Michigan Football: Looks like Wolverines will play this fall

It looks like we will see Michigan football and the Big Ten conference play this fall. A vote could happen on Sunday.

As far as the Big Ten conference, Michigan football included, playing this fall, it appears more likely than not to happen.

Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported earlier Sunday that the Big Ten was going to vote to approve a plan that would retstart football on Oct. 17.

Of course, with everything that’s happened with the Big Ten, such as deciding to postpone its season until the spring not long after putting out a revised schedule, anything can happen.

However, according to Wolverine Digest, U-M President Mark Schlissel will vote yes on the proposal, which would be a reversal since he previously voted to postpone the season.

New medical information was provided to the Big Ten and one thing that appears to have made a difference is more testing available.

Regardless, with college football happening around the country Saturday, most notably down the road in South Bend, it will be hard to resist the growing momentum for a season.

Why Oct. 17 is significant for Michigan and others

If the league does decide to start Oct. 17, it will give it very little margin for error if the conference is to have a representative in the College Football Playoff.

Oct. 24 would be the last date possible to get in an eight-game season and still potentially have a team qualify for the playoff. So if it started Oct. 17, there could theoretically be one week for a bye.

More from GBMWolverine

• 3 things to watch for Michigan football vs. Rutgers
• Michigan football vs. Rutgers: Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for College Football Week 4
• Michigan Wolverines news: Jim Harbaugh wants J.J. McCarthy ‘gunslinging’, plus a drop in recruiting rankings
• Grades, game balls for Michigan football vs. Bowling Green
• Michigan Wolverines news: Jake Moody is money in the NFL, plus more

Most importantly, it would actually allow the Big Ten and teams like Michigan football to have a meaningful season. That wasn’t going to happen in the spring, even in January.

With so much uncertainty surrounding the NFL draft, if the season was played in the spring, it’s likely many of Michigan football’s top players, along with those from Ohio State and others, wouldn’t play, because if they did, they might not be draft eligible.

While some players may still choose not to play in the season, just like Jalen Mayfield and Ambry Thomas, who have already declared for the draft, it will be closer to a normal season in terms of on-field talent.

And best of all, we will get see Michigan-Ohio State. The rest of the schedule will probably need to be worked out. Obviously, there would be six division games and two non-division games.

I guess the polls may need to include the Big Ten after all. It’s been a wild ride, but if all this pans out, maybe we will get some Big Ten football and a shot at playing for something after all.