The Michigan Wolverines have had a spectacular season, rolling to an 11-0 record as they head into Saturday’s regular-season ending confrontation with archrival Ohio State.
The Wolverines are the No. 3 team in the College Football Playoff rankings, while the Buckeyes are the No. 2 team. Michigan has taken care of business both at home and on the road, but going to Columbus is clearly a more difficult assignment than playing the Buckeyes in Ann Arbor.
If Michigan pays a solid game but loses, they should not be eliminated from playoff contention. In fact, their spot should be cemented if they can stay within one score of the Buckeyes. Michigan should be higher in the CFP rankings than their rivals. Here’s why:
Michigan has answered every question
Michigan has not had a misstep this season, and they have rolled over nearly every opponent they have faced with the exception of a strong Illinois team last week.
The Wolverines were under significant pressure throughout the game as the Illini have one of the strongest defensive teams in the Big Ten and they took a lead in the second half. Even though Michigan was playing without star running back Blake Corum –he got injured in the first half and had just one carry in the second – the Wolverines hung in against Illinois. The Wolverines earned the win when PK Jake Moody kicked his fourth field goal of the game to give Michigan a 19-17 triumph.
Prior to that close call, Michigan routed its other opponents with the exception of Maryland, and that was a 7-point victory.
Michigan’s most impressive win this season a 41-17 victory over Penn State. That victory over one of the top teams in the nation demonstrated Michigan’s power on both sides of the ball. The offensive line ripped open big holes in the Nittany Lions defensive front, as Donovan Edwards and Corum blasted 67- and 61-yard TD runs on consecutive offensive snaps.
The defense limited Penn State to 157 passing yards and 111 yards on the ground.
Ohio State has lacked Michigan’s consistency
While Ohio State is also undefeated, there have been a few less-than-stellar efforts. One of them was a 21-7 victory over a struggling Northwestern team in early November.
Northwestern has won one game this season, and is perhaps the worst team in the Big Ten. However, when Ohio State went to Evanston, the Wildcats opened a 7-0 lead and the Buckeyes did not score until late in the second quarter.
It was a windy day, and the Buckeyes were flummoxed by the weather. Good teams find a way to overcome the elements. The game was in doubt until the late stages of the 4th quarter.
Heisman Trophy candidate C.J. Stroud passed for just 76 yards and the quarterback never looked comfortable. The Buckeyes did not look like a championship team.
Ohio State also had a very difficult time against Penn State. The Buckeyes picked up a 44-31 victory, but head coach Ryan Day's team was trailing 21-16 with less than 10 minutes to play.
The Buckeyes asserted themselves in the final 9:26 and deserve credit, but they did not play well early. The running game was quite disappointing, as Ohio State had just 98 rushing yards.
Conclusion
The prediction here is that Michigan will win the game. The Wolverines broke their long losing streak in the series last year with a 42-27 win, thanks to a powerful performance from their offensive line.
Michigan knocked Ohio State backwards consistently, and the same thing will happen here.
Obviously, if Michigan wins on the road, the Wolverines are a deserving CFP participant. However, if they go into Ohio Stadium and keep it close, they still deserve their shot over LSU and Alabama — both of whom have 2 losses. USC and Clemson both have 1 loss going into Saturday's games, but the belief is that Michigan is better than either of those teams and more deserving of an opportunity to compete in the playoff.
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