It may not have been pretty (it so rarely has been in 2026), but the Michigan Wolverines picked up the win at Rutgers on Saturday, 28-21, advancing to 5-3 overall (2-3 Big Ten) on the year.
As a reward for its performance, the ESPN FPI rankings bumped Michigan one single spot to No. 33 in the country with an Index score of 10.7.
The Wolverines are projected for 6.7 wins — a boost that feels more telling of No. 2 Ohio State’s (26.2) and No. 12 Oregon’s (17.4) recent downward trajectories than anything
Michigan has done. However, there is still that brief glimpse of hope with a 1.4 percent chance of running the table.
Yet for all us dreamers, the FPI gives the Wolverines a 0.2 percent likelihood of reaching the College Football Playoff and virtually no odds of winning anything significant. This is no surprise, but those aforementioned contests and one with No. 28 UCLA (12.2) could provide bright spots for what has been a frustrating campaign.
Michigan also has an upcoming date with No. 68 Michigan State (0.8) to look forward to this weekend.
Do you believe the Wolverines can squeeze any more life out of this season, or is it already time to start thinking about 2027? Let us know in the comments.
