Jim Harbaugh has a farewell message ready for Michigan if he leaves for the NFL

To the victors go the spoils, but what happens if the victors lose? That is in play for Monday night's national championship game between the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines and the No. 2 Washington Huskies. This is Jim Harbaugh's alma mater's third straight trip to the College Football Playoff, finally winning a national semifinal a week ago over the Alabama Crimson Tide in a Rose Bowl for the ages.

Fate would have it, we find ourselves in the same predicament with Harbaugh. Where is he going to go? He played flirt with the Minnesota Vikings big time two offseasons ago before returning to Ann Arbor. Last offseason saw him have some level of interest with the Denver Broncos. Now, it appears that he just might leave the college football game behind for real this time and head back to the NFL.

With the amount of noise surrounding the Michigan program, I could understand why Harbaugh may bounce to the league. He just turned 60, and his older brother John is still having the time of his life coaching the Baltimore Ravens over in the AFC, now in his 16th-straight year with the team. A loss to Washington probably means he has to stay, but if he wins, that may give him enough clearance to turn pro anyway. He can do whatever he wants.

When asked if he had a farewell message ready for his players if he were to depart for the NFL, Harbaugh offered us all this: "My message to my guys is play as hard as you can, as fast as you can as long as you can, and don't worry. And just go have at it. Let's go let it rip."

It may be Grade A coachspeak, but I would venture to guess Harbaugh is more likely than not to leave. He did hire Don Yee to be his new agent, the guy most famous for representing Tom Brady for years.

Jim Harbaugh has a message prepared for his players if he is NFL-bound

Michigan is more talented than Washington, but it has been one distraction after another this year, many of which are Harbaugh-created. From burgers to stealing signs to possibly leaving for the NFL, Michigan's final test this season is to not beat itself. The Wolverines do have a nasty habit of playing with the food, something the underdog Huskies are more than well-equipped to take advantage of.

What you also need to consider is everything is lining up perfectly for Harbaugh to leave. The first three teams with openings have connections to Harbaugh: The Las Vegas Raiders, Carolina Panthers, and Los Angeles Chargers. He played for the latter two and coached with the first. There is also a chance the Chicago Bears could open up, as well as a handful of other teams who are out of the mix.

Whether it be going out on top or potential sanctions from the NCAA looming, Harbaugh has plenty of reasons to head back to the pro game if he wants to. Again, he can do whatever he wants. However, you do not see his counterpart in the College Football Playoff National Championship game in Kalen DeBoer talking about what could be next, other than the biggest game of his life ahead Monday night.

Until he definitively denies any interest in the NFL game, Harbaugh feels like he is as good as gone.