Sometimes crazy works: A look at how Jim Harbaugh rebuilt Michigan

When prodigal son Jim Harbaugh was announced as Michigan head coach on Dec. 29, 2014, most figured he would return the storied program to power in due time.

But even the most staunch Wolverines supporters would admit that a full turnaround in one full recruiting cycle was unexpected.

In just one full year, Harbaugh took Michigan from the 40th-ranked recruiting class to the sixth, landing the nation's top target - Rashan Gary - for the first time in program history.

That alone is enough of a story, but it's the manner of how the football genius completely reversed the recruiting fortunes of the maize and blue that will remain football folklore for years to come.

Let's take a look at an eventful two months for Harbaugh and Michigan:

Dec. 16 - The nation's 12th-ranked linebacker, Florida native Devin Bush commits to Michigan, spurning offers from southern powers such as Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and Florida State. Willingly getting a teenager to leave the climate of the south for the harsh winters of the midwest is borderline impossible, yet Harbaugh accomplishes this with ease.

Dec. 17 - Harbaugh begins his annexation of the state of New Jersey by signing the fourth-ranked running back in the country Kareem Walker. This represents a major movement in the Big Ten as Walker had previously committed to Ohio State.

Dec. 21 - Following the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," Harbaugh appears on Detroit television praising Darth Vader as "a jackhammer." This is funny, national media reacts accordingly.

Dec. 23 - Indiana basketball, coached by Harbaugh's brother-in-law Tom Crean, celebrates his birthday as he once served as celebrity manager for the team during his tenure with the San Francisco 49ers. He continues taking over the Big Ten one school at a time.

Jan. 1 - Michigan absolutely throttles Florida and its impotent offense 41-7 in the Citrus Bowl. Harbaugh celebrates by calling 2015 his "favorite year in football." A beatdown of the SEC East champion on national television is never a bad way to recruit.

Jan. 8 - Harbaugh is shown on television during a Detroit Red Wings hockey game going ham on a hot dog. Again this is funny, especially to 17- and 18-year-old high school students, and the national media reacts accordingly.

Jan. 12 - Things get a little weird on the recruiting trail as Harbaugh sleeps over at the house of Penn State commit, and top-ranked kicker Quinn Nordin. He pledges to help Nordin take down all the Penn State stuff on his walls. In the least shocking news ever, Nordin decommits from the Nittany Lions and joins Michigan on National Signing Day.

Jan. 19 - Did I mention things got a little weird on the recruiting trail? The 52-year-old scales a tree during a visit to four-star athlete David Long in California. This apparently impresses Long enough to commit to the Wolverines, adding another top recruit to Michigan's class.

Jan. 20 - Harbaugh dons a sweet tracksuit for sleepover No. 2, watching Netflix and playing hoops with four-star linebacker Connor Murphy.

Jan. 24-28 - Michigan's stacked recruiting class adds two more big names, as four-star linebacker Elysee Mbem-Bosse and four-star tight end Nick Eubanks pledge to the Wolverines.

Feb. 1 - Harbaugh pens an open letter in "The Players Tribune" asking the nation "Who's got it better than us?" With the way the recruiting had been going for Michigan, it's a pretty fair question.

Feb. 3 - Michigan hosts a star-studded National Signing Day event featuring celebrities such as Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, and Ric Flair. It's streamed live on "The Players Tribune" and features two men in their 70s, Lou Holtz and Jim Leyland, "dabbing" on stage. Amid all the fanfare, the nation's top recruit, Gary, commits to the Wolverines, cementing the sixth spot for the recruiting class, and marking the first time the school nabbed the top recruit.

Some would say that for all the fanfare, Michigan didn't even deliver the conference's top recruiting class, with Ohio State coming in one spot above them at No. 5.

The Buckeyes won the national championship in 2014 and have had a top-10 class each of Urban Meyer's seasons in charge. They will always recruit well with that history of success. Michigan was 40th last year and had to make a splash in Harbaugh's first full cycle with the program.

The Wolverines did that and then some. Welcome to college football in 2016. It's Jim Harbaugh's world and we are all just living in it.