Bowl Projections: Michigan back in College Football Playoff hunt?

The Wolverines' win over USC has raised postseason expectations for Michigan back to preseason levels...

Matt Lounsberry | Sep 25, 2024

Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant (78) tackles USC running back Woody Marks (4) during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Michigan Wolverines

With its back against the wall, Michigan got a huge upset win over USC this past weekend to stay in contention for a College Football Playoff spot and give time for new starting quarterback Alex Orji to get his feet under him as a passer.

While the Wolverines still have a ways to go in order to develop into a playoff-caliber team, their 27-24 victory over the Trojans showed that a quality team still resides in Ann Arbor. It also positively impacted Michigan's postseason projections. 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. 11 Michigan at No. 6 Alabama (College Football Playoff — Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Mark Schlabach: Michigan vs. LSU (Citrus Bowl — Orlando, Fla.)

ESPN has dual projections from reporters Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach, and one of them has the Wolverines back in the College Football Playoff picture following the win over USC. Bonagura said Michigan's reentry into the CFP "feels temporary", but perhaps that changes as Orji gets more comfortable behind center. Should this projection become reality, it would mark back-to-back years that the Wolverines and Crimson Tide met in the playoff, after Michigan beat Alabama in the Rose Bowl last season. It would also be a rematch between the Wolverines and opposing head coach Kalen DeBoer, who led Washington to the national championship game last season.

Schlabach's projection, meanwhile, did not change from last week. 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. 14 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: Michigan vs. LSU (Citrus Bowl — Orlando, Fla.)

Athlon agrees with Schlabach here with its bowl projections with a matchup between the Wolverines and Tigers on New Year's Eve in Orlando. Athlon essentially has Michigan finishing fourth in the Big Ten and landing the conference's top bowl game outside of the CFP. Athlon projects Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State to each reach the 12-team playoff field.

CBS Sports

Projection: No. 10 Michigan at No. 7 Oregon (College Football Playoff — Eugene, Ore.)

CBS' Jerry Palm has the Wolverines back in the College Football Playoff after their win over USC, and facing a Big Ten opponent in a first round road game. The top four seeds of the playoff get first round byes, and the higher seeds (No. 5-8) will host the lower seeds (No. 9-12). This would be a rematch of a Week 9 matchup between Michigan and Oregon in Ann Arbor. In Palm's projection, the winner of Game 2 between the Wolverines and Ducks would face No. 2 Ohio State in the quarterfinal round.

USA Today

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

USA Today bumped the Wolverines up one slot on the Big Ten bowl pecking order from last week, from the ReliaQuest Bowl up to another Citrus Bowl projection. This one has Michigan squaring off with current-No. 6 Ole Miss in a fun matchup with Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin. 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. Texas A&M (ReliaQuest Bowl — Tampa, Fla.)

College football reporter Brett McMurphy projects a fourth different matchup with an SEC opponent here for the Wolverines, and slots Michigan lower than any other projection in the ReliaQuest Bowl. This is the Big Ten's second-highest bowl outside of the College Football Playoff. McMurphy has Texas A&M awaiting Michigan in this projection, in what would be the fourth-ever meeting between the two programs. The Wolverines hold a 2-1 advantage over the Aggies, though Texas A&M won the most recent meeting in 1995, a 22-20 final in San Antonio. Michigan defeated the Aggies in 1977 (41-3) and 1970 (14-10) in Ann Arbor.

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