Big Ten Football

The No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers crushed the unranked Michigan Wolverines 49-11 in a road matchup at Ann Arbor's Michigan Stadium on Saturday.

Nakia Watson and Mason Stokke each scored a pair of touchdowns in the first 20 minutes for Wisconsin, who out-gained Michigan 189-5 during that time span. Watson's 10-yard touchdown run put Wisconsin up 27-0 with 10:07 remaining in the second quarter.

The Badgers are dominating the Wolverines ♨️ pic.twitter.com/fUi4Wwwsbq

— ESPN (@espn) November 15, 2020

The Badgers intercepted Michigan starting quarterback Joe Milton twice to set up both of Stokke's touchdowns en route to a 28-0 halftime lead. They scored three more touchdowns in the second half.

Wisconsin had not played since Oct. 23, when the Badgers beat Illinois 45-7 to open their season. Five days later, Wisconsin paused all football team activities because of an elevated number of COVID-19 cases within the program. An Oct. 31 matchup with Nebraska and a Nov. 7 game against Purdue were canceled.

The Badgers are now 2-0 with four games remaining. The 1-3 Wolverines have lost three straight.

                  

Notable Performances

Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz: 12-of-22, 127 passing yards, 2 TD

Wisconsin RB Nakia Watson: 12 carries, 65 rushing yards, 2 TD

Wisconsin FB Mason Stokke: 4 carries, 11 rushing yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, 1 receiving yard, 1 TD

Michigan QB Cade McNamara: 4-of-7, 74 passing yards, 1 TD

Michigan WR Mike Sainristil: 1 catch, 23 receiving yards, 1 TD

          

Wisconsin Defense Doesn't Give Michigan a Chance

The Badgers defense didn't allow a point in its season-opening win over Illinois, with the Fighting Illini's only touchdown occurring off a fumble return.

Although Wisconsin hadn't played for three weeks, there were no signs of rust Saturday as the defense dominated once again.

Wisconsin safety Scott Nelson got it going with by picking off Milton on Michigan's first play from scrimmage:

The Badger defense is on their toes 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/Zzc0SlU73c

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 15, 2020

After Wisconsin scored a touchdown, Michigan found itself in more trouble on a 3rd-and-16. Milton then threw directly to Badger linebacker Leo Chenal, and he set up Wisconsin on Michigan's 14-yard line for another score.

The @BadgerFootball defense has been on the field twice.

It has two interceptions.@chenal_leo does the honors here. pic.twitter.com/qb7RVOjkU0

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 15, 2020

A Michigan three-and-out then led to another Wisconsin touchdown, and that sequence repeated itself once more. After all that, Wisconsin was up 28-0, and the game was all but over.

Wisconsin's suffocating first-quarter defense produced half of this eye-popping statistic:

Total yards after one quarter:

Wisconsin 129, Michigan 1#OnWisconsin » #Badgers pic.twitter.com/YmDDrorQ0a

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 15, 2020

The Wolverines couldn't even catch a break late in the second quarter after they finally got in a rhythm and mounted a 74-yard drive all the way to the one-yard line.

They initially appeared to score a touchdown before a review put the ball back at the Wisconsin one-yard line. The Badgers then stonewalled Milton's sneak attempt:

Michigan had its TD overturned.

It went for it on 4th-and-goal.@iloudermilk111 and the @BadgerFootball D weren't having it, 😤 pic.twitter.com/FwgKGbaKhP

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 15, 2020

Granted, Wisconsin has crushed two teams who are a combined 2-6, but this Badgers defense looks like it can hang with anyone right now. A much stiffer test awaits on Saturday when they visit undefeated Northwestern.

          

Murphy's Law for Michigan in Disastrous Home Outing

There's no other way to say it: Michigan's first-half performance was historically bad, as ESPN Stats & Info noted with a pair of bewildering stats for a blue-blood program:

Michigan's defense has 0 sacks and has forced 0 turnovers in their last 5 halves of football. They're the first Big Ten team over the last 15 seasons to not record a sack or a takeaway in 5 consecutive halves.

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 15, 2020

It didn't get much better in the second half either.

