Michigan Suffers Worst-Case Scenario Saturday for At-Large CFP Berth

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The Michigan Wolverines took down Western Michigan in Week 1 thanks to a last-second touchdown pass. The same fate befell the team in Week 4, just not in winning fashion.

Michigan let Iowa hang around and ultimately lost by a final of 20-19 after Hawkeyes quarterback Hank Brown threw a perfect pass to Reece Vander Zee in the end zone as time expired. Wolverines fans were left stunned as the team fell to 3-1 on the season.

One loss does not doom Michigan’s chances to make the College Football Playoff. However, Saturday’s results around the college football world did nothing to help the Wolverines’ case if they don’t end up winning the Big Ten.

Michigan Suffers a Worst-Case Scenario in Week 4

The loss to Iowa itself was the worst result Michigan dealt with Saturday. The game was in hand, until it wasn’t in the final minute. A 20-19 loss against the No. 17-ranked team in the nation is not enough to eliminate Michigan from playoff contention. Yet a closer look presents some intriguing context.

Michigan held on for a close 17-10 win over Oklahoma in Week 2. At the time, the Sooners were ranked No. 11 overall. That seems like a mistake now after OU’s 41-13 loss against Georgia on Saturday. This came one week after the Sooners held on for a shockingly close 14-6 win over New Mexico.

Then there is Western Michigan. The team that suffered one of the most controversial losses in college football history at the hands of the Wolverines and an extra second added to the clock by the officials.

The Broncos looked like a potential contender out of the “Group of 6” and, according to some, legitimately took down Michigan. The team came crashing down back to Earth Saturday with a 32-7 loss at home against Boise State.

This means Michigan’s signature win over Oklahoma no longer looks strong, and the controversial win over WMU looks like the Wolverines played down to their competition and were bailed out by the officials.

Still a Clear Path to the CFP

The good news for Michigan and its fans is that there is still a clear path to the College Football Playoff. That involves winning out the rest of the way and ideally winning the Big Ten.

Winning out would mean Michigan takes down the likes of Penn State, Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State en route to a berth in the conference championship game. Even a loss at that stage could still get Michigan an at-large berth given the level of competition on the schedule.

However, even one more loss raises huge questions, especially with the debate over the Week 1 finish.

Going undefeated used to be a requirement for college football teams to pursue a championship. Michigan must simply reset after the loss to Iowa and focus on playing perfect football the rest of the way.

Yet that appears to be a lofty goal given the way the season has started.

This article was originally published on HEAVY

The post Michigan Suffers Worst-Case Scenario Saturday for At-Large CFP Berth appeared first on HEAVY.

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