When the Michigan Wolverines employed Jim Harbaugh as their head coach in December 2014, the duty was apparent: Beat Ohio State and return the college to nationwide relevance.
From 1997 till Harbaugh’s hiring, the Wolverines had fallen behind their bitter rival, because the Buckeyes received two nationwide championships and performed for 2 others. Michigan, alternatively, had no championship appearances. And from 2001 to 2019, the Wolverines had solely two wins in 19 tries towards Ohio State.
Harbaugh would finally get Michigan over the hump, beating the Buckeyes in every of his final three tries earlier than successful a nationwide championship after the 2023 season.
Less than three weeks after successful his remaining sport with the Wolverines, Harbaugh accepted the top teaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers. And now, his process is eerily the identical: Beat the Kansas City Chiefs and return the Chargers to nationwide relevance.
While Los Angeles versus Kansas City isn’t fairly Ohio State versus Michigan, the Chiefs are the staff standing in all people’s manner within the NFL, however significantly their divisional opponents.
For a stretch within the aughts, the Chargers had been the elite of the AFC West. From 2004-09, they received the division in 5 out of six seasons. In the subsequent three, they completed no worse than third.
Since 2016, nonetheless, Kansas City has received the division each season. In that point, the Chiefs are additionally 12-3 towards the Chargers, together with 5 straight wins. (And for good measure, they’ve additionally received three Super Bowls in 5 years.)
Harbaugh, identified for turning groups round courting again to his time as head coach at Stanford to his first NFL stint with the San Francisco 49ers, can’t be anticipated to knock off Kansas City in a single day. The complete league, in any case, is looking for solutions towards quarterback Patrick Mahomes. But Sunday shall be an attention-grabbing check to see how shut Los Angeles is to its present chief rival.
The Chiefs enter Sunday 11-1 and in first place within the AFC. At the identical time, there are causes to imagine they’re extra weak than in earlier years.
Only two of Kansas City’s 11 wins have been by double digits. The staff’s final 5 wins have come by a mean of 4 factors. Even although they’re tied for the NFL lead in wins, the Chiefs are solely eleventh in level differential — behind a number of five-loss groups.
Mahomes, in the meantime, is averaging solely 7.0 yards per try (tied with final season for a profession low) and is on tempo to throw essentially the most interceptions he’s ever had in a single season. His passer ranking of 92.2 can be a profession worst.
Nobody is silly sufficient to recommend Kansas City isn’t really good. But there’s an argument to be made the Chiefs are extra beatable than they’ve been within the final two seasons, each of which resulted in championships.
After the Chargers completed final yr 5-12, Harbaugh has the staff on an 11-win tempo this season. He has put much less on the plate of phenom quarterback Justin Herbert — whose passing yards per sport are at a profession low — and as a substitute leaned extra on a bodily dashing assault.
The formulation has labored thus far, as Los Angeles is 8-4. It nonetheless must be confirmed towards the very best opponents, although, as a result of the Chargers have just one win towards a staff presently over .500. And within the groups’ first matchup earlier this season, Kansas City beat Los Angeles 17-10.
Harbaugh isn’t any stranger to massive moments. He knocked off No. 1 USC as a 41-point underdog when he was teaching Stanford, beat Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers within the playoffs with San Francisco, after which lastly discovered his manner round Ohio State.
Though not as fairly excessive stakes as a few of his earlier wins, Sunday’s sport is the explanation why Harbaugh shall be on the Chargers’ sideline.