Michigan suffered its largest home loss since Nov. 23, 1935, a 38-0 loss to Ohio State.

They fall to 1-3 this season, its worst 4-game start to a season since 1967. The only season in school history with a worse 4-game start was 1928. pic.twitter.com/vabyq9pAht

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 15, 2020

The Wolverines were the No. 13 team in the Associated Press poll after a season-opening win over Minnesota. They are now in contention to finish last in the Big Ten for the first time since 1962.

Michigan had a few notable edges over Wisconsin going into this game even if it was considered an underdog. For starters, the Wolverines were home. In addition, the Badgers hadn't played in three weeks, and part of that time period included a pause on team activities due to a COVID-19 spike within the program.

Stewart Mandel of The Athletic noted Wisconsin's obstacles heading in, and they ultimately did not matter:

Wisconsin hasn’t played in three weeks, didn’t practice for 11 days and still looks sharper than Michigan.

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) November 15, 2020

The Wolverines haven't finished higher than fifth in the Associated Press poll since winning the national championship in 1997, but this proud program has still registered winning seasons in all but three years this century.

Losing season No. 4 appears imminent, however, and this team appears in danger of seeing this year slide into even deeper trouble by the end with games against a high-powered Maryland offense and a national powerhouse in Ohio State closing the year.

ESPN color commentator Kirk Herbstreit was in disbelief:    

'I can't believe this is the Big House and that this is Michigan Football we're watching' - Herbie

— Steve Lorenz (@TremendousUM) November 15, 2020

And Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News put it bluntly:

What a miserable performance by Michigan. Wisconsin up 28-0 at half. Obviously, Badgers are very good. But Michigan coaches should be ashamed of themselves, starting with Harbaugh and Don Brown. Players look mentally weak, defeated, but coaches providing nothing.

— Bob Wojnowski (@bobwojnowski) November 15, 2020

Questions will certainly arise about the future of head coach Jim Harbaugh, whose seven-year, $52.1 million contract runs through 2021.

To Harbaugh's credit, his teams have flirted with national championship contention in the past, and he's led them to three 10-win seasons.

However, Michigan has also lost four straight bowl games, and the bottom appears to have completely fallen out in Ann Arbor, with the exclamation point occurring Saturday.

         

What's Next?

Both teams have road games Saturday. Wisconsin will visit Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois, and Michigan will head to Piscataway, New Jersey, to take on Rutgers.

A miserable season for Penn State continued Saturday with a 30-23 loss to Nebraska, and head coach James Franklin didn't hold back in his assessment of the team.

"All of us in every single area can be better," the coach told reporters after the game.

The latest loss dropped the team to 0-4 on the season after entering the year with high expectations.

The Nittany Lions went 11-2 last season and entered Week 1 of 2020 ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press poll.

After an overtime loss to Indiana, Penn State suffered losses to Ohio State and Maryland before another close loss to Nebraska on Saturday. Down seven in the fourth quarter, the team got into the red zone twice but failed to score the potential game-tying touchdown.

It's led to a historically bad start for the squad:

Penn State (7th in the preseason AP poll) is the 4th team to start 0-4 after being ranked in the top-10 of the preseason AP poll and the first since the 1984 Pitt team.

The Nittany Lions have lost their first 4 games of a season for just the 2nd time in school history. pic.twitter.com/L1h8IEO7Hl

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 14, 2020

The defense has been a problem while allowing at least 30 points in every game, while quarterback Sean Clifford has struggled with turnovers throughout the year. The play-calling has also come under fire based on the offense's inability to finish off drives.

It's clear there is a lot of room for improvement if the team wants to earn its first win of the season next week against Iowa, a team that is coming off back-to-back blowout wins over Michigan State and Minnesota.

With the Penn State Nittany Lions trailing the Nebraska Cornhuskers 24-3 in the second quarter of a battle between winless teams Saturday, Penn State head coach James Franklin benched junior quarterback Sean Clifford in favor of sophomore Will Levis.

Franklin made the move after Clifford fumbled while getting sacked by Deontai Williams, who recovered the ball and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown.

