Michigan fans can’t escape the horrifying reality of the 1st College Football Playoff Rankings

The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season are here, and the Michigan Wolverines check in at No. 21 with a 7-2 record. The Wolverines slotted in behind the two teams that they’ve lost two, USC at No. 19 and Oklahoma at No. 12. 

Those losses, and the No. 21 ranking, present a harsh reality that Michigan fans cannot escape. With three games left on the schedule, it will all come down to Week 14 when Ohio State comes to the Big House. 

With trips to Northwestern and Maryland upcoming after a Week 11 bye, Michigan is favored to get to 9-2 heading into the biggest game of the season. That means, beat the Buckeys for the fifth-straight year, and you’re in the 12-team field. Lose to what will likely still be the No. 1 team in the country and miss out. It’s that simple, and that raises the stakes that much more for the greatest rivalry in college football. 

Michigan will have everything on the line against Ohio State

Last season when Michigan pulled off the upset in Columbus, it robbed the Buckeyes of a trip to the Big Ten Championship Game, and handed them their second loss. But ultimately, it didn’t derail the season. Ohio State got back on track in the College Football Playoff and cruised to a national championship. 

Ohio State will have that type of leeway heading into the season’s final week, barring disaster in the interim. Michigan will not. With the depth of the SEC and the lack of resume-building wins for the Wolverines this season, 9-3 Michigan gets sent to a meaningless bowl game, while 10-2 Michigan, with a win over Ohio State, could be in contention for a home game in the first round of the CFP. That’s how great a swing that game will be. The first rankings only drove that home further for Michigan fans. 

Considering how dominant Ohio State has looked so far this season, some Michigan fans aren’t so optimistic about their team’s chances of winning a fifth-straight over their rival. Redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin is the Heisman Trophy favorite. He’s completing over 80 percent of his passes, and with Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate on the outside, he had the most efficient performance by an Ohio State QB in his team’s Week 10 win over Penn State since CJ Stroud threw for five touchdowns against Toledo in 2021. 

Even Ohio State fans recognize how monumental the rivalry game will be this year, and for all the winning Michigan has done in recent years, the Buckeyes avenging last year’s loss to eliminate the Wolverines from the CFP en route to back-to-back national championships is easily Michigan’s worst-case scenario.