Paul Finebaum: Jim Harbaugh has nothing to fear in Rose Bowl 'because he's leaving'

For the third straight year, Jim Harbaugh and Michigan are in the College Football Playoff — and they’re looking to flip the script. The last two go-rounds in the CFP haven’t gone well for the Wolverines, to say the last, with back-to-back losses in the semifinals.

The hope is the third time will be the charm. But there’s a little more noise this time around. Michigan is in the midst of two investigations, and Harbaugh could be facing multiple Level I violations, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. All the while, there’s chatter about a potential return to the NFL.

As a result, Paul Finebaum said Harbaugh is more relaxed this CFP. The reason, he said, is because he’s likely out the door as soon as Michigan’s season ends.

“I think he needs to prove he can win a big game, but I don’t think he’s that concerned about it. I think he’s probably the loosest he’s ever been because he’s leaving,” Finebaum said on SEC Now Saturday. “This isn’t a mystery. Jim Harbaugh will not be there either Tuesday or the following Tuesday. He’s heavily in demand by the NFL.

“And I think that’s a scary thing, though. Because unlike the past couple of playoff appearances where he was tight and making really stupid decisions — I mean, this guy lost to TCU last year, which became a punchline for every pundit in the country this year during the CFP conversation about FSU. That, to me, is the intangible. Jim Harbaugh, really, doesn’t have anything to fear.”

It’s been an interesting season for Michigan this year, to say the least. It started with Harbaugh serving a self-imposed three-game suspension as a result of an investigation into alleged recruiting violations during the COVID dead period. At the center of the inquiry are comments Harbaugh made to investigators.

Later in the year, though, the sign-stealing scandal centered on Connor Stalions shook the college football world. That led the Big Ten to suspend Harbaugh for the rest of the regular season. He returned to the sidelines against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship, and he’ll stay there for the CFP semifinal against Alabama.

But there are still questions about what’s next for Harbaugh. He has connections to both current NFL head coach openings. Harbaugh played for the Los Angeles Chargers toward the end of his career when they were in San Diego. Then, he got his coaching start with the Las Vegas Raiders while they were in Oakland. He served as the quarterbacks coach from 2002-03.

When asked about the NFL rumors this week, though, Harbaugh said his focus is on the task at hand.

“Such a one-track mind,” Harbaugh said after the Rose Bowl welcome parade at Disneyland on Wednesday. “That’s the way we’ve gone about things. Literally, whatever day we’re in, looking to get the most out of it, dominate the day. Then we’ll go to sleep tonight, wake up tomorrow and see if we can’t dominate that day.

“It’s a single-minded group that’s very focused on just taking care of business today and see if we can’t do the same tomorrow.”