🚨 SCOOP AND SCORE 🚨

@HuskerFBNation comes up with ANOTHER big defensive play to extend their first half lead pic.twitter.com/bDuhhQclf3

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 14, 2020

Penn State began the season ranked No. 8 in the country, but it is off to a hugely disappointing 0-3 start after losses to Indiana, Ohio State and Maryland.

Prior to getting pulled Saturday, Clifford was just 5-of-8 passing for 37 yards with no touchdowns and one interception against a Huskers team that entered the game 0-2 after losses to Ohio State and Northwestern.

Clifford was PSU's starter last season when it went 11-2 and won the Cotton Bowl. He largely played well, completing 59.2 percent of his passes for 2,654 yards, 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions and rushing for 402 yards and five scores.

Expectations were high for Clifford and the Nittany Lions entering 2020, but they clearly have not lived up to their billing.

In three games before getting removed Saturday, Clifford was completing 56.6 percent of his attempts for 859 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions, as well as 150 yards rushing and one touchdown on the ground.

While the counting stats weren't bad at all for Clifford, he made far too many mistakes with five picks in three games and carried that over to Saturday's clash with Nebraska, as he threw an interception and lost a fumble.

Levis saw some action last season, going 28-of-47 for 223 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also showcased his athleticism with 213 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.

Switching from Clifford to Levis did seem to pay immediate dividends for the Nittany Lions, as Levis' first drive lasted 13 plays, spanned 52 yards and ended with a field goal.

Penn State running back Journey Brown is retiring from football after being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick.

Brown announced the news in a statement on Twitter Wednesday:

I didn’t even expect to make it this far but it’s about Journey, not the destination. #HLM #SIAM pic.twitter.com/nbQrIsjXzY

— Journey Brown (@JourneyBrown6) November 11, 2020

Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin told reporters the condition was discovered during COVID-19 testing but is not related to the virus.  

"Although it is not COVID-related we learned about this in early September. ... The entire organization has rallied behind Journey and his family," Franklin said.

Brown has not played during the 2020 season, but no clues were given on his status, aside from it being illness-related. The junior was coming off a strong 2019 campaign, rushing for 890 yards and 12 touchdowns, and he was expected to start at running back for the Nittany Lions. The final game of his career was a 202-yard, two-touchdown breakout performance against Memphis in the Cotton Bowl.

Devyn Ford has started at running back for a disappointing Penn State team, which enters the weekend 0-3 on the season.

Saturday's football game between the third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and Maryland Terrapins has been canceled. 

In a statement from Maryland athletic director Damon Evans, all of his team's activities have been suspended for the time being "due to an elevated number of COVID-19 cases" within the program: 

"There is nothing more important than the health and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and staff. We realize that this news is disappointing to all of the Maryland fans out there who were looking forward to the Terps taking on an outstanding Ohio State team, but the responsible thing for us to do is pause football activities, given the number of positive cases currently in our program."

Head coach Michael Locksley said:

"We're obviously extremely disappointed that we'll be unable to host Ohio State this Saturday. It was an opportunity that our team was preparing for and excited about. However, we have and always will keep our players, coaches and staffs safety at the forefront of our decision making process. We'll continue to operate as much as we can virtually as we monitor the situation in hopes of returning to play when it's deemed safe."

Since the Big Ten structured its regular season to run through Dec. 12 with no built-in off weeks before the conference title game on Dec. 19, the game won't be rescheduled. 

Teams that don't reach the Big Ten Championship Game will play in a consolation game on Dec. 19. Seeding will be determined based on the order of finish during the regular season. 

Ohio State (3-0) is ranked third in the Associated Press Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll. Maryland (2-1) has won back-to-back games after a 43-3 loss to Northwestern on Oct. 24.

Long before we realized the 2020 college football season would look markedly different, Ohio State stood alongside Alabama and Clemson as the premier national title contenders.

As the COVID-19 pandemic altered the schedule, however, Ryan Day's team shifted from a co-favorite to a non-participant to a heavily delayed challenger. But after three impressive wins, the Buckeyes are living up to those lofty preseason expectations.

Justin Fields and this offense are the biggest reason why.

