ESPN excludes Michigan from current College Football Playoff field

Michigan enters the 2024 season at No. 9 in the preseason AP Top 25 despite losing multiple key players to last year’s national championship roster. Despite a coaching change and off-the-field chatter about last year’s sign-stealing scandal, many believe the Wolverines are a contender in the Big Ten once again and have the chance to reach the postseason for a fourth straight year.

However, ESPN’s Heather Dinich isn’t entirely buying into Michigan this year, as she has the Maize and Blue in the “Next Four Out” category in a new edition of college football playoff predictions.

Running back Donovan Edwards highlights the returning talent for the Wolverines. He will likely get a lot of carries with new quarterback Alex Orji at the helm. Edwards showed flashes last year, rushing for two 40-yard touchdowns in last year’s national championship against Washington.

The Sherrone Moore era starts quickly, with a week one matchup against an underrated Fresno State team before hosting the No.3 Texas Longhorns at The Big House in week 2. In Big Ten play, the Wolverines open up against Lincoln Riley and USC and will face some challenging road environments, such as Washington and archrival Ohio State, later in the season.

With a manageable schedule the rest of the way, it would do wonders for a “bubble” team like Michigan if they could win their home games and possibly steal one on the road.