Last month it was Braylon Edwards. Two weeks ago it was Desmond Howard. And last weekend it was Brian Griese, who flamed Jim Harbaugh on Twitter during Michigan's loss to previously-winless Penn State.
It's one thing when criticism comes from the fanbase. But when it starts to come from former players -- former greats -- it's more than just noise. Another former great, John Jansen, put it this way Monday on 97.1 The Ticket:
"As former players that have done it and been there and overcome seasons where you didn’t live up to expectations, you find a way to come back and answer the bell. We keep waiting for this team to answer the bell, we keep waiting for this generation of Michigan football players to answer the bell, and it just hasn’t been answered."
From one alumnus of the program to another, Jansen asked Harbaugh during his weekly interview with the Stoney & Jansen show on Tuesday whether he hears these grievances -- and whether they can be addressed.
"Been so focused on getting things fixed, really meeting the challenges that we face week to week and day to day, that when you say to me, 'Do you hear them?' I really don’t hear them," Harbaugh said. "Just focused on meeting the challenge."
To wit: Edwards said Harbaugh 'hasn't done enough' to keep his job, Howard said this year's team plays with 'no fire,' and Griese, the quarterback of Michigan's last national championship team, summed it up in three words: "Enough is enough!"
Asked whether he saw Griese's tweet specifically, Harbaugh said he did not. When it was explained to him, he was asked again whether he feels the need to address it.
"Just very focused on the process," he said. "And seeing strides, maybe not evident to all or some, but that’s where the focus is."
Harbaugh said Monday that there's 'disdain for the process' outside the program. To which we ask, what process? The Wolverines are 2-4 this season and 11-10 since the final two games of 2018. They were 20-5 to start Harbaugh's tenure.
The frustration isn't limited to a few alumni with a public platform. Jansen said a number of other former players 'absolutely' echo Griese's sentiment.
"When you think about the history of Michigan football and even just Bo’s statements about the team and that no individual -- player or coach -- is bigger than the team, you have to take that into account," he said. "I was at Michigan the same time Brian was, we won Big Ten championships. Brian hadn’t won one in his first four years, I hadn’t won one in my first three years, so we understand it’s not something that happens on a year-by-year basis. But you are competing for those championships.
"This year Michigan is not competing for a championship. I don’t believe you could say last year they were competing for a championship, and not just a Big Ten championship but an East Division championship. The expectations are there."
With two games remaining this year, Michigan is running out of chances to avoid its first losing season since 2014. Of course, with Ohio State looming, it might be a foregone conclusion. And there's no guarantee the Wolverines take care of business against Maryland this weekend.
They have yet to hold a lead at home this season, and Harbaugh said he can't pinpoint the reason for their slow starts.
"I could tell you that I have, but I have not. Just those multiple games we have not gotten off to a fast start. It’s something that we all emphasize, talk about it, now it’s just play," he said. "Ideally you want to get off to a fast start, you want to get ahead, stay ahead, but something that we’ve failed to do is get the first score in the ballgame."
It's not yet clear whether Michigan will have QB Cade McNamara on Saturday after he injured his shoulder against Penn State.
"Tough guy, gritty guy and he’s battling, leading," Harbaugh said. "Have tremendous respect for Cade, for Joe (Milton) and really for all of our players. Can see how much it means to them, how much they prepare for it and then how much it hurts when they don’t get the result of the win. But they do battle."