Jim Harbaugh has been away from the sideline during Michigan’s last three college football games. The 59-year-old head coach served a three-game, self-imposed suspension amid an ongoing investigation into potential NCAA violations including a Level-I for lying.
Harbaugh missed games against Bowling Green, UNLV and East Carolina. He spent his time serving as the chain gang for his son’s youth football game, and mowed the lawn.
Johnny, my six-year-old and Katie, my 12-year-old, and I, we watched the game from the TV. Got the front lawn cut pregame and then got the back lawn cut after the game was over. Good productive day. I think we forgot to eat, I forgot to feed them. Oh, at halftime we went to McDonald’s. Halftime we went to McDonald’s at Washtenaw.
— Jim Harbaugh
We have an idea of what that might have looked like, courtesy of his daughter Grace.
The Wolverines have their head coach back on the field for the home game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. And as is the case before every game, Harbaugh warmed up by throwing the ball around with his players.
He even wears gloves!
However, ESPN did him very dirty on Saturday morning. When it cut over to the field in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh was running routes for his quarterbacks.
J.J. McCarthy dropped back, looked to his right, and delivered the ball to his head coach. He could not hang on.
Harbaugh dropped the ball and it fell to the ground below.
It wasn’t even particularly close. Harbaugh let the ball hit his hands, slide through his arms, hit his chest, and bounce off for the incompletion.
Apparently, Harbaugh did not get any work in while on sabbatical. He didn’t continue to rep on the juggs machine. He lost his hands during the three games off.
Is it an omen for Michigan’s season? Proooooooooobably not. BUT, if the Wolverines drop Saturday’s game to the Scarlet Knights, we can point to the pregame drop as the reason why!