Heather Dinich explains how sign-stealing scandal could impact Michigan's CFP ranking

As the College Football Playoff committee prepares to decide its first top 25 of the year, all eyes are on Michigan. The Wolverines look like they could find themselves toward the top of the rankings, but there’s a lot of outside noise surrounding the ongoing sign-stealing investigation.

The CFP committee has said the plan is to treat Michigan like any other team so long as it’s eligible for bowl games. According to ESPN’s Heather Dinich, there are a few reasons for that.

Dinich joined Kelsey Riggs on College Football Live on ESPN2 ahead of the reveal show and reaffirmed the committee’s plans amid the investigation. That decisions stems from making sure all teams who deserve to be in the top 25 end up ranked. That said, strength of schedule could impact where the Wolverines fall.

“I have talked to multiple former selection committee members who have told me that as long as the committee is following their protocol, this should not impact Michigan’s ranking,” Dinich said Tuesday afternoon. “The bigger concern for them is Michigan’s strength of schedule, which is about 111th in the country right now. Four straight home games to open the season against unranked opponents. That’s what Michigan has to worry about.

“Another former selection committee member told me that if the selection committee were to try to penalize Michigan in its ranking, that could unintentionally adversely affect the rest of the ranking and possibly reward a team that doesn’t deserve to be there. All indications are that Michigan in that room is going to be treated like any other team in terms of the College Football Playoff selection committee ranking based on what it’s done on the field, and the bigger issue will be the schedule.”

Michigan comes out of its bye week with an 8-0 record and remains one of the top all-around teams in the country. The Wolverines leads the nation with 226.8 yards per game and 5.9 points per game allowed so far this year, but as Dinich noted, their strength of schedule is part of the question with their ranking.

One thing’s for sure, though. All eyes will be on ESPN Tuesday night when the first CFP rankings of the year come out. Michigan is one of five undefeated A5 teams and, along with Georgia and Ohio State, has been in the conversation to rank No. 1 at the end of the night.