Michigan Football: Do Wolverines control their playoff destiny?

Michigan football destroyed Penn State last Saturday, leading many to say the Wolverines control their destiny for the College Football Playoff. Is it true?

Right now, you would be hard pressed to find a team that is playing better than Michigan football. After all, the Wolverines have won three straight over ranked teams and with eight straight wins overall to their credit, they don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

Last week, Michigan football ranked fourth in the College Football Playoff rankings. However, after embarrassing Penn State 42-7 in the Big House and LSU losing to Alabama, the Wolverines have basically assured a top-4 spot.

But the question is, does Michigan simply need to keep winning in order to keep it?

Most Michigan football fans are going to say yes. While some fans from the SEC and Big 12, maybe even the Pac 12 will disagree. Yet, the only conference that really has any hope of jumping Michigan, is the SEC, which has an outside shot at getting two teams in at the Wolverines expense.

Michigan Wolverines

I know that might sound crazy to some, especially with the way Michigan has been playing — but hear me out, there is one scenario you should still be worried about. That scenario centers around Alabama and Georgia.

The Bulldogs, who have won back-to-back games against Florida and Kentucky, are getting hot at the right time, just like the Wolverines. And after beating Kentucky, they will head to the SEC Championship game to take on Alabama, most likely as a one-loss team.

Say, just for argument’s sake, Georgia plays an undefeated Alabama team and narrowly beats the Crimson Tide in Atlanta. In that case, the Bulldogs are guaranteed a berth as the SEC champion, as well as its win over Alabama.

If Clemson, Notre Dame and Michigan all won out after that, then the decision would be down to Michigan, the hypothetical Big Ten champion and Alabama, a one-loss juggernaut. Last season, the Tide won that argument over Ohio State — could they win it over Michigan?

Now, there are some key differences. The biggest is that Michigan football lost to a playoff team and didn’t get blown out by an unranked opponent as Ohio State did. Also, the Wolverines pass the eye test by having arguably the best defense in college football. The numbers back that up too as Michigan leads in a bunch of key categories.

Alabama will also have lost on a neutral field instead of in an away game, which could make a difference. How Michigan plays against what could be considered a weak division champ from the Big Ten West could also be a factor — the next two games could be a factor too.

A Big Ten championship would be incredibly sweet, seeing as the Wolverines haven’t won one since 2004. However, if things unfold the way I laid out, it might not provide the slam-dunk playoff berth Michigan football fans hope it will.