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3 hours ago
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The Big Ten title conversation got more chaotic this past weekend in college football, and one of the biggest winners from it all could very well be the No.21-ranked Michigan Wolverines.
The Wolverines (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) avoided a colossal upset this past Saturday night in East Lansing, maintaining bragging rights in the in-state rivalry with the Michigan State Spartans (3-5, 0-5 Big Ten) with a 31-20 win.
While it looked as if the season was over for the Wolverines nearly a month ago, things are headed in the right direction in Ann Arbor. Not only is a league title opportunity in front of the Wolverines, but so is a College Football Playoff berth barring a sudden collapse.
Michigan has strategic path to Big Ten title game
Michigan's remaining schedule is the following: home vs. the Purdue Boilermakers (2-6, 0-5 Big Ten) this Saturday (7 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network), at Northwestern (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) at Wrigley Field (Nov. 15), at Maryland (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) Nov. 22 and "The Game" Nov. 29 (noon ET, Fox) when they host the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten).
All of those games —maybe minus Ohio State —should be manageable enough to secure wins. The issue lies with the No. 23 USC Trojans (5-2, 3-2 Big Ten), who own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Wolverines from earlier this season.
Therefore, it would require the Trojans to struggle down the stretch, with a minimum of one loss, while the Wolverines would have to win out. Thus, USC couldn't mathematically catch the Buckeyes or No. 2-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) if it were to lose again, opening the door for the Wolverines to run the table.
It's not impossible, but had the Wolverines beaten the Trojans, the path forward would have been as simple as win out and get in.
Despite his doubters, the Wolverines' Bryce Underwood still has a chance to make the season's back-half magical. Whether he will, though, remains to be seen.
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