Why Jim Harbaugh Should Roll The Dice With JJ McCarthy

Harbaugh has a golden opportunity to change the narrative of the quarterback position at the University of Michigan.

As Jim Harbaugh prepares his football program for year seven under his leadership, the biggest question is whether or not 2021 will finally be the year. Will Harbaugh finally be able to beat Ohio State, win the Big Ten championship and lead the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff? 

If the past is the best predictor of the future, the answer is most likely 'no'.

Assuming that Harbaugh fails to get Michigan over the hump in 2021, how will an already frustrated and impatient fan base react to yet another year of disappointment? The answer to that question is: it depends.

Common sense tells you that, following a brief but solid performance in 2020, redshirt sophomore quarterback Cade McNamara will enter spring ball and fall camp as the favorite to win the starting job. Texas Tech transfer Alan Bowman, a redshirt junior, will likely be fighting it out with true freshman and highly rated recruit JJ McCarthy for the No. 2 spot on the roster. Though McNamara may prove to be the best option in 2021, it presents a risky proposition for a head coach who is in desperate need for a breakthrough season.

Even if Harbaugh is somehow able to coach his way to another eight or ten win season in 2021, a season without a win against Ohio State, a conference championship, or a trip to the College Football Playoff will still be viewed as yet another failure. Absent of a breakthrough season in 2021, Harbaugh’s only saving grace may be his highly-rated freshman quarterback - JJ McCarthy.

McCarthy is the highest-rated quarterback the Wolverines have had in the last 13 years. He’s also the third highest rated Michigan quarterback recruit of all time. While his physical abilities are likely enough to win him the job by the time fall camp rolls around, his leadership abilities are what will almost certainly elevate him to the top of the depth chart.

In essence, McCarthy would present a win/win scenario for Harbaugh in 2021.

At worst, Michigan may experience some growing pains with a young quarterback who will return for the 2022 season with a full year of experience under his belt. Under this scenario, the failure to beat Ohio State, win the Big Ten championship and make the college football playoff might be viewed as an almost expected result as Harbaugh rolls the dice with his true freshman quarterback - as opposed to an experienced third or fourth year signal-caller who will be expected to deliver. By and large, the vast majority of this impatient and frustrated fan base would likely find some additional patience for McCarthy's development - believing that the eventual payoff would be worth it.

At best, McCarthy proves to be more than ready for the challenges of Big Ten football and performs better than expected, leading Michigan to a victory over Ohio State, a trip to Indy and a potential landing spot in the College Football Playoff. Under this best case scenario, Harbaugh would finally achieve his long sought-after breakthrough season in Ann Arbor - setting the table for the Michigan Football program to finally rejoin the upper echelon of college football.

Either way you cut it, McCarthy provides Harbaugh with the luxury - and security - that no other quarterback on the roster can provide. With McCarthy on the field, the 2021 season will largely be viewed as a success one way or another.