One of the main criticisms of Michigan Wolverines head football coach Jim Harbaugh during his first five years in Ann Arbor has been his subpar record against Associated Press (AP) ranked opponents, which currently sits at just 10-14 (41.6 winning percentage).
What's also important to point out, however, is that half of those 10 triumphs have come in dominant fashion, with five occurring by 31 points or more.
The five 31-plus point victories over ranked foes are more than any other team in college football over the last five years, including the game's recent powerhouses (Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, etc.).
Harbaugh began his impressive stretch of obliterating AP top 25 foes right off the bat at Michigan, destroying No. 22 BYU, 31-0, on Sept. 26, 2015, in what was only his fourth game on the job.
A 38-0 pummeling of No. 13 Northwestern and a 41-7 annihilation of No. 19 Florida ensued that same year, before Harbaugh's Wolverines pounded No. 14 Penn State, 42-7, in 2018 and then finally No. 8 Notre Dame, 45-14, this past season.
It's also worth pointing out that all five aforementioned opponents finished their respective seasons with at least nine wins, with the 2015 Wildcats and Gators each winning 10 games and the 2019 Fighting Irish winning 11.
College Football Playoff staples Alabama and Clemson each have four such victories under their belts since 2015, while Ohio State and Notre Dame (for example) both have three.
Another Playoff regular in Oklahoma (has made the CFP in each of the last three seasons), meanwhile, only has one such triumph over the last five seasons, as does reigning national champion LSU.
Other notable steady programs such as Georgia, Penn State and Wisconsin each have zero.
Notable Programs and the Number of Ranked Teams They Have Beaten by at Least 31 Points Since 2015:
Michigan — 5
2015: No. 22 BYU (W, 31-0)
2015: No. 13 Northwestern (W, 38-0)
2015: vs. No. 19 Florida (W, 41-7)
2018: No. 14 Penn State (W, 42-7)
2019: No. 8 Notre Dame (W, 45-14)
Ranked Opponents Faced: 24
Alabama — 4
2015: vs. No. 3 Michigan State (W, 38-0)
2016: vs. No. 20 USC (W, 52-6)
2016: @ No. 9 Tennessee (W, 49-10)
2016: vs. No. 15 Florida (W, 54-16)
Ranked Opponents Faced: 35
Clemson — 4
2016: vs. No. 2 Ohio State (W, 31-0)
2017: vs. No. 7 Miami (W, 38-3)
2018: No. 16 NC State (W, 41-7)
2019: vs. No. 23 Virginia (W, 62-17)
Ranked Opponents Faced: 24
Washington — 4
2015: No. 20 Washington State (W, 45-10)
2016: No. 7 Stanford (W, 44-6)
2016: vs. No. 9 Colorado (W, 41-10)
2019: vs. No. 19 Boise State (W, 38-7)
Ranked Opponents Faced: 23
Ohio State — 3
2016: No. 9 Nebraska (W, 62-3)
2017: No. 13 Michigan State (W, 48-3)
2019: No. 13 Wisconsin (W, 38-7)
Ranked Opponents Faced: 25
Notre Dame — 3
2017: No. 11 USC (W, 49-14)
2018: vs. No. 12 Syracuse (W, 36-3)
2019: No. 23 Navy (W, 52-20)
Ranked Opponents Faced: 22
LSU — 1
2019: vs. No. 4 Oklahoma (W, 63-28)
Ranked Opponents Faced: 28
Oklahoma — 1
2015: @ No. 9 Oklahoma State (W, 58-23)
Ranked Opponents Faced: 27
Georgia — 0
Ranked Opponents Faced: 24
Penn State — 0
Ranked Opponents Faced: 20
Wisconsin — 0
Ranked Opponents Faced: 21
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