Michigan is not where they want to be when it comes to the rankings and their position for a College Football Playoff spot. With a 3-2 record, the Wolverines have made the rest of the season after the bye week incredibly more difficult, but after back-to-back losses, Michigan is taking this week to completely reset.
Let's face it, the defense doesn't need to reset much; it's the offense that really needs to diagnose the problem and come up with a solution. Offensive lineman Blake Frazier said that the offense met this week and both players and coaches aired everything out, so hopefully that will create some answers.
"We had an offensive meeting today, just kind of airing everything out, and nothing off the table," Frazier said. "I think it kind of cleared up some things for players and coaches, and I think it's putting us on the right track."
Using the bye week to reset, but also feed off of the adversity to improve and get better. pic.twitter.com/l7MhTEGH81
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 8, 2026
Michigan will need to be practically perfect the rest of the season
You can't compete for a National Championship if you don't get a spot in the College Football Playoff, and you can't get a spot in the CFP if you aren't winning games. The good news for Michigan is that they have won three games, one of which was against Oklahoma, a power conference team. The bad news for the Wolverines is that they have lost two games, one to a ranked Iowa team, another to an unranked Minnesota team.
Michigan needed the bye this week. The Wolverines needed to get their ducks in a row, especially with the Big Three still on their schedule this season. Luckily, Michigan gets Penn State out of the bye before having to face Indiana, and Oregon a few weeks apart, and Ohio State to end the regular season.
If Michigan wants even the smallest chance of making the College Football Playoff, the Wolverines will probably need to win out the rest of the season. That would mean handing losses to the Hoosiers, Ducks, and Buckeyes, which isn't an easy task.
While Indiana hasn't been tested too much this season, the Hoosiers are still the reigning champs and have a very talented roster with one of the best coaches in college football, Curt Cignetti. Oregon looked shaky at the start of the season, but the win over USC really invigorated the Ducks, and by November, they could be back to their normal selves under Dan Lanning.
The Game always brings a lot of competition, no matter where these teams are by the end of the season. By that point, Michigan will know where they stand in terms of the CFP. Either way, Michigan needs a perfect rest of the season in terms of wins and losses if the Wolverines even want a shot at competing for a title.
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