What teams can still make the College Football Playoff entering Week 13?

Michigan can still get in with a loss in The Game, but non-conference is an issue

One could argue that this year’s Michigan team might be better than the last. However, the Wolverines have a slightly harder pathway of making it into the playoff over their arch rival. Michigan has to play Ohio State in The Horseshoe. Should they win in Columbus, a 12-0 Wolverines team would play either Iowa or Purdue for a Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis.

Frankly, a loss to the Hawkeyes or Boilermakers on a neutral site will be too punitive to overcome. Regardless, Michigan can still get in as an 11-1 at-large team with Georgia and Ohio State winning Power Five championships. The Wolverines may also need some help from TCU in the Big 12, USC in the Pac-12 and/or Clemson in the ACC. Two of those three would have to lose down the stretch.

The biggest thing hurting a one-loss Michigan team is how awful their non-conference slate was.

Ohio State gets The Game at home and has the Notre Dame win on its resume

Ohio State is pretty much in the same boat as Michigan with two big advantages the Wolverines do not. The first is the Buckeyes will host Michigan in Columbus on Saturday afternoon for The Game. If they were to lose at home to their arch rival, Ohio State also has the better non-conference over the Wolverines. Yes, the Labor Day Weekend win over Notre Dame is a huge help.

If the Irish beat USC in their regular-season finale, it not only eliminates the Pac-12 from the playoff conversation entirely, but would give the Buckeyes even more wiggle room to get in should they lose The Game at home to Michigan, or potentially to either Iowa or Purdue in Indianapolis. Ohio State has also gotten in as a one-loss, non-champion before so history is on the team’s side.

The Buckeyes might have the better case of getting in as a one-loss, non-champ over Michigan.