Something funny happened to Ohio State’s dominance of the Big Ten. Or maybe it was Jim Harbaugh finally shedding the funny label and replacing it with “champion.” Twice, in fact.
In the 2020 COVID season, Michigan went 2-4 and renegotiated Harbaugh’s contract to lower his salary and (more importantly) his buyout. Everyone was preparing for what was thought to be inevitable: Michigan and Jim Harbaugh parting ways. Except it worked. Michigan won the Big Ten title twice, including two routs of Ohio State and two playoff berths. And once again in 2023, Michigan is the favorite to repeat.