LOS ANGELES -- Ilana Char knows her some Michigan.

The peppy sophomore from New Jersey pulled out a picture of her and John Beilein with the Big Ten Tournament trophy. She is part of the student rank-and-file who dutifully fill Michigan Stadium each week.

Char seemed like a go-to source for a reckoning of sorts at her beloved school this week.

John Beilein vs. Jim Harbaugh.

Even though the Wolverines' football coach is deeply embedded with spring practice, a Final Four run might as well have made his job performance a trending topic.  

There is a comparison to be made. If the school's two flagship coaches were a heartbeat, Beilein would be an even, constant line. Harbaugh would be a series of spikes.

Who's got it better than us?

Michigan basketball for one, Jim.

In his 11th year, Beilein is in his second Final Four. Harbaugh, well, about that. Char isn't the only one who has noticed Harbaugh hasn't gotten Michigan football to a championship level yet.

"I know them both," said Char, who is in town with her father attending the West Regional. "I go to their [weekly radio shows] and talk to them about stuff. Beilein is definitely the nicer guy, if that counts for anything."

It shouldn't. Harbaugh is Harbaugh. Coach Khaki is quirky. He can go to Rome for spring practice all he wants, but there's a bigger issue at hand.

Harbaugh is 1-5 against Ohio State and Michigan State going into his fourth season with Michigan. If anything, the basketball team's run to San Antonio is going to shine a light on the football team's lack of consistency.

"That's heartbreaking. That hurts," said Char, who reconciled that hole in the record with her time left on campus. "If he doesn't do well by my senior year, we'll have a problem."

Perhaps sooner. The Big Ten East threatens to be the toughest division in the sport next season. Where do you slot Michigan with Ohio State coming off a conference title, Michigan State returning 20-plus starters and Penn State coming off another 11-win season?

Last season, the Wolverines finished fourth in the division. The 8-5 record was Harbaugh's worst at the school.

"Honestly, if he doesn't beat Ohio State, he's done," said Rob Mlotkowski, a fan from San Diego. "It's Jim Harbaugh, but that's Michigan, man. If he's going to win a national championship, he's got to beat Ohio State."

Yikes, that's a bit strong.

"Harbaugh likes the spotlight, man," Mlotkowski said. "Beilein, he just does what he does."

 There is a phrase on the front of the Michigan warm-ups that almost sums up the difference in the two coaches: "Say Less, Do More."

CBS Sports roamed around L.A. Live over the weekend as Michigan fans covered the entertainment district. They accounted for about 90 percent of the fans at the Staples Center.

The essential question put to them: What's more important, advancing to the Final Four or getting quarterback Shea Patterson eligible this year?

CBS Sports has chronicled the transfer waiver sought by the former Ole Miss quarterback. Lord knows, Harbaugh could use his first difference-making quarterback at Michigan. If Patterson -- a 3,200-yard career passer in the SEC -- doesn't get his waiver to play immediately, he would be eligible in 2019.

"Patterson is one guy, which is amazing" Mlotkowski said. "How does Jim Harbaugh not get a quarterback? That's what everybody asks."

"You still have a five-star quarterback [on the roster], Dylan McCaffrey,"  Char said. "I wouldn't be picky. I'm a sophomore. I've got plenty of time for Shea Patterson to play. I'll be around."

These folks have a standard. There are two types of Michigan fans: opinionated and really opinionated. The base is large (575,000 living alumni), accomplished and prideful. Like Texas, USC, Notre Dame and many others, Wolverines believe their school is the absolute best.

But there is that reckoning to understand. This week isn't just about the Final Four. Michigan's run clashes right up against spring football. And spring football reminds what drives the bus at Michigan and pretty much every FBS school.

What would you rather have, Michigan, the best quarterback of the Harbaugh era or a Final Four?

"It's more important to win a championship," said Richard Watson, a 2009 Michigan graduate.

We'll assume he meant "in basketball."