Michigan defeats Ohio State, shaking up likely College Football Playoff picture

It’s always a high-stakes matchup when Ohio State and Michigan square off in The Game. This year, though, there were serious College Football Playoff implications because unlike last season, the loser might have as strong a chance to make the field.

The picture got a little clearer when the clock hit zeroes, though.

Michigan pulled off the 30-24 victory over Ohio State at The Big House on Saturday, clinching a spot in next week’s Big Ten Championship and, quite possibly, a spot in the CFP. The Buckeyes entered the day as the nation’s No. 2-ranked team and the Wolverines were right behind them at No. 3, meaning one of them was probably going to fall out of the top four with a loss.

Now, Michigan is that much closer to another CFP appearance.

Michigan had a 14-10 lead at halftime as both defenses held strong through the first two quarters. In the second half, though, Ohio State made things interesting when TreVeyon Henderson found the end zone to tie things up at 17-17 in the third quarter. But Blake Corum ran in his second touchdown of the day to put the Wolverines back on top 24-17, and James Turner’s fourth-quarter field goal made it a two-score game.

Marvin Harrison Jr. found the end zone after that to make it a 27-24 Michigan lead with 8:05 to play, and Ohio State got the ball with 1:05 left to try and march down the field. A Kyle McCord interception sealed it. Michigan got its third straight victory over Ohio State, accomplishing that feat for the first time since the 1990s.

How the rest of the College Football Playoff picture is impacted by The Game

Because Michigan and Ohio State were No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in the latest CFP rankings, it meant one of them was likely going to fall out of the top four with a loss. That, as a result, would open the door for Florida State to jump into the field as the nation’s No. 5-ranked team.

Georgia entered this week as the “best team in the country,” according to CFP selection committee chairman Boo Corrigan, and would likely stay atop the rankings with a victory over rival Georgia Tech Saturday night. That opened the door for the winner of The Game to lock up a spot in the four-team field — depending on what happens next week against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship, of course.

As for how the committee was going to look at The Game, he pointed to both Michigan and Ohio State’s resumes.

“Two really good teams, two teams that are good on both sides of the ball,” Corrigan said after the rankings reveal. “Michigan to get the blocked punt for a safety last week, to scoop and score. Ohio State to put up in excess of 430 yards against Minnesota. I think both teams continue to get better as they go through this.

“Michigan has been dominant, and Ohio State has got the win over Notre Dame as well as Penn State. Like every college football fan, we’re excited to watch the game and watch two really good teams play in the big house and see what happens from there.”