Michigan will likely improve to 13-0 and win the Big Ten title on Saturday. The Wolverines are set to play Iowa in the conference championship game, and they should remain undefeated with a victory over the Hawkeyes, who are underdogs for the matchup.
However, that may not be enough for Michigan to earn the No. 1 seed for the College Football Playoff. That's because Georgia is currently in the top spot in the CFP rankings, and it will also be unbeaten if it defeats Alabama in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday.
The Bulldogs should win, secure the CFP's No. 1 seed and be placed in the Sugar Bowl. That will leave Michigan in the No. 2 spot, meaning it will be heading to the Rose Bowl for the first time since the 2006 season.
If the Wolverines are playing in the Rose Bowl, they'll be the favorite in the matchup. They proved to be the clear second-best team in the country last Saturday, when they notched a critical 30-24 victory over Big Ten rival Ohio State.
Led by senior running back Blake Corum (976 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns) and a strong defense (10.3 points allowed per game), Michigan will be a tough opponent come Playoff time. It's also looking to make a statement after losing in a CFP semifinal matchup last season, when it was defeated by TCU in the Fiesta Bowl.
In fact, the Wolverines has lost in the semifinals both times they've made the College Football Playoff. In the 2021 season, they were defeated by Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
So Michigan is heading into Playoff time with something to prove. And it may just come away with its first Rose Bowl victory since the 1997 season.
