Paul Finebaum Said Michigan 'Flatlined' After 1,021 Wins, And Nobody's Talking About How Wrong He Is
Okay, Seattle, you know how we feel about our teams here in the Emerald City, right? We live and die with every pitch from Julio Rodriguez, every goal from Matty Beniers, every touchdown from Sam Darnold. So when some national talking head throws out a take as wild as what Paul Finebaum just dropped about a historic college football program, we gotta dive in!
Finebaum, the ESPN announcer, actually went on his show and said the Michigan Wolverines' program "flatlined" after their national title run. Flatlined! Can you believe the audacity? This is a team with 1,021 wins, the most in the entire history of college football! We're talking 10 national championships and 45 conference titles. The nerve to say a program with that kind of resume just... died out.
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Michigan's Crown Jewel, Tarnished?
Look, we all know Michigan's 2023 national title was a huge deal, their only one in the College Football Playoff era. Jim Harbaugh was at the helm, and it was epic, but let's be real, that sign-stealing scandal definitely put a cloud over it. Then, after the confetti settled, Harbaugh bounced, heading to the NFL to coach the Los Angeles Chargers. That’s gotta sting if you're a Wolverines fan, right?
Since then, it's been a bumpy ride in Ann Arbor. They followed that perfect 15-0 season with an 8-5 record under Sherrone Moore. Last year, they made a little progress, going 9-4, but then Moore was fired due to an off-the-field incident. Not exactly the smooth transition you'd hope for from a reigning champ, but "flatlined"? Come on.
Kyle Whittingham's Got a Stabilizing Mission
This is where Finebaum's take goes completely sideways. He went on "The Paul Finebaum Show" and said, "I don't take Michigan that seriously in football right now... Once Harbaugh left, it felt like that program flatlined." Are we talking about the same team that just brought in Kyle Whittingham as their new head coach?
Whittingham had an insane two-decade run at Utah, going 177-88. He led the Utes to eight double-digit win seasons, including a stellar 10-2 finish just last year. He literally stepped down from Utah because he didn't want to "overstay his welcome" before taking the job in Ann Arbor. This isn't some rookie trying to figure things out; this is a proven leader hired to stabilize one of college football's blue-blood programs and get them back into contention.
The original assessment even pushed back, pointing out that those two "transition" seasons weren't losing seasons. They were playing for a double-digit win season last year! That's far from irrelevant, and certainly nowhere near "flatlined." Whittingham's job is to steady the ship, not magically recreate 2023 overnight. It reminds me of when folks doubt our Hawks after a tough loss, or if Sam Darnold has a rocky start. We know our teams, we know the fight.
So, while Michigan has some work to do, to say a program with 1,021 wins and a fresh, proven head coach is "flatlined" just feels like a lazy, wild take. We'll be keeping an eye on them, but for now, we're focused on our own green and blue: Cal Raleigh smashing dingers for the Mariners and Cristian Roldan running the midfield for the Sounders. There’s always something to look forward to here!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.