Given that he's a former 5-star recruit and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting last season, Fields' excellent performance is no surprise. And while the competition level so far must be considered, he's also leaving no doubt.

Fields accounted for 330 yards and three touchdowns in the season-opening win over Nebraska. He threw for 318 yards and four scores at Penn State and then obliterated Rutgers with 314 passing yards and six total touchdowns. Fields has completed 72 of his 83 attempts—a ridiculous 86.7 percent—at 10.9 yards per throw.

Overall, he's accounted for 13 scores with zero turnovers while leading the Buckeyes to 511.3 yards and 46.3 points per outing. Both are top-10 marks among programs that have played at least three games.

One of the most impressive parts of Fields' game in 2020 is his ability to evade initial pressure. NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah provided a few clips of how that looked against Rutgers.

Just finished studying Justin Fields vs Rutgers. I love his ability to avoid the free rusher and remain calm. Here are a few examples of his poise & elusiveness: pic.twitter.com/7Av9DMam48

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) November 10, 2020

Fields is known as a dual-threat quarterback, so that mobility is expected. Being fast, though, doesn't mean someone is able to recognize the pressure and escape so calmly. And because Fields is a pass-first player, he isn't simply looking to scramble; he's constantly looking for a big play downfield.

Considering the talent at receiver, that's the best decision.

"When he starts to run around, he's so dangerous," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said of Fields, according to Patrick Murphy of Bucknuts. "But let's remember who's catching the ball. Those are two elite receivers. Elite, elite."

Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson have already combined for seven catches of 25-plus yards and five 100-yard games.

Olave—the team leader in yards and touchdowns last season—has 18 receptions for 288 yards and four scores. Wilson has become a top option as expected in his sophomore year, reeling in 24 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns so far.

Though the Buckeyes leaned on a rotation in recent years, it would be perfectly sound to rely heavily on that duo in 2020. Nevertheless, they're receiving some production from two more targets as well.

Tight end Jeremy Ruckert is a terrific red-zone threat with three touchdowns, and Jameson Williams—the other starting wideout—just caught a 38-yard score against Rutgers.

Fields, unsurprisingly, believes the offense can still improve.

"I don't think we're at our peak yet," Fields said following the Rutgers win, per Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors.

Beyond the literal notion that perfection is unattainable, he's correct. The interior of the offensive line has struggled at times. Excluding the fourth quarter (garbage-time carries), the Buckeyes are at 5.3 yards per carry. That's quite good, but it can be better.

However, the tackles—Nicholas Petit-Frere and Thayer Munford—are thriving.

Ohio State OT duo: Thayer Munford & Nicholas Petit-Frere vs Penn St

▪️ 37 pass-block snaps
▪️ 0 pressures allowed
▪️ 0 sacks pic.twitter.com/lnteKWZAtf

— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 1, 2020

Besides, the interior group is immensely talented. Right guard Wyatt Davis earned All-American honors in 2019, and center Josh Myers landed third-team All-Big Ten. Left guard Harry Miller was a 5-star prospect. Other than Miller, the expectation of improvement is based on past performance, not just potential.

Provided the blocking unit progresses, Master Teague III and Trey Sermon will have more chances for explosive runs.

They're both averaging at least 4.5 yards per carry, yet they have combined for only three 20-yard gains in three games. Ohio State trended much closer to two carries of 20-plus per game with J.K. Dobbins and Teague last year, and that's fully attainable in 2020.

Although an elite offense always appeared likely, the Buckeyes needed to prove this was a championship-caliber unit on game day. Plus, we aren't crowning Ohio State as Big Ten champions, given the defense's occasional issues and the possibility of Graham Mertz raising Wisconsin's upside.

But through three games, Fields and his supporting cast have solidified Ohio State as a College Football Playoff favorite. In a year full of changes, accomplishing the expected is still a major feat.

            

All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

Eight former Iowa football players are going to move forward with a lawsuit against the school.

Per the Associated Press, attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons informed the Iowa solicitor general and university’s general counsel in a letter dated Tuesday the group will move ahead with a racial discrimination lawsuit. 

