Disdain for Harbaugh Goes to Next Level

If you're a regular reader of LTP then you know how much I love to call out Stanford's head coach, Jim Harbaugh. Today, Adam Rittenberg examines Harbaugh's shots across the Big Ten bow in the former-Michigan-player-turned-NU-hater's interview with ESPN.com's Bruce Feldman. OK - take 3 minutes, read this article and then return. The disdain for Harbaugh is not related to sour grapes scheduling. Rather, I've had discussions with former players who were recruited by Harbaugh that were turned off by his negative recruiting tactics - specifically aimed at Northwestern. Until this past season, Harbaugh's standard line for dual recruits (there are quite a few) was "Northwestern is a program on a downward swing". Now, after NU goes 9-4 and 5-3 in the conference while the Stanford coach enters year three at 9-15, he resorts to calling out NU's scheduling.

Here's the first task for the contributing writers of LTP - compare and contrast the actual NU opponents at time of scheduling. As you know - and I'm not denying NU's non-conference schedule is soft - most of the games are scheduled years in advance. Who knew Syracuse would bottom out when they were put on the schedule half a decade ago? NU has added continued series with Vanderbilt, BC, Army, Rice (was a patsy now not so much, eh Jim?) and Syracuse in the coming years. Most of last year's schedule was created/completed before Fitz was even the head coach. The recent additions of BC, Stanford and Vandy very much had Fitz's fingerprints on them.


Harbaugh has gone 4-8 and 5-7 at a program that, as Rittenberg pointed out, has one bowl appearance this decade as compared to four for the 'Cats. Indeed the Pac-10 plays nine conference games and one less non-conference game, so if you equal the playing field by giving them a Towson and an SIU they go 5-7, 6-6. The fact is Jim was not involved in the scheduling of said "tough" non-conference games with San Jose State, Notre Dame and TCU. The last I checked the 2007 Notre Dame team was somewhere in the neighborhood of God awful and the powerhouse Irish 2008 team that made it to a bowl lost to the very same Syracuse squad that was part of our 2008 non-conference schedule. Hmmmm. That's odd.

The easy retort to Jim is that he can keep bad-mouthing NU, but perhaps he's right. We just inked Stanford to a home and home for 2014 and 2015. That's right. You're mocking Northwestern for scheduling AFTER you agreed to play us. So there -you're right Jim, we do play patsies. Let's take you off the schedule for now until you're gone - which at this rate could be this year - and we'll reschedule Stanford when someone replaces you, meaning the Cardinal will be relevant again.

But here is the smoking gun of idiocy or should I say hypocracy for Harbaugh. Recently, San Jose State pulled out of their 2010 commitment with Stanford. This happened on your dime Mr. "People Should Take Notice of Patsy Scheduling" Guy. Stanford's 2010 replacement? None other than 1-AA Sacramento State. Jim - keep searching for excuses. Until then enjoy the holidays watching the 'Cats on national TV in yet another bowl game while you spin a new anti-NU campaign. By the way, I challenge you to schedule Michigan while you're at it. The line against you is starting to weave around the corner.