Michigan Football: What A Rose Bowl Win, Loss Would Mean For Jim Harbaugh

The Michigan Wolverines have enjoyed an incredible turnaround under head coach Jim Harbaugh over the last three seasons, but a lack of postseason success still leaves plenty of room for growth.

This year's edition of the College Football Playoff features a Rose Bowl matchup between two blue blood programs, as No. 1 Michigan squares off against No. 4 Alabama in Pasadena on New Year's Day. 

For Alabama's Nick Saban, the College Football Playoff is familiar territory. Since the inception of the CFP back in 2014, the Crimson Tide have had more playoff appearances than any other program in college football (8). Out of the eight appearances, Alabama has made it to the national championship game six times - hauling in three national championships as a result. When it comes to postseason success in the CFP, no college football program has achieved more than Alabama under Saban. 

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For Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, the College Football Playoff hasn't been quite as kind. Although the Wolverines are set to make their third straight appearance in the CFP, Michigan's previous two trips ended with losses to Georgia (2021) and TCU (2022). To make matters worse, Harbaugh's postseason record since taking over in Ann Arbor stands at just 1-6, with his only bowl game win occurring back in 2015 during his first season at Michigan. 

Given all that's at stake for Michigan in this year's CFP Semifinal against Alabama, the outcome of the Rose Bowl matchup will certainly carry significant weight for Harbaugh's legacy at the University of Michigan one way or another. 

What a loss would mean

Let's get the worst case scenario out of the way first. A Michigan loss to Alabama in the Rose Bowl would be an awful way to end such an incredible season. The Wolverines enter the matchup undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the polls for the first time since 1997, and this is by far the most complete team that Jim Harbaugh has had in his nine seasons at Michigan. 

The Wolverines feature the top quarterback and running back in the Big Ten Conference (JJ McCarthy and Blake Corum), an offensive line that is full of future NFL Draft picks, and a defensive unit that currently ranks No. 2 nationally in total defense and No. 1 in scoring defense. There's no doubt that Alabama is a formidable opponent, but this Michigan Football team is perfectly equipped to deal with whatever Saban plans on throwing at them.

A loss would move Harbaugh's postseason record to 1-7 overall, including 0-3 in the CFP - putting an end to his best shot at capturing college football's ultimate prize with his most talented team. Although a three-game winning streak over Ohio State and three consecutive Big Ten titles would certainly help soften the blow of a potential Rose Bowl loss to Alabama, there's no doubt that it would feel like Michigan let a golden opportunity slip through its fingers again. 

What a win would mean

With a win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl, the Michigan Wolverines would punch their ticket to Houston to play for a national championship against Washington or Texas. It would be a critical next step for a program that has made an incredible turnaround over the last three seasons. 

A win would signal that the Michigan Wolverines are indeed a legitimate national championship contender, capable of going outside of the conference and competing with the top programs nationally. A win would also change the narrative of Harbaugh's postseason woes in a very big way. There's no question that winning cures all, and a Semifinal win in the Rose Bowl against Bama would be the perfect cure for a 1-6 postseason record. 

When Harbaugh accepted the job at Michigan back in 2014, the general belief was that a national championship would soon follow. Although it has taken longer than expected to get there, making an appearance in this year's national championship game would place Harbaugh on the doorstep of becoming recognized as the greatest head coach in Michigan Football history.