HOUSTON -- There was a not-so-subtle question lingering Monday night as Jim Harbaugh walked off the NRG Stadium field after winning the College Football Playoff National Championship. The ultimate Michigan Man had become a maize & blue legend beating Washington 34-13 for Michigan's first national title since 1997.
Now what?
That query will continue hanging in the air longer than some of Michael Penix Jr.'s misaimed passes Monday night. In continuing not to provide an answer in the aftermath of the Wolverines' dominant victory over the Huskies, Harbaugh was as stalwart as his defense that held down the nation's No. 1 passing attack.
"I just want to enjoy this," Harbaugh told the media. "I hope you give me that. Can a guy have that? Does it always have to be, 'What's next? What's the future?'"
It does when a now-national championship coach is stiff-arming not only his employers but his program and its adoring fans. They deserve to know sooner than later because Harbaugh is just that damn good. Perhaps too good for Michigan at this point.
"He certainly has fulfilled [his destiny]," Michigan president Santa Ono said. "I hope he stays. I'm going to do everything I can to encourage him to stay, but if he doesn't, the Michigan tradition will move on."
Add college football to that list of entities hanging on Harbaugh's decision. With Harbaugh donning his block "M" cap, Michigan threatens to become a dynasty. Without him, well, what is that saying about never being the guy to follow the guy? The next Michigan coach -- suspected to be offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore if there is an opening -- has a big pair of khakis to fill.
And no matter what comes from the dual ongoing NCAA investigations, it has become clear that Monday's achievement will ultimately overshadow it. Harbaugh's name will be etched in granite somewhere around Michigan Stadium with the likes of Fritz Crisler, Bo Schembechler and the last coach to win it all 26 years ago, Lloyd Carr. Maybe Harbaugh will even get a statue.
Vacated wins? You can't vacate what we saw on the field. For the first time in CFP National Championship history, two running backs went for more than 100 yards on the ground (Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards). The Wolverines' 303 yards rushing were not only more than the Huskies' total yardage in the game (301) but the most on the ground by a national title winner in the BCS/CFP era (since 1998). Meanwhile, Washington and its top-ranked passing offense was held to its lowest point total of the season with Michigan going through a 15-game campaign not allowing a single team to score more than 24 points.
Penix, the Huskies' star quarterback and a Heisman Trophy finalist, completed only 15 of 30 passes for 157 yards to his vaunted wide receiver group.
That amounts to one hell of a potential walk off for a man who after the game promised to follow through by getting a "15-0" tattoo (along with a maize & blue block "M") on his shoulder.
"Michigan vs. Everybody" wasn't hyperbole anymore after these Wolverines became the fourth team since the late 1800s to win 15 games in a season. (All those teams have come since 2018.) In that sense, Michigan has joined the modern age of college football by taking it back to the stone age a bit.
"I think it's a testament to the way football was designed to be played," said Steve Hutchinson, an offensive lineman on Michigan's 1997 championship team who earlier Monday was named to the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame class. "There are always going to be fads. The game has turned into a passing game. When you can play defense and fundamentals and win the line of scrimmage … you're going to win football games."
And Michigan may just be getting started after a third consecutive CFP appearance. Since November 2015, five teams have been ranked No. 1 by AP voters: Alabama (74 weeks), Georgia (36), Clemson (23), LSU (eight) and Michigan (twice).
"I think it's clear this is the best team in the history of Michigan football," Hutchinson added. "When you go through the things this team went through this year -- losing Jim twice to suspension and finding a way to be focused [is impressive]."
Perhaps the biggest accomplishment was etching something else in stone: Harbaugh's way works whether you like it or not. Whether he lied to NCAA investigators or oversaw a program illegally stealing signs will be shoved to the background eventually because the association's enforcement division is becoming as toothless as a toddler and the country likes its American Dream in a nice, tidy package.
"Nothing fancy here," Harbaugh said. "Nothing surprising .… None of us are taking a deep, long bow because we knew it was good, old-fashioned teamwork."
The journey took nine long years. It took trying to win (big) with quarterbacks named John O'Korn and Jake Rudock. It took breaking an eight-game losing streak against Ohio State that started before Harbaugh arrived but ended on his watch in 2021, the season after COVID-19. That was also after Harbaugh agreed to having his salary cut. He bet on himself by staying while simultaneously continuing to show NFL interest.
That interest hasn't waned until Harbaugh says out loud that he's staying for good. Meanwhile, the university reportedly has a nine-figure extension on the table ready to be signed.
At times, it was inexorable and unsavory. Connor Stalions is still hanging around the program (at least as a fan), it seems. But that is part of the Harbaugh experience; he's unconventional, weird, stubborn and endearing.
Is he also gone?
I asked Harbaugh directly what boxes were left to check in his career after reaching the mountaintop on college football's grandest stage.
"That'll check the biggest box," said Harbaugh, who then referenced his dad Jack's FCS championship with Western Kentucky in 2002 and his brother John's Super Bowl title with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013.
"I get to sit at the big-person's table now," he added. "That feels really good. Just to be the only coach in your only family that hasn't won a national title or Super Bowl, the championship, that feels great, personally."
Let's spell it out for him, then. The next challenge is the NFL and that Super Bowl. Harbaugh might be tempted to join the short list of coaches who have won both: Pete Carroll, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer.
In his career, Harbaugh has resurrected Stanford, gotten to the big game with the San Francisco 49ers and spent nearly a decade waking the echoes at his alma mater. At age 60, having put at least a temporary stop to college football's offensive revolution, the pros have to be the next stop, don't they?
"I would hope not," Hutchinson said. "Is that box checked where he feels like there is nothing more that he can do? That's his decision, but every alum, every guy that ever played here that roots for this team and has a vested interest, selfishly, we want him back."
Monday's accomplishment may have never happened without a nugget of fortune. Bo Schembechler kicked the then-freshman Harbaugh out of one of his first team meetings as a player when he was 10 minutes late. The young quarterback thought he had been kicked off the team for good but eventually worked his way back into Bo's good graces.
Fast forward to fast-moving indicators. Harbaugh at least hinted he was coming back. In an interview early Tuesday morning with ESPN's Scott Van Pelt, Harbaugh remarked that spring practice usually starts around Feb. 14 "because we love football," but he might push practice back a month because the Wolverines have a celebration ahead.
However, signs of the NFL were certainly around, too. Ravens coach John Harbaugh showed up on the sidelines and was shown on camera hugging his brother. Former and current Baltimore general managers Ozzie Newsome and DeCosta were both in attendance, as were other members of John's current staff .
If you need it spelled out, the Harbaugh family will now gather during holidays with both Super Bowl championship and national championship ring sitting around that big kid's table.
Jack Harbaugh told the story of his son calling nine years ago asking whether he should even take the Michigan job.
"My wife was pessimistic. She said, 'It was hard to go home. It may not be what you wanted,'" the Harbaugh patriarch recounted. "I said, 'Jim, you played here. You ran around the stadium. Bo got on your tail and chewed you out for the little things you did. You need to come back and see if you can't put Michigan in its rightful place in intercollegiate football.
"He's still working on it."
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