Playoff finale caps season of turmoil

Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer, left, and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh shake hands near the trophy after a news conference ahead of the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game between Washington and Michigan Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, in Houston. The game will be played Monday. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez)

HOUSTON — Michigan vs. Washington is just about the perfect way to end the 2023 college football season, a matchup of unbeatens that hits all the major themes and storylines of the past five months from conference realignment to the transfer portal — with Jim Harbaugh as the main character.

Harbaugh’s top-ranked Wolverines (14-0) face Michael Penix Jr. and the second-ranked Huskies (14-0) tonight at NRG Stadium in the last national title game before the College Football Playoff expands from four teams to 12.