Jim Harbaugh had plenty of praise for Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy after his 3-touchdown performance in the Rose Bowl on Monday.

McCarthy helped the Wolverines to a 27-20 win in overtime over Alabama. His night included the game-tying touchdown with just over 90 seconds remaining in the game to send the contest to overtime.

McCarthy has now led Michigan to back-to-back Big Ten Championships and College Football Playoff appearances. Harbaugh said McCarthy’s résumé in college football is better than any quarterback who has come before him in Ann Arbor.

“I’ve said it before, but right here, this is the greatest quarterback in University of Michigan – college football history,” Harbaugh said. “Got a long way to go to get to get where Tom Brady eventually got to, which is the GOAT.

“But in a college career there’s been nobody at Michigan better than JJ. I know we talk about it an amalgamation of quarterbacks. He is that guy.”

For the first time ever, Michigan will play in the national championship game (Michigan’s last national title came at the end of the 1997 season, one year before the start of the BCS era). The Wolverines will await the winner of Texas vs. Washington in the other semifinal.

Kickoff of the national championship game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 8.