Will the CFP National Championship be Jim Harbaugh’s last game at Michigan? | College Football Enquirer
Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel and Ross Dellenger are joined by Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated to discuss the likelihood of the Wolverines' embattled head coach leaving the team following Monday night's game against Washington. Hear the full conversation on the “College Football Enquirer” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
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DAN WETZEL: Is this Harbaugh's last game? Ross? College game. He's coaching somewhere next year. Suspended, maybe not. Who knows?
ROSS DELLENGER: Yeah. My guess is, yeah, that this is his last college game. I guess maybe not forever, but certainly in this run at Michigan. I think-- I think he moves on to the NFL. We know the last two or three years, he's kind of attempted, you know, he's flirted with some NFL jobs. He maybe even was a finalist for a handful.
I think this is probably the year, all of this together, you know, especially if they win the championship, going out with a Natty, if you do close it out. Number two, all the NCAA stuff. Remember, the Big Ten is the one who suspended Jim Harbaugh, not the NCAA. So you're looking at three to six game, maybe, next year that he's suspended for. That would be number two, right? Knowing that, you would think that he would go.
DAN WETZEL: Pat, last game for Michigan?
PAT FORDE: Yeah, if I had to guess, I would guess yes. He's got to have a landing spot. Somebody at the NFL has to say, yes, we want to hire you. I think the Chargers would be ideal. Go link up with Justin Herbert, play in that phenomenal stadium, and get people there that way. I don't think you want to go play for the lunatic David Tepper in Carolina. I think that if there is a good landing spot, he would go.
I would imagine Michigan wants to keep him. But I think the suspension is at least three to six. And the other factor here, there was a proposal that was put forward in October to be discussed at this convention here in, like, next week about coaches not just being suspended on game day, being suspended all week, which would up the ante. If he's suspended for six weeks, he's out for six weeks.
Like, he's not coaching practice, he's not doing game plan footage, at least not in the office. He may be doing it all from home. And that could make a suspension much more meaningful than just having Sherrone Moore coach on game day. So all those things got to get factored in and figure out, you know, what's his incentive to go, what's his incentive to stay? My guess is he goes. But I'm just guessing because Jim Harbaugh has got to be the hardest person to predict in college football.
DAN WETZEL: Yeah. He needs the Chargers to offer him the job. I mean, that's the big thing. They have to be willing to pay him.
PAT FORDE: Yep.
DAN WETZEL: Raiders, the other one he was really linked to, Antonio Pierce may keep that job. The Bears may be staying put. Panthers, obviously, is open. Commanders could open. The Falcons could open. The Patriots, I don't see that. He needs someone to hire him. So--
PAT FORDE: Right.
DAN WETZEL: --personally, I hope he stays because, like I said when I wanted Urban Meier to come back, he's great for content.
PAT FORDE: Yeah.
DAN WETZEL: But if I were him, I'd be like, yeah, look, you don't want me. Especially if he wins the title, I'm out of here.