There might not be many who believe Michigan still has a chance to make the College Football Playoff, but the Wolverines do.
The players believe it. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Jyaire Hill told reporters that the Wolverines might have a chance, as long as they win out.
#Michigan CB Jyaire Hill says they might have a chance to still make the playoffs, but they just need to win out.
— Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) November 3, 2026
That's much easier said than done. Michigan football is 2-3 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines' only wins were over Penn State and Rutgers, team with two combined Big Ten victories.
The win over Oklahoma doesn't carry much weight even. Finding a way to beat Iowa or Indiana would have made a world of difference.
Instead, the Wolverines have zero margin for error, and as much as Michigan football fans probably enjoyed watching Ohio State lose, it probably didn't help the Wolverines.
November 3️⃣ #CFP Top 25 pic.twitter.com/brv5QU5Lhk
— CFP (@CFBPlayoff) November 4, 2026
The Buckeyes opened at No. 12 in the first College Football Playoff Rankings. Oregon is No. 23. Those two teams will meet this week, so one of them will drop. UCLA is ranked 8th. Michigan does get the chance to play those teams in the final three games, after Michigan State.
If Ohio State was ranked in the top five, along with UCLA, the Wolverines could sway some voters by winning both of those games. Beating Oregon on the road would be impressive, too.
Michigan has to win out before thinking about College Football Playoff
The Wolverines have to prove they can do it first. Michigan had chances to beat Minnesota, Iowa, and Indiana, and couldn't find a way to make any plays in the fourth quarter. Michigan is the only Power-4 team that hasn't trailed by double digits this season and isn't ranked in the top 25.
It feels like a long shot to me. Beating Ohio State would be good enough. The Wolverines also need to stay focused on beating Michigan State before the team worries about making the College Football Playoff.
Heck, Michigan needs to learn how to run the ball. The effort against Rutgers on the ground wasn't up to snuff. Tommy Carr was stellar. It was also against Rutgers. Michigan State is winless in the Big Ten, so if the Wolverines win on Saturday, well, they should.
Win the last three games and we'll talk. Ohio State probably needs to keep winning. A win over Oregon would still matter, but not as much as if the Ducks and Buckeyes were each winning and didn't have to play each other.
You can never say never, but not only does getting nine wins feel almost impossible based on what we have seen so far this season, it also doesn't feel like it would be enough.
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