The eight players include Akrum Wadley, Aaron Mends, Jonathan Parker, Marcel Joly, Maurice Fleming, Reggie Spearman, Kevonte Martin-Manley and Andre Harris. 

Last month, Chad Leistikow of the Des Moines Register obtained a copy of a certified letter from the players in which they demanded $20 million in compensation and the firing of head football coach Kirk Ferentz, assistant coach Brian Ferentz and athletic director Gary Barta. 

In the same report by Leistikow, Carroll Reasoner, general counsel for the University of Iowa, told Solomon-Simmons they "respectfully decline your monetary and personnel demands."

According to the AP, Solomon-Simmons said he has withdrawn their settlement demand. 

Per Nathan Ford of The Gazette, "at least 55 former Iowa football players and one current player" made allegations against the program about a pattern of racist and bullying behavior. 

Chris Doyle, the Hawkeyes strength and conditioning coach since 1999, reached a separation agreement with the program in June. He was placed on administrative leave earlier in the month after multiple former players accused him of making racist comments. 

Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette apologized to his family, football teammates and supporters following his arrest on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

"I had a lapse of judgment, which resulted in me making a critical mistake that I wholeheartedly regret," he said while revealing he is looking ahead to the rest of the season:

🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/TCblfcrRxy

— Ihmir Smith-Marsette (@ihmirsm) November 10, 2020

On Nov. 1, The Gazette reported Smith-Marsette was arrested hours after the Hawkeyes lost to Northwestern in a Big Ten game.

The Iowa City Police Department said the wide receiver was driving 74 mph in a 30 mph zone and had bloodshot eyes and impaired speech. The officer who pulled him over said Smith-Marsette admitted to drinking and failed a preliminary breath test.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said Smith-Marsette was suspended for Saturday's victory over Michigan State.

"His availability for future games will be determined as he goes through the University of Iowa Student Athlete Code of Conduct process, which includes counseling and other department protocols," Ferentz said.

Smith-Marsette appeared in losses to Northwestern and Purdue and led the team in receiving yards in 2019.

The Hawkeyes are at the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Friday, and the receiver's statement suggests he will be ready to go for that game.

Wisconsin Badgers athletic director Barry Alvarez said Monday the school is "confident that we have a handle on the situation" after a COVID-19 outbreak within the football team led to the cancellation of games against Nebraska and Purdue the past two weekends. 

The plan is to play Saturday's scheduled matchup against Michigan. 

"We had no new positives on Tuesday and Wednesday, which was a great sign," he added. "That's when we started thinking Friday could be a day we could get the team together to start doing things with an eye towards having a regular practice week this week. So we were cautious on Friday and Saturday, split guys into groups, and just did conditioning. The team then got together and held its regular Monday practice this morning."

Wisconsin shut down all team activities on Oct. 28 and currently has five active coronavirus cases—two players and three staff members. The school announced that it has had no new positive tests in five of the past six days. 

At the time of the Purdue cancelation, Wisconsin had registered 27 active coronavirus cases (15 athletes, 12 staff members) since Oct. 24. Head coach Paul Chryst was among those who tested positive. 

It remains to be seen if quarterback Graham Mertz will be able to play against Michigan.

"Graham, the way that this is timing out, he's starting that process of coming back," Chryst told reporters Monday. "His tests are all done. I think he'll be able to have some practice and we'll see if it's enough practice time."

Something to keep in mind for Wisconsin's game against Michigan is which players are even available to play because of COVID-19 cases and the Big Ten 21-day protocol. Chryst: "We’ll have some guys probably get some snaps that three weeks ago weren’t probably in that position."

— Jesse Temple (@jessetemple) November 9, 2020

The No. 13 Badgers have played one game this season, beating Illinois 45-7. 

In Jim Harbaugh's defense—and there won't be much of that in the sentences to follow—the expectations have always felt a bit unreasonable. The idea that he would transform Michigan into Alabama or Clemson or (gasp) Ohio State never felt quite right, no matter how much buzz his arrival generated or the hope Wolverines fans have felt in the years that followed.

That said, this is his sixth year. Not his second or third year, which would be the normal, though still semi-unreasonable, timeline in which we expect coaches to deliver results.

Year Six.

