Michigan Football: Wolverines are part of playoff conversation

Michigan football beat Wisconsin last week and that win set up the Wolverines up perfectly to be part of the College Football Playoff conversation.

Halfway through Michigan football‘s roller-coaster season, crystal balls are still a bit cloudy, and preseason polls have pretty much imploded.

The bad news for the Big Ten is that parity brings conference losses; the good news for Michigan is that parity in the Big 10 brings conference losses. Penn State is 1-2 in the conference with losses to Michigan State and Ohio State.  MSU is 2-1 having beaten Penn State but losing to Northwestern.  Ohio State is still undefeated, but …

OSU was only up by 4 at halftime vs Indiana, and barely squeaked by Penn State; battered  Buckeyes were down by 3 at the half, limping to a 27-26 victory.  The 30-14 score vs Minnesota looks dominant, but OSU allowed Minnesota 178 rushing yards while gaining only 91 on the ground.

And Nick Bosa has withdrawn from college football in order to rehab for the draft.  As his father put it in an interview with SI.com, “There’s time frames for injuries, and then time frames for an elite pass-rusher. It’s not about rehabbing so you can be back on the used car lot or be a mechanic.”

Michigan Wolverines

So, Bosa won’t be on a car lot or on the field for the rest of OSU’s season.

Michigan football is picking up steam at the right time, poised to do what fans have been waiting for – grab a broom and sweep  MSU, Penn State, and Ohio State.

It’s a lot to expect in a competitive conference, but all the loose ends seem to have come together.  The offensive line has figured out how to give the quarterback some protection and the running backs an open seam.

Shea Patterson is running a looser and more explosive offensive system and despite a spate of injuries, Michigan’s running game remains sound. Only Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor has racked up more rushing yards than Karan Higdon in the Big Ten.

Game management is much improved; last week, Wisconsin got nicked with 3 penalties for 30 yards; Michigan had 1 for 15 yards.  Michigan’s defense is ranked second in the nation just below U. Miami and ahead of Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, and TCU.  Devin Bush, Tyree Kinnell, Chase Winovich, and Josh Metellus have combined for 86 solo tackles and Josh Ross, Rashan Gary, Brad Hawkins, Khaleke Hudson, Kwity Paye, Jordan Glasgow, and Devin Gil are not far behind.

So, line ’em up.  Spartans this weekend, Nittany Lions the next, followed by Rutgers and Indiana.  It’s not inconceivable that Michigan goes into the Ohio State game 10-1, and not out of the realm of possibility that Ohio State will have coughed up a hairball against Purdue, Michigan State, or Maryland (beat Texas, remember?).

Ranked teams have been dropping like flies,  and the mayhem should continue.  Notre Dame faces Northwestern and Navy, two eminent spoilers, LSU has Georgia and Alabama, Clemson faces the Wolfpack this weekend, Texas has to get past West Virginia and Texas Tech.  Oklahoma and CFU have the best chance to get through unscathed, but rivalries are never without danger.

Wolverine fans have finally been able to see that big M logo every time the playoff picture is discussed, and if the stars line up the way a True Blue universe intends, the picture only gets better week by week.