The Wolverines may have lost to the Indiana this weekend, but ESPN’s FPI moved them up a few spots based on the results. Here is where they are ranked now:
Saturday was another disappointing one for the Michigan Wolverines , losing to the No. 8 Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington. The maize and blue were in the contest to the end, which may be what made it an even tougher pill to swallow. Now, the reigning national champs move to 5-5 on the season with just two games to go.
Last week, ESPN’s FPI calculated that Michigan had a 82.1 percent chance of becoming bowl eligible. That number barely changed this week as the Wolverines are now at 81.2 percent with a matchup with the Northwestern Wildcats looming.
As for their ranking? Michigan actually moved up four spots to No. 42 overall in the FPI. That’s 9th in the Big Ten, and just ahead of the Washington Huskies , who have the same record, and are No. 47 according to the data. The teams ahead of Michigan in the Big Ten are Wisconsin (No. 34), Minnesota (No. 33), Iowa (No. 23), USC (No. 18), Indiana (No. 10), Penn State (No. 8), Oregon (No. 7), and Ohio State (No. 3).
In second to last place in the conference, and No. 79 overall, is the next opponent on the Michigan schedule. Northwestern has just a 10.2 percent chance of making it to .500 despite three games remaining. That’s because they play host to Ohio State this week, go to Ann Arbor the week after, and then host Illinois to finish their season. They’d need to win two of those three to make a bowl game this season. The hope for Wolverines’ faithful is that they are the one’s to move that number to zero percent in two weeks.
A major shakeup happened in the top-10 this week too after some major games in the SEC. Alabama has moved back up to No. 1 in the country following a blowout win over LSU in Baton Rouge. Texas and Ohio State each lost a spot in the rankings because of this, but sit at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively. After that? Notre Dame coming off their 7th straight win. Ole Miss jumped ahead of Georgia thanks to their home win over the Bulldogs, they rank No. 5 and No. 6. The AP’s No. 1 Oregon stood pat at No. 7 in the FPI while Penn State moved back in to the top-10 at No. 8. Tennessee at No. 9 and Indiana at No. 10 wrap up the top spots in the country per the FPI metrics.