Wojo: Harbaugh sells Michigan any way he can
Detroit — It's the endless debate of the college football offseason, the raging question that's impossible to answer — yet.
Is Jim Harbaugh crazy or calculated?
I'd suggest both, but that's not really the point. Harbaugh is relentless, and the truth is, he has no choice. His satellite-camp barnstorming and Twitter-bingeing and bare-chested posturing is different than we've seen, at Michigan or anywhere else. It's refreshing for a program that long figured it could sell itself without using extraordinary means, and based on Harbaugh's credentials, it will work.
Before accusations of faux hype, let's be clear on this. What Harbaugh is doing isn't better than what Mark Dantonio is doing at Michigan State, or Urban Meyer is doing at Ohio State. There's no evidence yet those powers are being damaged in recruiting — Dantonio is compiling his most-touted class ever, and Meyer is near the top again after winning the national championship.
Harbaugh's approach is louder and bolder, and also necessary if Michigan is to regain any power. Harbaugh has riled up the Southeastern Conference, stirred up fan bases and woken up a beaten-down program. In six months, he has done what Michigan couldn't do for most of seven years. He's pumping enthusiasm, and because actual games won't be played for a while, he's doing it the only way he can. That's the cleverly calculated part. He's also doing it the only way he knows, and that's the crazy part. This is who he is, quirky, driven and unconcerned by how he's viewed.
When Harbaugh, Dantonio, Meyer and others gather Friday at the "Sound Mind, Sound Body" camp at Dakota High in Macomb, I imagine they'll be cordial. They might even share a chuckle about the SEC's hilarious outrage over Harbaugh's satellite-camp tour. If Big Ten coaches can look past their inherent aggravation with Michigan, they'll recognize Harbaugh's motive reflects their own, just more flamboyantly.
Ohio State and Michigan State are legitimate national title contenders again, and Michigan fighting back doesn't diminish what they've done. That's the whiny fan reaction, that all the Harbaugh publicity is producing meaningless "victories." He hasn't rocketed up the recruiting rankings yet, but rather than wait for players to bow to the winged helmet, he's actively chasing.
It could work spectacularly if he lands elite recruits who suddenly are interested in Michigan. Or it could hit obstacles because Harbaugh has been out of college coaching for four years with the 49ers. His staff has a heavy NFL influence, which means fewer college connections, which is why Michigan's far-flung approach makes sense, even if some find it unseemly.
Power of persuasion
You can't bring a dull knife to a Twitter fight, and most of Harbaugh's social-media musings are entertaining. When he tweets at Judge Judy or Madonna, we think he's goofy. When he takes a jab at Meyer after the recruiting saga of Cass Tech's Mike Weber — "What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!" — we assume he's being shrewd.
The Spartans and Buckeyes might not appreciate it, a natural reaction when a vanquished foe gets incredible attention for what it might do, not what it's done. Harbaugh has 276,000 Twitter followers, more than any college football coach, including Meyer (272,000), Dantonio (48,000) and Nick Saban (0, not on Twitter).
Of course, the real competition will be on the field, and Michigan hasn't been remotely competitive. The Wolverines have lost six of seven to the Spartans and 10 of 11 to the Buckeyes, and nothing changes unless those numbers change. That's probably why Dantonio took his own jab recently when he said, "We're selling results — other people are selling hope."
That's accurate, by the way. Harbaugh knows his roster doesn't match up, but he also knows the power of passion and persuasion. He took over a 1-11 Stanford team and beat 41-point favorite USC his first season. He gets Michigan State and Ohio State at home, and a tight game in either encounter is feasible.
When Harbaugh admitted last month "Michigan State's bigger than us on the block," pseudo-psychologists spent days wondering why he said it. Was he sandbagging? Was he scared? Was he stating the obvious?!
I think part of Harbaugh's motive is to expand expectations — which he certainly has — and manage them at the same time. Michigan was 5-7 last season, and its over-under win total in Vegas is a modest 7.5. The wise guys bank on trends and talent, not hope.
'Strange' has value
The Harbaugh hype can get over-hyped, overshadowing his stellar credentials. He was the perfect hire, but we won't see fresh evidence of his coaching ability for a while, so we scrutinize everything else. He already has peeled back Michigan's arrogant sheen, which is smart. He may do a lot of tweaking and tweeting, but he hasn't done much touting.
Instead, Harbaugh is putting himself out there, everywhere, baring his soul and his pale chest. (Why did he take his shirt off in the Alabama heat?! Was he trying to show he's a likeable everyman??) He and his staff just completed their seven-state Summer Swarm, and even before it started, Saban called it "ridiculous" because SEC officials prohibit its coaches from doing the same.
Now the SEC is pushing the NCAA to ban satellite camps because they create an unfair advantage, the most-amusing statement ever. Maybe if the Big Ten took a few more elite Southern kids off their hands, those schools wouldn't have to grossly over-sign, like gluttons at a Cracker Barrel.
Ah, Cracker Barrel, Harbaugh's favorite restaurant. Why does he like it so much? What does it all mean?!
Clues are sprinkled on Harbaugh's Twitter page, and they're probably not as deep as they seem. (Or are they?) A few days ago, he posted these lyrics from a John Lennon song: "People say I'm crazy doing what I'm doing, give me all kinds of warnings to save me from ruin. When I say I'm OK, they look at me kind of strange."
That's the look all right, and by nature and calculation, Harbaugh is embracing it.
bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com
twitter.com/bobwojnowski