After three weeks of Big Ten play, there are still six teams that haven't won a conference game.
Michigan football is one of those programs. The Wolverines should be 2-0. They should be 5-0 on the season if a play or two had gone their way.
The kickoff return against Iowa and the muffed punt against Minnesota by Andrew Marsh. If we could wave a magic wand and take those plays away, Michigan would be 5-0 and tied for first (in the loss column) in the Big Ten.
Instead, Michigan is tied for last.
Big Ten feels wide open
The Wolverines had a bye week on Saturday, but it feels like the team at least looks better in terms of national perception after Oklahoma upset No. 1 Texas with a late field goal. People wanted to act like Oklahoma was the worst team in the world after Michigan football beat them.
Turns out the Sooners are stil pretty good. Iowa also has just one loss. The win over Iowa would have looked good on the resume, too, which makes the one-point loss sting even more.
Beyond that, the Big Ten feels wide open. Ohio State is Ohio State. The Buckeyes look like the best team in the league, if not all of college football. Indiana looked vulernable or at least beatable. That or Nebraska is a lot better than expected, which could also be true.
Indiana comes to Ann Arbor in two weeks. If the coaches can figure out the offense, with the way Bryce Underwood can run, Michigan might have a chance. Oregon definitely looks beatable. That will be different if Dante Moore is back.
The Wolverines are going to have to win out to reach the College Football Playoff. That feels impossible, but it does feel a little less impossible after Saturday.
More than that, it feels like if Michigan is able to turn things around and win eight or nine games, it will look back with regret on the one or two that got away.
That's especially true after watching Purdue blow out Minnesota. Michigan had no business losing to that team or Iowa.
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