While the Michigan Wolverines were idle over the weekend, there were some encouraging developments in ESPN’s FPI rankings, mostly due to some Big Ten powers going down.
Michigan has an FPI score of 18.3,
which actually ties it with Penn State, and is ranked No. 12 overall. It trails Southern California by 0.4 points.
The Wolverines’ win-loss projection went up to 9.1-3.2, and they now have a 10.5 percent chance of winning the Big Ten and a 33.6 percent chance of reaching the College Football Playoff.
Oregon (24.2), Ohio State (23.5) and Indiana (21.1) are the other top teams in the conference. All three are legitimate CFP threats, and possibly further, but they are all beatable, too.
The upcoming home matchup with Wisconsin should not pose too many problems, but there is a critical, looming road trip to Southern California that should reveal volumes about this team’s realistic outlook. A win would set Michigan up nicely for a favorable second half, while a loss could hamper the fanbase’s expectations.
Fortunately for Sherrone Moore and company, this is a relatively weak schedule, particularly for such a deep, talented conference. The Wolverines are far from perfect, but perhaps the stars will align for a return to meaningful postseason play.
