Bowl Projections: Michigan Football firmly in College Football Playoff picture

The Wolverines keep finding ways to win, and are strengthening their position to reach the College Football Playoff yet again...

Matt Lounsberry | 3 Hours Ago

Michigan quarterback Alex Orji runs as he throws to wide receiver Tyler Morris during first half action between the Michigan and Minnesota at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. / Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Michigan Wolverines

Another week, a 27th consecutive victory in Big Ten play for No. 10 Michigan (4-1, 2-0) who defeated Minnesota, 27-24, in the Battle for the Little Brown Jug this past Saturday.

Although the Wolverines struggled to put the Golden Gophers away in the second half, they've strengthened their position in the hunt for a College Football Playoff bid, with a new publication projecting Michigan to reach the field of 12. Below, we've compiled a list of bowl projections for the Wolverines from various publications, giving us an idea on how their season is expected to play out from here. Let's dive in...

ESPN

Kyle Bonagura: No. 10 Michigan at No. 7 Oregon (College Football Playoff — Eugene, Ore.)
Mark Schlabach: Michigan vs. LSU (Citrus Bowl — Orlando, Fla.)

ESPN has dual projections from reporters Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach, but only one has the Wolverines projected to make the CFP. Bonagura has Michigan in the field of 12 for the second consecutive week, but bumped the Wolverines up from No. 11 to No. 10, and shifted their first round opponent from Alabama to Oregon. This would be a rematch of a Week 9 matchup between Michigan and Oregon in Ann Arbor. In Bonagura's projection, the winner of Game 2 between the Wolverines and Ducks would face No. 2 Ohio State in the quarterfinal round.

Schlabach's projection, meanwhile, has not changed going back three weeks. He still has the Wolverines in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, which is the top non-playoff Big Ten-affiliated bowl game. Schlabach matches Michigan up with current-No. 13 LSU. In this scenario, Michigan would face a relatively familiar opponent in head coach Brian Kelly, who spent 12 seasons at Notre Dame before bolting to the SEC. This would, however, be the first ever meeting on the gridiron between Michigan and LSU.

Athlon Sports

Projection: No. 11 Michigan at No. 6 Tennessee (College Football Playoff — Knoxville, Tenn.)

After projecting the Wolverines to play in the Citrus Bowl last week, Athlon Sports has bumped Michigan back into the College Football Playoff following a 4-1 start to their season. In this hypothetical scenario, the Wolverines would travel to Knoxville for a first round matchup against current No. 4 Tennessee. It would be just the second meeting all-time between the two programs, the first of which came in the 2002 Citrus Bowl when Tennessee defeated Michigan, 45-17.

CBS Sports

Projection: No. 10 Michigan at No. 7 Georgia (College Football Playoff — Athens, Ga.)

Same position, new opponent for Michigan in CBS's projection, as the Wolverines remain as the No. 10 seed but now travel to Georgia instead of a trip to Oregon, according to Jerry Palm. It would be the fourth meeting all-time, and the second in the College Football Playoff for the Wolverines and the Bulldogs. The last meeting, of course, was in the 2021 CFP, where Georgia defeated Michigan, 34-11, on its way to a national championship. Many viewed these two programs on another collision course last season, but Georgia failed to reach the CFP following a loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game, and the Wolverines went on to claim the crown.

USA Today

Projection: Michigan vs. Ole Miss (Citrus Bowl — Orlando, Fla.)

No change whatsoever from USA Today, who has the same bowl game and opponent for Michigan as it did a week ago. Here, the Wolverines are still projected to square off with head coach Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss, despite the Rebels being upset this past weekend by Kentucky (20-17). As a result of that defeat, Ole Miss fell below No. 10 Michigan in the AP Poll, down to No. 12. The Wolverines and Rebels have met only once on the football field — a 35-3 win for the Wolverines in the Gator Bowl back in 1991.

Action Sports

Projection: Michigan vs. Missouri (Citrus Bowl — Orlando, Fla.)

College football reporter Brett McMurphy continues the trend of matching up the Wolverines with an opponent from the SEC, but this is the fifth different program from that conference projected for Michigan. McMurphy bumped the Wolverines up one spot in his projections, from the ReliaQuest Bowl up to the Citrus Bowl — the highest, non-playoff bowl game a Big Ten can reach. Michigan and Missouri have split four previous meetings, each of which were played in Ann Arbor. However, the two have not met on the gridiron since 1975, a 31-7 win for the Wolverines.

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