ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Sherron Moore is certainly to blame for what happened Michigan on Saturday. But it is also Jim Harbaugh‘s fault.

You’re probably thinking, “This is just Andy’s way of getting Harbaugh’s name in the headlines even though he’s preparing to face the Las Vegas Raiders,” but that’s not a preconceived interpretation. It’s a simple look at the calendar. The extended dance between Harbaugh and the Michigan administration in December and January while Harbaugh was chasing NFL jobs is why Michigan couldn’t reach into the transfer portal and pull out a better QB1 than the on-roster options Moore had to choose from this offseason.

Unless Moore and his team can significantly improve the preparation of their quarterbacks, this situation could haunt the Wolverines until next offseason.

Consider the following. While Texas collected yards and points against Michigan, in part due to the Wolverines offense failing to sustain drives behind the starter David Warren or occasional help Alex OrjiAt least a few of the 100,000-plus souls clad in maize and blue at Michigan Stadium probably checked the scores of the other games, saw Syracuse marching on the field against Georgia Tech, and thought, “Why didn’t We get Kyle McCord?”

It would have been the ultimate revenge story. The scapegoated quarterback from Ohio State goes to Ann Arbor and stops the reigning national champions in College Football Playoff Chasing the big showdown in Columbus two days after Thanksgiving.

Instead, the guy Michigan fans called Honda McCord was busy throwing a reasonable and reliable 381 yards and four touchdowns for Syracuse in a 31-28 win over No. 23 Georgia Tech, while Michigan fell 31-12 to the Longhorns. We don’t know if McCord would have chosen Michigan in a different situation, but we do know that the timing made such a wooing impossible. And it wasn’t just because Michigan was busy winning the national title.

McCord declared his intention to enter the transfer portal when it opened on December 4. He committed to Syracuse on December 17.

Taylen GreenThe former Boise State quarterback, who has greatly improved Arkansas’ offense, entered the portal on December 4 and committed to the Razorbacks on December 11.

Former Duke QB Riley Leonard led Notre Dame to a season-opening win at Texas A&M. He entered the portal on Nov. 29; he was able to enter earlier than others because Blue Devils coach Mike Elko accepted the job at Texas A&M. Leonard committed to the Fighting Irish on Dec. 12.

All three would have been more effective options for the Wolverines, but none of the quarterbacks in the portal were able to properly evaluate Michigan in December because Harbaugh planned to leave but kept the door open at Michigan in case he didn’t get a job in the NFL.

It didn’t help that Michigan 2023 starter JJ McCarthy had not yet announced his intentions, but McCarthy’s participation in the draft was a fairly likely outcome. And there were young QBs in the portal who could have been added to the roster and who might have been willing to take the risk. That’s what Jayden Maiava did when he transferred from UNLV to USC without the guarantee that he would start over Müller Moos.

But no quarterback would come in if he didn’t know who his coach would be, and Harbaugh had sent enough signals over the past two offseasons to make any potential transfer unsure of who would be leading the program in 2024. It wasn’t like he was too busy preparing to beat Alabama in the Rose Bowl and Washington in the national title game. He was a real threat to transfer, and while it seemed clear Michigan would hand the keys to Moore, that wasn’t a guarantee. So you can’t blame any quarterback who would have considered the Wolverines for choosing a safer option.

To understand the difference between a coach planning his departure and a coach who doesn’t want to go, watch this scene during warmups before the national title game in Houston between Michigan and Washington. Will Rogersa four-year starter at Mississippi State, wore a Washington jersey and sweatpants as he threw a ball on the sidelines surrounded by his future teammates.

Why was Rogers there? Because then-Washington coach Kalen DeBoer had selected Rogers as a replacement Michael Penix Jr. DeBoer was planning to become Washington’s coach in 2024 that Monday night. He had no idea Nick Saban would retire that Wednesday and be Alabama’s coach on Friday, so he was planning for the future.

Harbaugh did not do this. At least he did not plan to Michigan’s Future.

When Harbaugh left on Jan. 24 and Moore was promoted on Jan. 26, the crucial QBs were gone. Most QBs want to go through spring practice with their new team, so the hope of getting someone who could start out of the portal in the spring window was slim. The options were Warren (the former walk-on), Orji (the speedster whose arm was not a known quantity) or the former Utah and Indiana seventh-year quarterback Jack TuttleRedshirt freshman Jayden Donegal and true freshman Jadyn Davis were deemed not ready.

Moore chose Warren as the starter after preseason practice. Orji earned a change. He fooled Fresno State with a touchdown pass early in Michigan’s victory last week, but Texas wouldn’t take it. When Orji first entered the field on a third-and-3 play in the first quarter on Saturday, Texas knew he was there to run. He was stopped without gaining any yards, and the Wolverines settled for a field goal. Texas then launched a 12-play, 76-yard run that ended in the end zone and gave the Longhorns all the points they needed for the day. Warren occasionally showed flashes of his ability. He bravely escaped pressure and made a beautiful throw for a 31-yard touchdown catch from Semaj Morgan with 1:54 left. But it was far too late to matter.

It will be Moore’s job to build an effective offense out of the pieces he inherited. The roster is what it is because Harbaugh’s departure was so odd. But going forward, Moore will get the credit if he improves, or the blame if he doesn’t.

Maybe Texas’ offense is just great and Michigan’s defense is good enough to lead the Wolverines to victory in most games. But when they play USC, Oregon and Ohio State, they need to score points. The current situation at quarterback doesn’t suggest they’ll score enough points.