Tell us something we already didn’t know.
Despite being a top 10 team in the preseason, there’s a general feeling that the college football world is sleeping on Michigan football. The Wolverines were a College Football Playoff semifinalist in 2021, yet, appears to be something of an afterthought — with most of the attention going either to the rival Buckeyes, or to other programs such as Wisconsin, Penn State, or Michigan State.
However, the reigning Big Ten champions will have their shot to repeat, but it will come down to one game.
[lawrence-related id=60773,60752,60750]
247Sports put together a list of the 11 most ’season-defining’ games for the 2022 college football season, and unsurprisingly, at No. 1 is Michigan’s road trip to Columbus to take on rival Ohio State. Whoever wins that game will likely have the inside track to the playoff.
The No. 1 season-defining game is up for debate, but if you’re a believer in both of these programs, no matchup will be more important on Nov. 26 nationally. Last season, Michigan used its streak-snapping win over Ohio State to punch its ticket to the Big Ten Championship Game. And after dismantling Iowa, the Wolverines were in the playoff for the first time in program history. Should Jim Harbaugh’s squad and the Buckeyes hover around the top 5 throughout the season once again, this game will not only decide the division but will certainly have playoff implications. Who’s to say an 11-1 Michigan or Ohio State, should both teams come in unbeaten, wouldn’t trump a Power Five champion from another league given the Big Ten’s strength of schedule?
The last point is somewhat salient, in that if the Wolverines are able to handle business for the bulk of the season but fall in Columbus, it doesn’t potentially preclude them from the playoff. But, at the same time, who would want that if Michigan lost to OSU?
[listicle id=60735]
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbzardvge799bm2 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]