Final takeaways from College Football Playoff semifinals

This year's College Football Playoff semifinals were epic. That makes it two years in a row that we got a pair of really good semifinal games.

Last season, we saw TCU upset Michigan football, while Georgia barely survived an upset bid by Ohio State as the Buckeyes missed a game-winning kick.

Seeking its first win in the College Football Playoff, Michigan football rallied from a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter to knock off Alabama and Nick Saban, 27-20. Washington also beat a future SEC team and staved off a late rally from Texas to punch its ticket to the College Football Playoff National Championship game.

It's the first appearance for both teams. The Huskies are seeking their first national title since 1991. Michigan football is seeking its first since 1997.

Here are the final takeaways from the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Michigan football, Jim Harbaugh keep proving people wrong

It's funny to look back a few years. College football pundits said Jim Harbaugh couldn't beat Ohio State or beat his rivals or win the Big Game. Then, it was that he couldn't win in the College Football Playoff.

Michigan may have been a slight favorite but most of the experts picked Alabama to win. But Jim Harbaugh outcoached Nick Saban and his Wolverines out-played the Crimson Tide. Michigan should have won the game before overtime if not forced all the unforced errors.

But that final drive was clutch and it was the kind of thing championships seasons are made of. This Michigan team has gotten plenty of criticism for the sign-gate stuff, but they have beaten four ranked teams in five games since then, including Ohio State and Alabama. There's no fluke in that and Connor Stalions was removed from the equation long ago.

Michigan proved its elite and that it belongs among college football's best.