The Michigan Wolverines football team's hopes of a College Football Playoff appearance likely came to an end with their Oct. 19 loss at Penn State, with their Big Ten title hopes taking a severe hit that night as well.
Slim hopes of a league championship still remain, though the Maize and Blue no longer control their own destiny and would need both Ohio State and Penn State to drop upcoming games they'll be expected to win.
Michigan still has a chance, however, to take down its two biggest rivals in two of the next three weeks, with Michigan State and Ohio State (along with a Nov. 23 trip to Indiana) on the horizon.
Concluding the regular-season on a three-game winning streak is more than feasible, and if accomplished, would likely land the Wolverines in a New Year's Six bowl game for the third time in four years.
ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit appeared on a conference call yesterday to preview the Wolverines' remaining schedule as we hit the home stretch of college football's regular-season.
"They get a bye week and brace for these last three, [first] against rival Michigan State," he said. "At IU is never easy, and that seems like it's a great game every year. And then they host Ohio State.
"So if they keep playing the way they have the last 10 quarters, it's going to be great football because they're at home against Michigan State, and I can't imagine them losing that game personally.
"Indiana is a little bit tricky, but I would think that they will win that game.
"And then here we go with Ohio State on Thanksgiving weekend, which will be awesome and the fact that it's at home, if Ohio State wins out leading into that game, how many times have you gone into that game where one team has everything to lose and the other team has nothing to lose?
"We know how that goes. If Ohio State beats Penn State, and as far as the Big Ten championship, I don't think it would matter if Ohio State won or lost that game to go to Indy, right?
"I think they would still go to Indianapolis with one loss in conference.
"I'm thinking off the top of my head, so I'm not 100 percent sure on that. Because they would win the head-to-head if they beat Penn State, I think they would go regardless of if they lost to Michigan or not.
"And that's always a dangerous thing when you go into a rivalry game. So it will be great. I always like to see Michigan and Ohio State with a lot at stake and I would love to see them keep playing the way they have these last 10 quarters."
November 16 — Michigan State (4-4, 2-3)
Note: The team's national rank is listed first below (out of 130 FBS teams), while the actual statistic is the figure in parenthesis.
• Yards per game — 108th (345.9)
• Points per game — 110th (21.8)
• Rushing yards per game — 118th (112.8)
• Passing yards per game — 64th (233)
***
• Yards allowed per game — 20th (312.8)
• Points allowed per game — 33rd (21.9)
• Rushing yards allowed per game — 25th (117.1)
• Passing yards allowed per game — 33rd (195.6)
***
• Leading passer — Fifth-year senior quarterback Brian Lewerke (220.1 yards per game, 56.1 completion percentage, 11-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio)
• Leading rusher — Redshirt freshman running back Elijah Collins (68.1 yards per game, 4.7 yards per carry, three rushing touchdowns)
• Leading receiver — Fifth-year senior wideout Darrell Stewart (47 receptions, 86.8 yards per game, 14.7 yards per catch, four touchdowns)
Nov. 23 — @ Indiana (7-2, 4-2)
Note: The team's national rank is listed first below (out of 130 FBS teams), while the actual statistic is the figure in parenthesis.
• Yards per game — 32nd (446.4)
• Points per game — 37th (34)
• Rushing yards per game — 96th (138.4)
• Passing yards per game — 15th (308)
***
• Yards allowed per game — 18th (310.2)
• Points allowed per game — 22nd (20)
• Rushing yards allowed per game — 37th (133.8)
• Passing yards allowed per game — 11th (176.3)
***
• Leading passer — Redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Penix* (199.1 yards per game, 68.8 completion percentage, 10-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio)
• Leading rusher — Sophomore running back Stevie Scott (81.8 yards per game, 4.9 yards per carry, nine rushing touchdowns)
• Leading receiver — Junior wideout Whop Philyor (59 receptions, 90.3 yards per game, 13.7 yards per catch, three touchdowns)
* — Penix is out for the year with a shoulder injury, and redshirt junior quarterback Peyton Ramsey will likely get the start against Michigan
Nov. 30 — Ohio State (8-0, 5-0)
Note: The team's national rank is listed first below (out of 130 FBS teams), while the actual statistic is the figure in parenthesis.
• Yards per game — 6th (514.8)
• Points per game — 3rd (48.3)
• Rushing yards per game — 4th (284.2)
• Passing yards per game — 67th (230.5)
***
• Yards allowed per game — 2nd (224.3)
• Points allowed per game — 1st (7.9)
• Rushing yards allowed per game — 9th (91.5)
• Passing yards allowed per game — 1st (132.8)
***
• Leading passer — Sophomore quarterback Justin Fields (207.4 yards per game, 68.8 completion percentage, 24-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio)
• Leading rusher — Junior running back J.K. Dobbins (138.7 yards per game, 7.2 yards per carry, nine rushing touchdowns)
• Leading receiver — Sophomore wideout Chris Olave (28 receptions, 51.4 yards per game, 14.6 yards per catch, eight touchdowns)
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