With eight wins and two losses, No. 18-ranked Michigan is still within striking distance of the College Football Playoffs, which will release its final rankings on Dec. 7. The Wolverines have had plenty of controversies and sanctions to deal with this year, but they are still very much in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Other teams, such as Texas, USC, Notre Dame, Oregon, BYU, Utah, Vanderbilt, and Georgia Tech, are also aiming to get a spot in the Final 12, so the Wolverines need to win their last two games. The first one will be against the 4-6 Maryland Terrapins, but their last one will be the important one: No. 1-ranked Ohio State.
A win against Maryland would barely lift their rankings up, especially if the other teams also win. However, a win against Ohio State, the still-undefeated No. 1 team in the country, would place their rankings way up, even catapulting them to the final 12. The question now is, could the Wolverines pull that off?
Should Michigan lose any of these last two games, its season is effectively over, as a loss would mean that it would slide down the rankings even further. For now, they could only hope to win their next two games while also hoping that the schools ranked above them would also lose their final few games.
Analyst Believes Michigan Still Has A Chance To Make It To The College Football Playoffs
Several analysts, including FOX’s Joel Klatt, believe that the Michigan Wolverines still have a path to the College Football Playoffs, but only if they beat Ohio State. The Buckeyes are the clearest obstacle to Michigan’s run to the playoffs, and they must win that game to not just go up the rankings but also make the CFP selection committee think about Michigan.
“But here’s the deal, if, for some reason, Michigan does beat Ohio State and they’re 10-2, then you can start to look at their résumé and their eye test a lot differently than you would Texas. Michigan would be coming off six straight wins. They would’ve beaten the clear No. 1 team in the country by the committee’s standards. That’s the best win in the country. They would absolutely be in the bubble line.”
For now, though, Michigan must keep its focus and begin by beating Maryland first.
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