Bowl projections after rivalry week: Michigan a virtual lock for the CFP

Nov 28, 2022 - 6:00 PM

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The College Football Playoff picks look a little different this week. Everyone thought Ohio State would beat the Michigan Wolverines and make the CFP, sending Michigan to the Rose Bowl. Everyone was wrong.

The Wolverines went into Columbus and handed the Buckeyes an even bigger beatdown than last year, and that should be enough to get the Wolverines into the playoff regardless of what happens against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship.

The Michigan-Ohio State game wasn’t the only game to provide some shake-up. LSU lost to Texas A&M and Clemson lost to South Carolina. Neither of those teams can play themselves back in.

All projections this week have the same picks for the CFP, so let’s check them out:

ESPN: CFP Semifinal against TCU

CBS: CFP Semifinal against TCU

247: CFP Semifinal against TCU

Athlon Sports: CFP Semifinal against TCU

College Football News: CFP Semifinal against TCU

Right now, it seems like Georgia and Michigan are probably locks to make the playoff no matter the result of their conference championship games, and the same could go for TCU. However, if USC loses to Utah on Friday, a team would get in that is not playing in a conference championship game.

It seems like the only two teams that could sneak in if USC (or potentially TCU) loses are Ohio State and Alabama. There really isn’t any other team that can make a case, and Alabama doesn’t even have one, the committee just really likes the Crimson Tide.

The new CFP rankings come out Tuesday. The top-four will more than likely be Georgia, Michigan, TCU and USC. Whatever team the committee puts at five will likely get in if one of the top four teams were to fall out.