Jim Harbaugh rumors: How latest NFL coaching speculation affects Michigan's Rose Bowl game vs Alabama

Jim Harbaugh will chase the ever-elusive national championship with the Michigan Wolverines in January when his team faces Nick Saban's Alabama in the Rose Bowl CFP semifinal.

The Wolverines and Harbaugh blew their chances last year when they lost 51-45 to TCU in the Fiesta Bowl, a game mired by mistakes galore by the Big Ten powerhouse.

When Harbaugh came back to college football in 2014, experts assumed that a national title would quickly follow. Almost 10 years later, it has not happened. That has made the coach a bit of a chimera in the world of football, being one of the few successful NFL coaches to take the step down to college football.

Considering that and after three consecutive Big Ten championships, rumors have started that Harbaugh might be done with college football. In his last stint in the NFL, he was just a few yards away from winning the Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers.

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How could NFL interest affect Jim Harbaugh's Rose Bowl?

The interest he has gathered is sure to have an effect on Harbaugh: give him more focus.

If anything, leaving for the NFL next year would mean that this is Harbaugh's last shot at a national title. If the coach doesn't want to see this period as an absolute waste of time, he needs to gather something more than three Big Ten titles.

At the moment, there's one key stain in Jim Harbaugh's tenure at Michigan: his postseason record. He's 1-6, which by no measure can be considered as successful. Victory in this year's CFP would help mask this gap, as history will mainly remember the ictory.

Another reason why Jim Harbaugh will be hard-pressed for victory is that defeat could make teams in the NFL think twice about hiring him. Reputations change quickly in sports, and his stock could quickly tank with a defeat.

Hence, this could be Harbaugh's last shot at an NFL job, and he wouldn't want to squander the chance.