The college football season provides fodder for many hypothetical conversations on a number of topics. One such discussion this summer revolves around the most likely head coach in the country to claim his first national title. Given that there are only a handful of active coaches that actually have won titles, this makes a ton of sense and Jim Harbaugh of Michigan has been a very common answer.
With that said, ESPN's Paul Finebaum has a long history of doubting Harbaugh and chiding Michigan fans. This week, he did both yet again.
It isn't necessarily a slight to suggest, as Finebaum does, that coaches like Georgia's Kirby Smart and Texas head coach Tom Herman would be more likely to win. After all, both coaches operate blue blood programs in talent-rich areas and seem to have things going in the right direction.
However, Harbaugh is a near-consensus pick for a reason, as Michigan's pedigree isn't in real question and Harbaugh has turned the program back into a national contender seemingly overnight. While the Wolverines do lose a ton of talent from the 2016 team, Harbaugh's staff has recruited at an elite level and, based on the recent past, Michigan is in a better position to "win now" than either Georgia or Texas.
In the end, the programs that employ coaches that have already won titles are the most likely to win again in 2017. Paul Finebaum just happens to disagree with the most likely coach to win outside of that group.
