ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit recently appeared on a conference call with reporters to discuss the landscape of college football, and fielded a question pertaining to Michigan Wolverines football head coach Jim Harbaugh and the job he has done during his five years in Ann Arbor.

Herbstreit explained, in his opinion, whether or not Harbaugh has lived up to the expectations so far, and what the biggest road block has been to U-M not having yet won a Big Ten title or reached the College Football Playoff.

RELATED: Inside the Fort — Joe Milton is 'the Real Deal'

RELATED: Roundtable: Milton Expectations, Big Ten Picks and More

“I think the expectations were so high for him when he came in," Herbstreit recalled. "I was incredibly excited, because when I was in high school Jim Harbaugh was the starting quarterback at Michigan.

"He had a flare and an arrogance about him as a player that was incredible — it was a gift. If you were on his team, you loved him. If you were against him, you despised him. He went on to have a great career in the NFL and become a coach and took the 49ers to the Super Bowl.

"With all due respect to [former Michigan head coach] Brady Hoke and others, it was like if Jim Harbaugh ever came back to Ann Arbor and brought that flare and arrogance with him, the sky would be the limit.

"Michigan and Ohio State would be like the new war we used to have with Woody and Bo. At the time, it was going to be with Urban and Harbaugh. It just hasn’t quite played out the way both I and Michigan fans envisioned.

"I don’t buy into the fans who think they should get rid of him or that he’s on the hot seat. If Jim Harbaugh can’t win at Michigan, then who can? I don’t know how you could ever want another coach other than Jim Harbaugh to coach there.

"Are they close? Yeah. Is it frustrating? Obviously. Do they want to beat Ohio State? Yes. Do they want to get to the playoff? Absolutely. I still think he’s building a program and has to get the quarterback play up to par to really go to that next level."

Herbstreit then singled out Clemson, Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia as having been the elite teams in the sport over the last several years, and how the quarterback play has been what's taken them to a new level.

He noted that Michigan is still searching for that elite quarterback play ever since Harbaugh arrived in 2015.

"When Michigan was Michigan, they had a run on running backs, offensive linemen and receivers that would go to the NFL, and it was automatic," the analyst exclaimed. "They’ve had a few here and there, but it’s an area they need to continue to grow and raise the bar.

"It’s his responsibility ultimately. I guess I’m a fan and I’d like to see it work, though it may not be going the way they’d hoped. I still like to see him get that opportunity to do what he came to do.”

Herbstreit was also asked about the job Harbaugh has done recruiting the state of Ohio in recent years, and how few prospects have been signed from it. The Maize and Blue have signed just eight recruits from Ohio in the last five recruiting classes (dating back to the 2016 haul), all of which has occurred after Hoke had tremendous success recruiting the state.

“When Harbaugh played at Michigan, Bo would get five or six players a year from Ohio — mainly Northeast Ohio, because of his ties to Barberton," Herbstreit said. "When Michigan played Ohio State, they’d always have two or three on offense and two or three on defense who started.

"That was the case for a long time. Ohio still has great high school football, and Notre Dame does a good job getting in there. You’re seeing a lot of schools come in and get those second and third tier guys — [former Michigan State head coach] Mark Dantonio did a really good job there for a while, and [head coach] Mark Stoops at Kentucky is trying to get in there.

"It’s more competitive now. I don’t follow recruiting closely enough to know why Michigan isn’t landing more Ohio guys. They were always a staple of Michigan’s roster in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.

"They knew how to appreciate the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry, having come from Ohio.”

---

• Talk about this article inside The Fort

• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel

• Listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine

• Sign up for our newsletter, The Wolverine Now

• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @Balas_Wolverine, @EJHolland_TW, @AustinFox42, @JB_ Wolverine, Clayton Sayfie and @DrewCHallett

• Like us on Facebook