Michigan football's finish predicted by ESPN, Massey Ratings
The Michigan Wolverines are 5-3 (3-2 in Big Ten Conference play) through the first two months of the Sherrone Moore era. The final four games of the regular season should tell us a ton about how this team bounces back and sets itself up for the future.
October was not kind to the team after a 1-2 mark that included a pair of road losses at Washington on Oct. 5 and Illinois on Oct. 19. The Wolverines got back in the win column in a 24-17 victory over the in-state rival Michigan State Spartans last Saturday night.
The opportunity ahead is tall, and it will be an uphill battle to get to a 6th win and bowl eligibility, but you never know if a surprise could come somewhere.
The ESPN Football Power Index and Massey Ratings each have their own story to tell on what U-M might do the rest of the way. Below are the Wolverines’ percentages in each of its remaining games.
Nov. 2 vs. No. 1 Oregon (3:30 p.m., CBS)
ESPN Football Power Index: 22.2%
Massey Ratings: 43%, Proj. score: 27-24 L
Michigan and Oregon meet for the first time as conference foes this Saturday with the Ducks coming into the game as the top-ranked team in the country and an 8-0 record. Their resume includes a win over Ohio State at home, and they beat No. 20 Illinois last week 38-9. The Wolverines are 3-2 all-time against the Ducks but have lost the last two games in the series in 2003 and 2007, respectively.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Michigan loses QB
Carter Smith decommits from Wolverines
- 2
Hunter Heisman
Colorado star becomes betting favorite
- 3Hot
Terrible calls
10 worst CFB ref blunders
- 4
Nightmare scenario
ACC tiebreak chaos
- 5
Donald Trump
Former President nixes PSU vs. Ohio State
Nov. 9 at No. 13 Indiana (TBD)
ESPN Football Power Index: 18.2%
Massey Ratings: 57%, Proj. score: 27-24 W
Indiana has been one of the biggest surprises in college football and head coach Curt Cignetti has the team at 8-0 with a legit shot at the Big Ten title and College Football Playoff. The discrepancy between FPI and the Massey Ratings is fairly wide, and do not account for the fact that the Hoosiers are dealing with a QB injury at the moment. It will be hard to know how U-M might fare until we see the Oregon game.
Nov. 23 vs. Northwestern (TBD)
ESPN Football Power Index: 81.2%
Massey Ratings: 98%, Proj. score: 31-6 W
In all likelihood, this will be the 6th win on the schedule for Michigan. Then again, if Michigan is still at five wins going into this game, it means it will have lost two in a row and four of its last five, and there’s no telling what that might mean for morale at that point. This is the closest thing to a “gimme” left, which should provide at least some comfort that there will be bowl travel this year.
Nov. 30 at No. 4 Ohio State (noon, FOX)
ESPN Football Power Index: 7.8%
Massey Ratings: 19%, Proj. score 31-19 L
The eyeball test would suggest that Ohio State is vulnerable this year, but is Michigan good enough to give them the type of battle that Nebraska did last weekend? Time will tell but a fourth win in a row would throw the faithful down in Columbus into full nuclear meltdown mode. It would be great to see what the Wolverines could do if they came into this game with a little momentum.
