Michigan Football: Expanded playoff would help Wolverines

Michigan Football: Expanding playoffs would help Wolverines

I am not the first one to say this, but an expanded playoff would help so many teams. First, it gives more teams the opportunity to play for a championship. It puts more teams in front of people’s faces on the biggest stage. I understand that most of the big times schools are on nationally a lot, but not all of them and definitely not the mid-major schools.

The opportunity for more teams to win will help in recruiting. I think it would have the biggest impact on the mid-major schools as they now can look a recruit with a straight face and say they have an actual chance to make it to the playoffs.

UCF, Boise State, and now Cincinnati have all had great seasons and still not actually come close. The Bearcats just went undefeated and played really well but had no shot. They barely cracked the top eight, better yet the top four.

If they have a real shot to make the playoff then they might be able to get that player that has been overlooked, but still goes to a big-time school because they have a shot. Now they can be a star at a mid-major and lead them to the playoff and while not a great shot, they would have a chance.

So why does this end up helping Michigan football? I believe that with more open spots some of the top players would start to spread out some.

Not just to mid-major schools but also the power five schools. Just like wanting to be the big fish at a small pond, they can now maybe play right away at another school and still have a legitimate shot at a championship.

Ohio State is on a roll right now and eventually, they will come back down to Earth, but let’s be honest it is tough to compete with them right now. As much as that pains Michigan fans it is the truth.

Again the statement of just get better comes to mind and again that is true. But if some of those top recruits start to explore other options, Michigan could benefit.

Lastly, Michigan is in a brutal division. One of if not the toughest in college football. It could be one of the best teams in the country and not win the division, better yet the conference.

Michigan, Penn State, and Ohio State could all be top 16 teams, but only one of them will win the division. A loss early to one of them completely takes them out of contention for the playoff.

With a 16 team playoff, this gives them the opportunity to still possibly lose a game and still have a shot. All of this doesn’t matter if they have another year like 2020, but let’s hope that is an outlier instead of the new norm.

An expanded playoff helps a lot of teams, but Michigan could be a huge benefactor from it.