For Michigan, there's only one way to salvage the 2024 season

Chris Breiler | 3 Hours Ago

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Michigan Wolverines

It's safe to say that the 2024 Michigan Football season hasn't gone the way that most had hoped. At 5-4 on the year, the Wolverines are out of the College Football Playoff picture and have no shot at competing for the conference championship. In fact, Michigan's chances of reaching six wins to become bowl eligible feels shaky with two of the final three regular season games coming against top 10 opponents (No. 8 Indiana and No. 2 Ohio State).

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With so many of the big goals for the season off the table, it's a fair to ask what exactly this team is playing for from here on out -- what is the motivation? Head coach Sherrone Moore answered that question following the 38-17 loss to Oregon on Saturday.

"Yeah, the motivation is that you're at Michigan," Moore said. "You know, that you wear the winged helmet, that you have the Block M on your chest, and that you get to play really good teams the rest of the way. So these guys have a lot of pride. No one's more disappointed about the losses than these kids and these coaches. So they're going to continue to fight."

Michigan's Sherrone Moore and Ohio State's Ryan Day meet at mid-field /

Of course, one of those really good teams that Michigan still has to face is Ohio State. The rivalry matchup returns to Columbus on Nov. 30, and the widespread belief is that it will be a very convincing win for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, which would snap a three-game losing streak to the Wolverines.

But for Sherrone Moore and Michigan, 'The Game' represents the last hope at salvaging a disappointing season. While a loss is expected, a win would go a long way toward easing the current frustration and restlessness within the Michigan fanbase. A win would also signal that, even in a down year, Michigan has no intention of letting momentum slip away in the greatest rivalry in all of college football.

For Michigan, there's now only one way to salvage the 2024 season: beat Ohio State.

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