CBS Sports projects Michigan football to College Football Playoff after Week 4

After Michigan football beat USC this past week, ESPN has the Wolverines as one of its first four out. However, CBS Sports’ resident prognosticator, Jerry Palm, sees things differently.

According to Palm, the maize and blue have officially entered his 12-team College Football Playoff projection coming in at No. 10. Ironically enough, Palm credits the schedule as a big reason as to why, noting that the bulk of Michigan’s schedule takes place at the friendly confines of The Big House, an odd admission given how tough many of the teams that remain might be.

Michigan climbed into the CFP projections this week with a 27-24 win over USC. The Wolverines won on a Kalel Mullings touchdown on fourth-and-2 play with 37 seconds left. Michigan has a favorable schedule with eight home games on it including a visit from Oregon in November. The Wolverines’ first road game will be Oct. 5 at Washington.

Not only does Michigan have to play at Washington, home against Oregon, and at Ohio State, but road games at Illinois and Indiana look much tougher now than they did before the season.

But if Michigan does make it in as Palm predicts, he doesn’t expect an easy path — nor an unfamiliar one. He has Michigan as the No. 10 seed which would play a rematch but on the road at No. 7 Oregon. And if it wins that? It would rematch against Ohio State in perhaps the most epic Rose Bowl ever.