Michigan Beats Washington: 1st National Championship for Harbaugh

Michigan beat Washington on Monday night to secure its first national championship in this century.

It's Jim Harbaugh's first national championship, and according to our colleague Brett McMurphy, he very well could be coaching an NFL team come next fall.

Michigan had opened the season as a +900 underdog to win it all, behind traditional favorites — and foes — Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State. In fact, one bettor got in at Michigan for $50,000 at +850. That bettor netted $425,000.

With the Wolverines' win, eight of the last nine national champions have entered the season as +1000 underdogs or below. The only exception was LSU in 2019 at 25-1. That team famously went undefeated at 15-0 with Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase leading what many consider one of the best college football teams of all time.

Michigan's season was rife with turmoil amid a sign-stealing scandal and allegations of recruiting violations that resulted in Harbaugh missing six regular-season games, including a de facto Big Ten East championship game against Ohio State.

Washington had been a roughly +5000 longshot coming into the season, and it will be again for 2024-25, when plenty of changes are upcoming to the college football landscape. This game in particular — Michigan vs. Washington — will take place in Seattle next season with Washington joining the Big Ten.

In addition, a 12-game playoff will commence next year, which will nix a Florida State-type controversy, moving those conversations down the ranks toward the No. 11, No. 12 and No. 13 teams overall.

Michigan is the fifth-best favorite across college football next season, according to the market, behind Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State and Texas. Washington will be a +5000 underdogs despite this year's performance, with top players quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and wide receiver Rome Odunze planning to play in the NFL.