Wolverine Digest

Michigan, Ohio State Make CFP History

For this first time since its inception in 2014, the College Football Playoff will include two teams from the Big Ten Conference.

Christopher Breiler

For this first time since its inception in 2014, the College Football Playoff will include two teams from the Big Ten Conference - No. 2 Michigan and No. 4 Ohio State.

For No. 2 Michigan, it's been a  dominant 2022 campaign. Not only did the Wolverines destroy the Buckeyes in Columbus by 22 points, they also defeated Purdue in convincing fashion to capture their second consecutive Big Ten Championship. The result was a 13-0 record and a spot in the College Football Playoff for the second-straight season, where they'll now face No. 3 TCU in the Fiesta Bowl on December 31. 

It's the first time in program history that the Wolverines have achieved 13 wins in a single-season, and they are currently the favorite to face either No. 1 Georgia or No. 4 Ohio State in the national championship game on January 9, 2023. 

Speaking of Ohio State, the Buckeyes (11-1) managed to squeeze their way in to the college football playoff after both No. 4 USC and No. 3 TCU failed to win their conference championship games. 

In spite of a 22-point loss at home to the Wolverines in the final game of the regular season, and failing to qualify for a shot at the conference championship, the playoff committee still viewed the Buckeyes as one of the top teams in the country - placing them in the No. 5 spot. That meant that a loss by USC and/or TCU would almost certainly place the Buckeyes in the CFP - and that's exactly what happened.

As a result, Michigan and Ohio State made College Football Playoff history - becoming the first two teams from the Big Ten Conference to make the CFP in the same season. 

The only other conference that has sent two teams to the CFP in the same season is the SEC, and it was Alabama and Georgia both times (2017-18, 2021-22).

Published
Christopher Breiler
CHRISTOPHER BREILER

Home/Football