When he was hired in December 2014, he was billed as the savior of a fallen football giant, a giant he played for and seemingly grew up with.

The storyline was, in many ways, perfect. A good ol'-fashioned homegrown football resurrection. He was the perfect face of the revival, with his khakis and his quirks. It was a no-brainer hire, and it felt like success was a question of when, not if.

Along the way, there have been signs that this would work. That's largely why we're here, in 2020, still waiting. The Harbaugh era has not come without its moments and teases.

As you look across the country at other blue-blood programs still trying to find themselves—looking at you, Nebraska, Texas and Florida State—the overall results start to seem a little more palatable. Michigan has won 10 games three times on Harbaugh's watch. The program has recruited and developed far better since he arrived. That's undeniable.

But let's be honest about where we stand today, in the heart of his sixth year. Michigan is now 1-2 in 2020 after losing to Indiana 38-21 on Saturday. The last time the Wolverines lost to the Hoosiers was 1987.

In this latest dose of disappointment, the Michigan defense allowed 460 yards of offense. The team tallied 89 penalty yards. The two turnovers, both interceptions from Joe Milton, proved to have a massive impact on the result. It was ugly in every imaginable facet.

Indiana, of course, deserves credit for this. There's another story to be written about one of the biggest surprises in college football. Yet Harbaugh is the story.

A loss to a good football team, which Indiana appears to be, on the road shouldn't necessarily be a deathblow for the Harbaugh era. The loss to Michigan State the week prior was the match that lit the fire. (It's worth noting that the Spartans followed up their upset victory over the Wolverines with a 49-7 loss to Iowa.)

This loss is the one that really hurts. It's the latest in a long, concerning line of losses that have plagued Harbaugh since he arrived. He is 1-6 against Michigan State and Ohio State at home since he returned to Ann Arbor. He doesn't just lose. He loses spectacularly.

Against the Buckeyes, the most important opponent of any season, Harbaugh remains 0-5. These are the glaring warts on his resume, and they're still there. Harbaugh knows this. He grew up with this school. He knows the expectations of a head coach who makes more than $8 million per season.

Perhaps the most jarring characteristic of the Harbaugh era, however, is how stagnant it feels. In fact, it feels like it has regressed. Two of Harbaugh's three 10-win seasons came in his first two years as head coach. Those foundational seasons—the teases—made one believe that something more was coming.

That he would find and develop his Andrew Luck. That he would recruit his own players and build a roster the way Nick Saban did at Alabama. That some positive early momentum would flourish into massive returns.

I am guilty of thinking this on multiple occasions. In fact, even after Michigan's opening win against Minnesota this season, I found myself falling back into that trap.

Harbaugh finally found his quarterback in Joe Milton. The play-calling is finally repaired. The defense will be stout as always. Maybe this is the year.

This is not the year. Neither were the years that came before it. Harbaugh has yet to make the Big Ten Championship Game, and that seems guaranteed not to change in 2020.

Once again, we find ourselves asking the same regurgitated question: When?

The problem, however, is that six years later, no longer is it the appropriate question to ask. When doesn't cut it anymore. When isn't now, so why should we care? Better yet, why should anyone expect anything different in Year Seven, if Harbaugh ultimately reaches makes it that far?

The decision-makers at Michigan have to ask themselves another question as they mull Harbaugh's future: Are the current results acceptable? Are these the kind of outcomes we can accept from a coach making $8 million a season?

At this point, the answer appears obvious. Unless Michigan is willing to stomach another year of mediocrity, another year of false hope and unmet expectations, the decision seems clear.

That's assuming things don't suddenly change. With games against Wisconsin, Penn State and Ohio State on the schedule, there is still time to resurrect this season. Not the program or the hopes of bringing a national title to Ann Arbor, but this year.

And those hopes and Harbaugh's future could come down to a single game—the season's final game—at Ohio State.

History says we know what next happens next. Recent results, highlighted by the latest defeat, only add to the certainty. And so, we're left again with that question: When?

Only this time, that question has nothing to do with the results on the field or the timeline for a national title, but the realization that it simply isn't working how anyone hoped six years later.

Sooner or later, something has to give.