Michigan Stays Put In AP Poll With CFP Rankings Looming

At this point in the season, wins are at a premium, no matter what they look like. But Michigan’s somewhat-sluggish 21-16 win over Purdue Saturday night wasn’t enough for the AP Poll Top 25 voters to give the Wolverines a little boost.

Staying stagnant, Michigan enters its second bye week ranked No. 21 in the country.

Michigan’s pass offense struggled for the second week in a row, but the running game was as good as ever. Even with star junior running back Justice Haynes sidelined with an injury, sophomore running back Jordan Marshall had another terrific game. He gained 210 total yards, 185 on the ground and 25 through the air, and rushed for all three of Michigan’s touchdowns.

The Wolverines defense was banged up, particularly at the linebacker spot, and the Boilermakers looked more comfortable than many expected. Still, the Michigan defense did enough in the big moments to keep Purdue mostly at bay.

Michigan controls its own destiny in terms of making the College Football Playoff. If they win out, the Wolverines should be a lock to make the field. Unfortunately for Michigan, winning out includes toppling the No. 1 team in the country, and bitter rival, Ohio State.

Regardless, the Wolverines will find out where they stand officially Tuesday night when the CFP rankings come out.

Last week, the top six teams stayed put, this week, the top seven teams kept their rankings. Both teams that Michigan has lost to this season, Oklahoma and USC, earn boosts, and land at No. 11 and No. 20, respectively.

Washington enters the rankings for the first time this season, debuting at No. 24 after its bye week.

Here are the complete AP Poll Top 25 rankings for Week 11:

Other teams receiving votes: Iowa, James Madison, Pittsburgh, San Diego St., North Texas, South Florida, SMU, Houston, Illinois, LSU, Arizona St.

Michigan is idle next week, so its fate in the rankings is out of its hands. Still, this bye week comes at a very opportune time for the Wolverines, as a lot of their major contributors are sidelined with injury. The extra week will give many of those guys some more time to heal up before the final stretch of the season.

When the Wolverines do take the field again, they will face an improved Northwestern squad. After going 2-7 in the Big Ten last season, the Wildcats currently sit at 3-2 in the conference.

Michigan will be favored, but Northwestern isn’t a pushover this year. Even with the end of the season and the bout with the Buckeyes quickly approaching, the Wolverines have to keep their eyes on the current opponent.

On Tuesday, the first iteration of the College Football Playoff rankings will be released, and Michigan will truly know where it stands. Still, the path is relatively clear: If the Wolverines win out, their resume will be plenty strong, but if they don’t, they’ll need a lot of external factors to go their way.