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Jim Harbaugh Brings More Hype to Michigan than Nick Saban Did to Alabama

By Caleb Calhoun

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The 2007 hire of Nick Saban by Alabama had the rest of the college football world angry and Alabama fans ecstatic. It made sense.

There was no question about the Tide succeeding with Saban, and it was no surprise when the success finally came.

The story is the same up in Ann Arbor. Jim Harbaugh just held his first spring practice, and the excitement and coverage of that by the local media would have made you think it is the first game of the year. Imagine how the Spring Game will turn out.

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    • The hype behind Harbaugh has exceeded the hype behind Saban at Alabama, and he has a three-year honeymoon. Harbaugh walks into a program that just finished with a losing record, and the most refreshing part of hearing him talk football for the first time since his hiring.

    Now, we get to see Harbaugh back to being Harbaugh, but this time in Michigan colors. And Michigan fans are obviously excited.

    There is no question that Harbaugh will succeed at Michigan. It is one of the few times you can be 100 percent sure of a hire, the last of which was Saban.

    Harbaugh has a track record similar to Saban’s. He does not have a national championship on his resume the way Saban did going to Alabama, but he has a track record turning a downtrodden program into a powerhouse at Stanford and then doing what Saban didn’t do, winning in the NFL.

    A legitimate argument could be made that he has a better resume than Saban.

    And on top of that, Harbaugh is a Michigan graduate, making him Michigan’s favorite son. The rebuilding process may take some time, but we know the wins are coming.

    And so do Michigan fans. That is why you are seeing excitement surrounding the start of spring ball that is unlike anything we have ever seen at a college.

    Next: Top ACC Storylines for Spring Practice

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