all about our preparation for Ohio," Harbaugh told reporters Monday. "The days, the minutes, the hours, everything leading up to this game, that's where our focus is: preparing ourselves and planning. We're going to practice then execute. Anything else is irrelevant when it comes to this big game week."
Day did the same a day later.
“With everything going on and all the things out there, we have kind of stayed away from all the distractions, and our guys have done a good job of it,” Day said. “When you talk to our guys about what’s gone on this season … they’re focused on this game and their preparation, and we’re going to continue with that.”
With Harbaugh suspended, Michigan still won its third straight meeting against Ohio State, beating the Buckeyes 30-24 at Michigan Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: A look at Jim Harbaugh's history in Michigan vs. Ohio State rivalry
