Michigan Football: Playoff rankings don’t matter, Ohio State does

Michigan football was ranked fourth in the College Football Playoff rankings, but here’s why all the Wolverines should care about is beating Ohio State.

In case you didn’t know, the latest edition of the College Football Playoff rankings was released Tuesday and yet again, Michigan football is ranked fourth.

Yawn. Tell me something that I should actually care about because right now, it’s not the College Football Playoff rankings, which haven’t revealed anything interesting in weeks.

For Michigan football, the season boils down to one thing: beating Ohio State and if the Wolverines can’t do that, the rest of it won’t matter. So to be honest, I don’t care about the rankings this week and I didn’t even watch them being released.

Here’s why: I already knew Michigan football was going to be ranked fourth. Outside of that and outside of some weird scenario in which Alabama losses to Georgia and still jumps Michigan, these rankings mean absolutely nothing. At least nothing new.

We know if the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes and Northwestern, there is a very good chance they will make the playoff. If Alabama wins the SEC Championship game, UM just has to win out. If Bama losses, Michigan will be at the mercy of the committee.

And you know what, if the Wolverines are the Big Ten champs, I don’t really care what the committee says. I don’t care about winning the national championship; I want to see Michigan win The Game; The Big Ten East and the Big Ten title game.

Michigan hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 2011. UM has never won the Big Ten East and the Wolverines also haven’t won an outright Big Ten championship since 2004. Yes, 14 years.

So that is the thing I am worried about and to be honest, I think that’s what the Wolverines are worried about too. Their goal is to win the Big Ten. Jim Harbaugh said that at the start of the season and he didn’t waver from that position when the Wolverines lost to Notre Dame.

Now, Michigan is basically in a two-game playoff for the Big Ten title. Only three teams now have a chance — Northwestern, Michigan and Ohio State. UM plays the Buckeyes Saturday and with a win, it would play Northwestern in Indy for the championship.

If Michigan wins those two games, then we can talk about the playoff and whether UM belongs. As I said, it would be hard to leave them out at that point, but also, if the Wolverines beat Ohio State and win the Big Ten title, getting left out of the playoff is the last thing I’d be worried about.

Nothing, not even getting out of the College Football Playoff would bring me down that from cloud nine.

Sure, missing out on the top four would stink, especially cause Michigan would deserve it. Yet, at the same time, I wouldn’t mind a Rose Bowl win either, which would be the first since 1997.

I’m sure I will feel different in two weeks and you can remind I said this if I do. However, right now, I don’t care about the playoff rankings. I don’t care about the National Title. I just want Michigan to beat Ohio State and Northwestern. Whatever else happens beyond that is just gravy.