Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy is now 26-1 as a starting quarterback. He's never lost to rival Ohio State. He's been part of three Big Ten Champions, the starter for two. His only loss came in the College Football Playoff against TCU last season, but now, with a Rose Bowl victory against Alabama, he has his playoff victory. McCarthy is one win away from a different immortality, winning a National Championship at Michigan.

Despite that resume, the question we continue to hear regarding McCarthy's NFL future is, can he be a winner in the league? Can he be the reason a team won a game?

After Michigan's first drive of the 4th quarter ended with a Donovan Edwards drop, McCarthy went 6-7 for 87 yards and a touchdown. McCarthy hit Blake Corum on a massive 4th down conversion late in the 4th quarter before also connecting with Roman Wilson on the game-tying touchdown. In a game where McCarthy wasn't perfect, he did what matters most, he led his team to victory. A victory head coach Jim Harbaugh said began immediately following that loss to TCU.

"The team was just not going to be denied," Harbaugh said. "J.J. said it when he walked off this same podium last year in the semifinal game. He said, 'We're going to be back.' What he told me was not only are we going to be back, we're going to win. And there he did."

Harbaugh hasn't been shy when comparing McCarthy to other successful quarterbacks. Saying that, his combination of talent and leadership reminded him of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen earlier this year. Of course, when it comes to Michigan and you start talking greatness, you can't ignore the greatest of all time.

"And in overtime against Alabama, I think the last quarterback to win in overtime against Alabama was none other than Tom Brady."

Michigan's overtime victory over Alabama in the 2000 Orange Bowl was the bow on Brady's time at Michigan. What was to come was the greatest career for a quarterback in NFL history. We don't know what McCarthy's NFL career will be, and Harbaugh isn't looking to guess. But when it comes to careers at Michigan, Harbaugh knows where McCarthy ranks in his mind.

"I've said it before, but right here, this is the greatest quarterback in University of Michigan -- college football history. Got a long way to go to get to get where Tom Brady eventually got to, which is the GOAT. He lapped the field when it comes to that."

The praise from Harbaugh is significant. Harbaugh has watched quarterbacks at Michigan since he was young, cheering Rick Leach from the sidelines. One of the best quarterbacks in Michigan Football history himself, Harbaugh places J.J. at the top.

"But in a college career, there's been nobody at Michigan better than J.J. I know we talk about it, an amalgamation of quarterbacks. He is that guy."

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