Did Cade McNamara Save Jim Harbaugh’s Job Last Night?

It makes you think, right?

Jim Harbaugh seemed dead in the water according to the media and the fans. He has one year left on his contract and in college football that is a dead man walking. He’s dead because you can’t go recruit kids with no years left on your contract. They will never trust that you will be there for 4-5 more years. So first and foremost, he has to get that figured out.

But

Cade McNamara may the QB Jim Harbaugh and everyone thought he would have at Michigan 5 years ago. But he is here now and at the darkest hour in Jim Harbaugh’s tenure, his guy may have just showed up. People were murmuring about Cade last weekend when he came into the Wisconsin game and just droved down the field for a TD within minutes. Last night was something different though.

Down 17-0.

Offense was dead in the water and Milton couldn’t complete a 5 yard pass.

Enter Cade McNamara.

Either it was the first or second play but, BOOM, 46 yard EASY touchdown pass. I know it was Rutgers and they suck and I’m not trying to say we beat a powerhouse Ohio State team but Cade just looked so competent and knew what he was doing. Made the easy 3-6 yard passes when nothing was there, which is something Joe Milton couldn’t do. He throws a catchable ball, which is VERY underrated. Making the easy 3 yard passes on 2nd and 10 just makes it so easier to convert on 3rd down. I didn’t think that was rocket science but Joe Milton didn’t get that.

Now to Jim Harbaugh’s job. You can probably guess it but I don’t think firing Jim Harbaugh is the answer. I know people don’t want to hear this but it is what it is right now. We have a very young team. No getting around it. We lost 4/5 Offensive lineman to the draft. Defense had a complete turnover with a bunch of new guys. These are not excuses but just straight up what it is. Michigan is not Ohio State. Michigan is a 9 win team and every couple years they will compete for it all like in 2016. If this was a normal season with 12 games and bowl game, this team would be 8-5.

Segway to that 2016 team. In 2014, Brady Hoke’s last season, Michigan went 5-7. All the studs from 2016 were freshmen and sophomores and had some growing pains. This 2020 team is in the EXACT same position. Yes, we have good players. But they are young! Very young and we’re going through some growing pains. It is very normal for this stuff to happen. If you think Jim Harbaugh is somehow running his practices differently then he did in 2015, 2016, 2017 when he had things rolling a little bit, you are crazy. This is the guy who wears the SAME cloths everyday. The young guys will develop and we will compete in a year or two. It is not the answer you want to hear but it is what it is.

We may not of had the chance to see if my prediction will come true if is wasn’t for Cade’s performance last night.

Makes you think.