Paul Finebaum: Michigan should ‘absolutely’ make the CFP with win over Ohio State

With the regular season heading toward its dramatic finish, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum made his stance unmistakably clear on Get Up. He believes if Michigan beats Ohio State on Saturday, the Wolverines belong in the College Football Playoff, no questions asked. 

The discussion began with Heather Dinich laying out Michigan’s path, emphasizing that the Wolverines could land the best win in the country by knocking off the unbeaten, top-ranked Buckeyes. Finebaum didn’t hesitate to push the conversation further.

“Absolutely,” he said. “It’s the best win in college football this year. Even though they have two losses, I don’t think you could keep them out. I would put them in.”

This weekend’s showdown in Ann Arbor seems like the sport’s defining swing game. Michigan enters at 9-2, sitting behind a thick crowd of potential at-large contenders in teams like Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Utah, Miami, BYU, Alabama, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. 

However, no resume in the country can match the win Michigan could claim if they topple the No. 1 Buckeyes. It would be the single most impressive result of the entire season. Also, the committee has leaned heavily on signature wins when sorting multi-loss teams in the past.

Moreover, Dinich noted that’s not Michigan’s only path. They could even reach the Big Ten Championship Game if they beat Ohio State and either Oregon or Indiana loses.

That scenario would be a bid-stealing nightmare for the rest of the country, especially the SEC. They’re currently projecting to get as many as five teams into the 12-team field. But even without a conference title berth, a win over Ohio State would carry massive weight in the committee room for the Wolverines.

Moreover, Michigan’s two losses, which came against two ranked teams in Oklahoma and USC, came on the road as well. Beat Ohio State, and the Wolverines would suddenly own a stronger argument than nearly every other 10-2 candidate. 

Still, Oklahoma is one team Michigan might not be able to surpass, as long as the Sooners handle LSU this weekend. That’s due to the head-to-head result in September. Most other teams? They’re fair game.

A Michigan win paired with a loss by Notre Dame, Alabama, BYU, Utah, Ole Miss or Vanderbilt would clear an even easier lane for the Wolverines to surge into the bracket. And with several top contenders facing landmines this weekend, the chaos Finebaum mentioned isn’t just possible, it’s plausible.

One thing is certain, and that’s if Michigan beats Ohio State, the next committee meeting turns into a firestorm. And in Finebaum’s eyes, there’s only one correct outcome, and that’s the fact that the Wolverines should be in the 12-team dance.