On Monday, the Big Ten received official confirmation of what most of us already figured. With Jim Harbaugh back, Michigan is the team to beat in 2023.

Michigan’s good news began with a Monday morning trickle that worked up into an afternoon crescendo.

Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud finally entered the NFL Draft on deadline day. The Buckeyes will start anew behind center, whether with a quarterback currently in Columbus or a late transfer portal entry.

Michigan, on the other hand, got another piece of good news on its own roster. Receiver Cornelius Johnson is the latest in a parade of Michigan stars to announce his return for next season.

Then, around 5 p.m. Eastern, the most important piece fell into place: Michigan president Santa Ono announced Harbaugh is back.

Contract details are pending, but they are just that — details. No amount of fine print changes the fact the Wolverines will be favored to three-peat as Big Ten champs for the first time since their string of 5 straight titles from 1988-92.

And despite back-to-back College Football Playoff duds, Michigan is well-positioned for its first national title since 1997.

Whether the Wolverines actually finish the job is cause for skepticism, of course. But when it comes to returning veteran talent, no team looks better on paper than Michigan.

Those who stay will be champions?

Harbaugh’s first public statement since being connected to this year’s NFL coaching rumor mill was oddly vague.

Harbaugh didn’t say that he would be back in 2023. Only that he “expected” to be back at Michigan. But he also closed his mixed message with a statement of intent, quoting mentor Bo Schembechler: “Those who stay will be champions.”

That phrase continued to be a theme among Michigan players who decided to forego this year’s NFL Draft.

The following draft-eligible players have all recently announced they’ll be returning in 2023:

  • RB Blake Corum — 1,463 rushing yards, 18 TD in 2023
  • RG Zak Zinter — 2nd team all-B1G in 2023
  • LG Trevor Keegan — 1st team all-B1G in 2023
  • DT Kris Jenkins — led Michigan defensive line with 54 tackles, all-B1G honorable mention
  • WR Cornelius Johnson — Team-high 6 TD catches in 2023
  • LB Mike Barrett — 2nd on team with 72 tackles, 3rd with 3.5 sacks, 3rd team all-B1G

All of that talent is on top of what Michigan knew it would already have back.

That list begins with quarterback JJ McCarthy, who will continue growing in his 2nd season as a starter. It also includes running back Donovan Edwards, who was at his best giving the Wolverines a 1-2 punch with Corum. Roman Wilson, who was 2nd on the team behind Johnson in yards per catch, also returns.

Defensively, leading tackler Junior Colson is back at linebacker. So is safety Rod Moore, who will almost surely be an all-B1G player next season. Moore led the Wolverines with 4 interceptions and was 3rd with 71 tackles. Freshman All-American cornerback Will Johnson might make the big-boy All-American team next year, or at least all-Big Ten.

Like every other college football team, Michigan has holes to plug.

Olu Oluwatimi will be the first center taken in the NFL Draft. Luke Schoonmaker leaves a void at tight end that was made perfectly evident in his absence against TCU. For the 2nd straight season, Michigan loses its top-2 edge rushers.

But Harbaugh has already worked to patch these holes, which is part of what made his latest NFL flirtation so strange in the first place. 247 Sports rates Michigan’s transfer class 7th nationally.

Coastal Carolina transfer Josaiah Stewart fills a void at edge rusher. Indiana transfer AJ Barner takes care of the tight end opening. A trio of veteran Pac-12 offensive linemen — center Drake Nugent (Stanford), tackle Myles Hinton (Stanford) and interior lineman LaDarius Henderson (Arizona State) — will help keep the offensive line rolling.

Michigan is Georgia’s most capable challenger

Georgia, which is already the early betting favorite to win its third straight national title, will have many more holes to fill than Michigan.

Quarterback Stetson Bennett IV is finally done playing college football. So is dominant defensive lineman Jalen Carter, who is a surefire top-10 draft pick. Talented defensive backs Kelee Ringo and Christopher Smith are also NFL-bound.

The Bulldogs have a boatload of talent coming back, led by all-universe tight end Brock Bowers. They lost even more talent to last year’s NFL Draft and still repeated as national champs. The Dawgs are the definitive team to beat until further notice.

But Michigan shouldn’t be behind Alabama and Ohio State in the early odds, which it still is. With Harbaugh back, Michigan isn’t merely the team to beat in the Big Ten. The Wolverines are Georgia’s most viable challenger.

That which is true on paper doesn’t always translate onto the field. Michigan’s performance against TCU in the CFP semifinal is a perfect example.

Those who stay are not guaranteed to be champions. But at this stage of the offseason, it’s hard to find many teams with a better chance than the Wolverines.