Jim Harbaugh is on his seventh season as Head Football Coach of the Michigan Wolverines, and has led his team to an 11-1 record including a huge win yesterday versus the Ohio State Buckeyes. This is Harbaugh's first win against Michigan's most bitter rival bringing his record to 1-5 against them.
If you had watched the 2021 matchup between these legendary teams, you would have though Michigan had been the "big brother" for years instead of the truth, as the boys in blue trounced the Buckeyes 42-27 in an old school win, involving stifling defense and six rushing touchdowns, reflecting the ghosts of Michigan's past.
The immediate picture may take away from the bigger, as Harbaugh's first win over Ohio State may be his biggest ever, as the Buckeyes came into the game ranked #2 in the country and Michigan; #6. This means the NCAA Playoff committee has a very interesting decision to make. Currently, Georgia is locked at #1 with a 12-0 record, and Alabama's 11-1 should be good enough for the #2 spot. This is all before what is sure to be a legendary matchup between the two, this week for the SEC Championship.
However, three teams have legitimate claims for the last two spots in the playoffs, first being the (for now) #4 ranked Cincinnati, who has led a 12-0 campaign, but arguably had the easiest schedule of any other teams listed in this article. Next is Michigan, who has only lost to Michigan State this season on their way to 11-1 with some of the biggest prospects in the country, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. The final team in contention is Notre Dame, who also is 11-1 and at the time of Michigan's huge victory, is ranked 1 spot above them at #5.
Harbaugh still has one more test before looking at the playoffs, as his team faces the tough and high-scoring #17 Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big 10 Championship. The Hawkeyes have had an impressive season too, only losing to conference foes Wisconsin and Purdue, and overlooking them will probably put a huge blemish on what is otherwise, Harbaugh's best season in Maize and Blue.
Stay tuned for more College Football articles as the season keeps winding down towards the 8th NCAA Football Playoffs.
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-Z.D.
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