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Tuesday night was the release of the very first College Football Playoff rankings for the 2023 season. There was no doubt that of a bit of surprise in the top-4, that included No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Michigan, and No. 4 Florida State. Each team at this point and maybe thereafter when the final rankings are released will have plenty of room for debate. Michigan, however, should be grateful for where they are.
Coming into this first CFP ranking, the talk with Michigan football has been anything but that of playoff contention or national championship aspirations. For the last couple of weeks, Michigan and head coach Jim Harbaugh have been scrutinized over a sign-stealing scandal that has been taking place over the last year or so, involving a staff member attending games of future opponents or potential opponents around the country. This, of course, has landed the Michigan program in some hot water, though nothing official has been announced or punishment has been handed out from the NCAA, the university or the Big Ten conference. The NCAA is investigating, however.
Michigan football began the year in a bit of controversy to begin with when the university decided to suspend Harbaugh for four games for recruiting violations that occurred during the 2020 Covid season. This is continuing to be a troubling trend now for the Michigan football program under Harbaugh, which can't seem to stay out of the NCAA's sight, although it is by their own hand. And that's one reason why Michigan and their fans should be grateful for the high ranking they got, as it could have been worse.
Could the CFP committee have used Michigan football's alleged sign-stealing to determine their ranking?
With the way in which the CFP rankings are constructed through a committee of voters, they could have been easily swayed by Michigan's recent allegations. It's impossible to read or predict the minds of the voters, or really insinuate anything, but it really would have been of no surprise to have seen Michigan left out of the top-4. The committee could have viewed Harbaugh and his staff's attempts to get a leg up on their competition, and more importantly, the depths to which they allegedly went to them, as a strike against them as much as a loss would have been.
That doesn't seem to be the case, however, as Michigan's sign-stealing accusations played no part in the voting discussions, said CFP committee chair Boo Corrigan, according to Stewart Mandel. “It's an NCAA issue, not a CFP issue.” That also means should the NCAA or Big Ten hand down punishments mid-season, it technically would have no merit on the CFP committee's decision on their ranking.
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Michigan's weak schedule did them no favors
More than likely, the real reason why Michigan football was ranked No. 3 and not No. 1 or No. 2 is because of their schedule. The Wolverines haven't played a single ranked opponent this season. They've obliterated their competition, outscoring them 325-47, as they should have. And their combined opponents' win-loss record is 31-33.
The Washington Huskies had a clear advantage over the Wolverines that was deserving to be in the top-4. They've only played one ranked opponent to date, but that opponent was then the No. 8 Oregon Ducks in a top-10 showdown. Sure, the Huskies haven't played their best since, but they are still undefeated and have one of the best wins in the country right now on their resume.
Michigan football resides in the most top-heavy conference in college football. It's a three-team race essentially between them, Ohio State, and Penn State. And with James Franklin's Penn State record of 4-15 against the Wolverines and Buckeyes, it feels more like a two-team race. The Wolverines will finally get their opportunity in two out of the last three weeks of the regular season when they face Penn State and Ohio State, which would presumably, should they win, give them two top-25 wins.
