In a devastating blow, the NCAA Committee on Infractions hit former UM head coach Jim Harbaugh with a four-year show-cause penalty and a one-year suspension for recruiting violations related to the COVID-19 pause in 2021. The problem, of course, is that Jim Harbaugh is no longer coaching at the University of Michigan and there are no signs he ever plans to return to the university. But that didn’t stop the NCAA from giving the new Los Angeles Chargers head coach a penalty that is little more than a symbolic one.
Not surprisingly, Ohio State fans seized on this latest news in hopes that it would bring them joy and happiness. In many ways, the Buckeyes’ loyal supporters have become the overbearing “Karens” of college football – always crying, always whining, always asking for the manager. That embarrassing behavior was on full display Wednesday, as Buckeyes from across the country took to social media to demand to speak to the NFL’s manager.
“NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday he would have suspended Jim Tressel if the Indianapolis Colts had not sat him out for six games at the start of the 2011 season.”
If that @Charger have no backbone, the @NFL must intervene and suspend Jim Harbaugh.
— Tate from Ohio (@BarstoolTate) 7 August 2024
Darling @nflcommish,
They have no choice but to suspend Coach Harbaugh for an entire season.
A precedent was set for former college coaches evading NCAA penalties.
Sincerely,
All https://t.co/15uwFiaZ5p
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) 7 August 2024
How can Roger Goodell NOT suspend Jim Harbaugh after something like that? Jim Tressell has 7 games with the @Colts pic.twitter.com/6OJPnqoR9b
— Intrinsic (@intrinsicvalyou) 5 August 2024
Terrelle Pryor got suspended 5 games by the NFL for something he did in college. Jimmy better get 5 games too. https://t.co/aNFQgMcWtR
— KelvinX (@1_and_only_grip) 7 August 2024
Unfortunately for those poor souls, it’s highly unlikely that the NFL or the Chargers organization has any interest in participating in the NCAA’s excessive and irrelevant punishment of Harbaugh. In an era of college football where programs can now legally lure high school recruits with Lamborghinis and multimillion-dollar bidding wars for NIL, any belief that the NFL would punish an $80 million head coach for eating a few meals with recruits three years ago is insane. But then again, we’re also talking about the Buckeyes fan base here, so it fits.
The bottom line is that Harbaugh is gone. If you’re a Buckeye fan, he can’t hurt you anymore. I understand that the wounds from 2021, 2022 and 2023 still hurt, but desperately clinging to the hope that the NCAA or NFL will save you is not a good sign. No wins will be nullified, no championships will be taken away, and no amount of whining and moaning will change that.
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