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Jim Harbaugh led Michigan to the mountain top of college football with a victory over Washington in the 2024 National Championship and is now taking his talents to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Wolverines remain among the early favorites to win the 2025 National Championship, though the Wolverines’ odds took a hit following the news.

After leading Big Blue to a combined record of 11-8 in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Harbaugh was on the hot seat. Then, he beat Ohio State, won the Big Ten Championship, and made the College Football Playoff in three consecutive years.

Harbaugh has been successful at every stop of his head coaching career, including the University of San Diego, Stanford, the 49ers, and Michigan. He’s been viewed as the favorite to land the Chargers job for weeks, and the betting odds reflected it.

According to statements from Michigan president Santa Ono and athletic director Warde Manuel, the two were ready to make Harbaugh the highest-paid coach in college football. But the 60-year-old served two three-game suspensions this past regular season, and with the possibility of more NCAA punishments coming in 2024, now seems to be an optimal time to leave for the NFL.

Harbaugh’s exit is guaranteed to impact the upcoming College Football Playoff, and Michigan’s 2025 National Championship odds have already seen a minor decline.

Michigan 2025 National Championship odds: Wolverines fall to +1400 after Harbaugh’s departure

Georgia holds the shortest odds to win the 2025 National Championship, followed by Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, LSU, Oregon, and Michigan.

A 30-day window is open for Wolverine players to join the transfer portal, and maintaining as much talent as possible will be a key responsibility of Big Blue’s next head coach. ESPN’s Chris Low reports that barring any unforeseen circumstances, offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore will likely be promoted to head coach.

Moore joined Harbaugh’s staff as the tight ends coach in 2018 and has slowly worked his way up to OC. Moore was Michigan’s acting head coach for one of the first three games Harbaugh was suspended for early last season. He assumed the role for each of the final three games of Harbaugh’s second suspension and earned vital wins over No. 10 Penn State and No. 2 Ohio State.

Hiring an in-house candidate to replace Moore would maintain continuity and likely be a helpful tool in retaining the players currently on the roster. Michigan has several players expected to hear their names called in the 2025 NFL Draft, including potential first-rounders Will Johnson, Kenneth Grant, Mason Graham, and Colston Loveland.

The College Football Playoff is expanding the 12 teams next season, giving Michigan and other teams more room for error. A two-loss team has never made the CFP in the four-team era, but that’s bound to change in 2024.

2024 Big Ten Championship odds: Michigan projects to have third-best odds behind Ohio State and Oregon

Odds for the 2024 Big Ten Championship haven’t been released, though it’s safe to assume Michigan will trail Ohio State and Oregon, as they’re the only Big Ten teams with better National Championship odds.

The additions of Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA will make the conference as competitive as ever, and the Wolverines’ 2024 schedule proves it. Michigan had one of the easiest power-five schedules last year, with only two matchups against AP-ranked teams, and the first didn’t come until mid-November.

The 2024 regular season is the complete opposite, as Big Blue has one of the toughest schedules in the nation. Michigan hosts Texas, USC, and Oregon and hits the road vs. Washington and Ohio State.

The Big Ten East has traditionally been superior to the West, with the previous 11 Big Ten champions coming from the East. But the Big Ten is doing away with divisions next season, meaning there will no longer be a log jam between Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State in the East, while the West sends a far inferior opponent to the championship.

The new structure also gives the Wolverines more opportunities to play the weaker teams formerly in the West, like Minnesota, Illinois, and Northwestern.

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