If you are a Miami fan, "The Game" suddenly feels like a Canes game too. Ohio State at Michigan is always a national event but this year it might also come out of nowhere to quietly push Miami out of the College Football Playoff picture.
UP NEXT: ANN ARBOR 📍
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There's nothing quite like The Game during rivalry week 👏 @OhioStateFB | @UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/Wvef4qs82z
Why Ohio State-Michigan should matter to Miami fans
Ohio State enters the week at No. 1 in the CFP rankings, 11-0 and riding a 13-week run at the top heading into Ann Arbor. Michigan is 9-2 and sitting at No. 15 in the CFP, with a chance to ruin the Buckeyes' perfect season at home.
Under the 12-team playoff format, the field is built around the five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams. The top four seeds by ranking, not by conference title, get byes. Right now the projected bracket is dominated by heavyweights. Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Georgia occupy the top four spots. Behind them are Texas Tech, Oregon, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Alabama, BYU and Miami sitting at No. 12 and Michigan at No. 15.
That is the starting point for a potential shift after the final regular season game. A Michigan upset would push the Wolverines from the middle-of-the-pack to somewhere in the top 12 teams.
Beat the No. 1 team in the country and finish with only two losses in the Big Ten? Yea, that gets you into the CFP. And now we have an interesting case because with Ohio State undefeated and the ranked No. 1 in the nation, a close loss in Ann Arbor would probably keep the Buckeyes safely inside the top 12. Also, this would complicate the Big Ten title game, but here's what Canes fans need to know: if this is the only "upset" at the top of the conference, then that's bad news.
Miami is already fighting uphill against brands the committee has favored all month. Notre Dame is No. 9 despite the head-to-head loss in Miami Gardens. Alabama is No. 10 and they lost to a common opponent of Miami (FSU). The margin for error is so small, and a Michigan win would probably push Miami out of the CFP picture.